We Are Public Sector Lawyers - Ask Us (Almost) Anything

[lawdylawdy]

3 minutes ago, BlockedQuebecois said:

If big law is such a bad deal, have you considered leaving? 🙂 

ACTIVELY. But since government is such a bad deal too, then where to go but off a bridge? 

[BlockedQuebecois]

You’ve lost the plot – you think government jobs are cushy! 

[lawdylawdy]

2 minutes ago, BlockedQuebecois said:

You’ve lost the plot – you think government jobs are cushy! 

I wonder if there's a way to block you because you are clearly a troll. 

[BlockedQuebecois]

On mobile, hit the three bars on the top right, then account, then ignored users 🙂 

I’m not sure how highlighting that you’re the one arguing government jobs are cushy and I was the one saying big law jobs are fine and not terribly stressful amounts to trolling, but feel free to ignore me. 

[CleanHands]

The funny thing is that by the end of his tenure here I came to really dislike Judgelight (to the extent that one can dislike a random user on an Internet forum they've never met) and consider him to be a disgraceful excuse for a Crown and someone nobody should listen to.

But someone has come along to argue with him and managed to have even worse opinions that are even more delusionally lacking in perspective than his "Crown positions pay poverty wages" take.

I hate lawyers more every day reading this shit in between assisting clients who grew up being shuffled between foster homes where they were sexually assaulted growing up and then became homeless substance abusers as adults (but who still somehow manage to show more humanity, decency and generosity on average than members of our profession). I think I need a break from the forums. Thanks to @BlockedQuebecois and @Rashabon for repeatedly keeping it real in the face of the endless tide of narcissists here who think they are getting a terrible deal and are really hard done-by in Canadian BigLaw, at least.

[myth000]

I don’t know which jobs are cushier than others. Generally, due to their unionized nature, government jobs are considered cushy, but I don’t know if that applies to all positions. However, I do know for a fact that the aforementioned gang of A-holes must have fairly cushy jobs since they seem to have hours upon hours of free time to troll a law school forum.

[LMP]

I think everyone's had their say. If you don't have something to say about the topic of the thread, keep it to yourself or make a new thread. Let's not dilute a really valuable resource like this thread. 

[GoBigOrGoHome]

55 minutes ago, BlockedQuebecois said:

You’ve lost the plot – you think government jobs are cushy! 

Definitely not. There are Crown Counsel in Vancouver that are working nearly every weekend because of the teams that they are on.

Perhaps with some MAG teams you have less pressure because you don't have active trials, but government work often is a lot of understaffing and a lot of expectations (but isn't that the entire legal profession).

 

[PzabbytheLawyer]

I've worked at firms and government. You have busy times. You have slow times.

It's honestly a culture thing more than a where you practice thing. I really recommend you switch employers. From the sounds of your practice area (sorry, but it's not difficult to guess with what you mentioned), you have your pick of options both in firms, government, and in-house.

[talon4841]

How do you navigate the delicate balance between upholding legal principles and aligning with governmental policies, ensuring that your advice as a public sector lawyer remains both legally sound and in harmony with the broader objectives of the government?i met with injury lawyer in odisa they explained alot but i want to add something additional

[krokatron]

How easily can someone who works for Ontario MAG - Criminal, relocate within Ontario? For example, can one Article in Toronto, and then seamlessly transition to working in Northern Ontario/ (i.e. Sudbury or Thunder Bay) after articles finish (still within Ontario MAG - Criminal)? 

Basically - what is mobility like within MAG? 

[StephenToast]

6 minutes ago, krokatron said:

How easily can someone who works for Ontario MAG - Criminal, relocate within Ontario? For example, can one Article in Toronto, and then seamlessly transition to working in Northern Ontario/ (i.e. Sudbury or Thunder Bay) after articles finish (still within Ontario MAG - Criminal)? 

Basically - what is mobility like within MAG? 

After articling with MAG, you will be put into the Student Hireback Pool for a limited time period, making you an internal candidate for other MAG jobs. There's no formal process for a seamless, automatic transition from articling student to a Crown, whether to stay where you articled or to go to another office.

I suspect it would be much easier to go from Toronto to up north rather than the other way around. (This is a hunch, I don't have experience with the MAG outside of Toronto)

The North Bay office is currently hiring for a permanent Crown position with priority for MAG lawyers and articling students:

https://www.gojobs.gov.on.ca/Preview.aspx?Language=English&JobID=210439#:~:text=Step 1%3A All regular/fixed-term OCAA and ALOC lawyers on staff%2C current Redeployment List Members and current Articling Student Hireback Pool Members. 

[krokatron]

2 minutes ago, StephenToast said:

After articling with MAG, you will be put into the Student Hireback Pool for a limited time period, making you an internal candidate for other MAG jobs. There's no formal process for a seamless, automatic transition from articling student to a Crown, whether to stay where you articled or to go to another office.

I suspect it would be much easier to go from Toronto to up north rather than the other way around. (This is a hunch, I don't have experience with the MAG outside of Toronto)

The North Bay office is currently hiring for a permanent Crown position with priority for MAG lawyers and articling students:

https://www.gojobs.gov.on.ca/Preview.aspx?Language=English&JobID=210439#:~:text=Step 1%3A All regular/fixed-term OCAA and ALOC lawyers on staff%2C current Redeployment List Members and current Articling Student Hireback Pool Members. 

Thanks!

Follow up question - is pay within MAG Criminal standardized across the province (commensurate with experience of course) - or is it location dependent? 

Also - what kind of salary can a Assistant Crown Attorney working in Northern Ontario, expect? If the Sunshine List is to be believed....90K - 100K? 

[StephenToast]

6 hours ago, krokatron said:

Thanks!

Follow up question - is pay within MAG Criminal standardized across the province (commensurate with experience of course) - or is it location dependent? 

Also - what kind of salary can a Assistant Crown Attorney working in Northern Ontario, expect? If the Sunshine List is to be believed....90K - 100K? 

Ontario Crown salary is governed by a collective agreement that is not published. You can cross check people called in the same year from different offices and their salary listed on the sunshine list to find out. As far as I know, it is not location specific.

The feds have a different pay scale for Toronto and non-Toronto crowns.

https://www.tbs-sct.canada.ca/agreements-conventions/view-visualiser-eng.aspx?id=13#tocxx222137

 

Edited January 28 by StephenToast

[Kibitzer]

Just a few additional points. 

I'm not directly familiar with the criminal side however Crim/Civil are subject to the same collective agreement. Based on that, I have never heard of differences in pay per region. 

You are in the Student Hireback Pool for two years after articling. 

For CC1 lawyers (read Junior), this is the current salary schedule. New calls start at Step 0 and then proceed to move up a step every six months (January 1 & July 1) unless they receive an exceptional rating in which case they move up two steps. This is rare though. 

Step 0: $94,408

Step 1: $97,156

Step 2: $100,000

Step 3: $102,964

Step 4: $106,032

Step 5: $109,229

Step 6: $112,543

Step 7: $115,984

Step 8 $119,585

Step 9 $126,166

Step 10: $129,952