Question - UK Lawyer and Prospects

[anonymous73609]

I am a British citizen and I'm thinking of moving to Canada in the future. I completed my law degree at LSE, I have a post-graduate professional qualification as this is mandatory to be an English solicitor, and I have (nearly) completed my 'Training Contract' (the UK equivalent of an 'Articling Student' I believe). To qualify in Canada, through my research I believe I have to undertake some NCA examinations. Reading these forums, it seems as if there is some stigma towards those taking NCA exams, so I wanted to ask what the general job prospects are for someone in my situation? It seems as if after the exams, there is a struggle to find jobs and there is a tendency to prefer those educated in Canada - which I am not. Would I be able to be exempted from articling, or are there any law firms that sponsor international students (i.e., from my Big Law firm in London, we had multiple sponsorship opportunities for international students when completing the post-graduate professional qualification)? Do let me know if there is any advice if you have been in a similar situation! 

[JohnsonWest]

Is there any way you can get some more work experience in the UK post-training contract before moving here? If you're a British citizen with some work experience in the UK, you will be looked at differently than a regular Canadian citizen who simply went off to England/Australia simply because they couldn't get into a Canadian school, and then tried to come back to Canada immediately with the hopes of finding a job. We have lots of these types of folks and they're typically viewed as less competent given admissions standards for most law schools in the UK and Australia are generally speaking far less difficult than Canada's.

If you can get some work experience with a good firm out there you shouldn't have too much trouble lateraling but you also need to keep in mind there are thousands of Canadian law students graduating from reputable Canadian law schools every year and these are the folks who are most competitive for jobs here. The fact that you went to a good school like LSE + you have BigLaw experience makes me think things will turn out ok for you. 

Also, another factor would be the type of work you're looking for. I think if you're seeking a career in the capital markets, you won't have a problem. Litigation might be a different story but still not impossible given your impressive background.