Advice for this situation

[CapricornAKG]

So I am a recent graduate of UOFT and yesterday got an offer for an articling postion in Ottawa but it pays 35K yearly. I'm not sure if I should accept as I am awaiting another position to hear back from and need to make my decision soon but I am worried I may not get it or find something else. I also signed up with the LPP as a side as well.

[Diplock]

If you are still trying to find articles after you've already graduated you are a full year past the point where you were reasonably hoping for the pick of desirable positions. I say that with no judgment, it's just the truth. I don't know what you're hoping to hear back about that you believe will be substantially better than what you've been offered in Ottawa, but you haven't offered details. I can suggest it would be very unlikely to be one of those corporate gigs that pays you $80k for the year. If you want to offer details we can compare and contrast, but what's most important is that you recognize your position clearly. You're looking for whatever you can get, at this point.

In terms of the LPP, I'm confused by your question. Are you really asking whether it's better to get paid for your articles or to pay for an experience where you pretend to do real work?

I think the vagueness of your choices here may be part of the problem. You've had someone offer you a job. That's good. It isn't everything you would like. That's disappointing. Now try comparing the job you've been offered to your other options at this time, rather than comparing it to your disappointed hopes and expectations. That'll make things a lot clearer.

Good luck.

[Ribbons]

Is that 35K after taxes? I am not sure how a firm can legally pay 35K yearly given the recent minimum wage changes (https://lso.ca/becoming-licensed/lawyer-licensing-process/experiential-training/mandatory-minimum-compensation#:~:text=The Mandatory Minimum Compensation (MMC,Law Society for an exemption.) 

In terms of choosing, if I were you I would consider a few things:

a) how competitive of an applicant are you? (awards? work/volunteer experience? strength of references? gpa?) if you're highly competitive I would wait, but the certainty of a job is a big W. 

b) do you care about having to be in a small town for articling? If Ottawa doesn't work out, your best option for staying in Ontario is small town somewhere and if you hate that idea then I would accept. 

c) have you reached out to the other firm? Just thinking, if its in Ottawa as well its been about a week since other offers went out for government and such. I would be leaning towards accepting. I honestly would reach out just to ask if offers have gone out as you're considering other options but this firm is your preferred choice but that may just be me. 

Idk if that helps at all. 35K is really low and I would really struggle with accepting that too but you were also aware when applying of the compensation (or so I assume) so it evidently wasn't a deal breaker. 

Edited June 30, 2023 by Ribbons

[CapricornAKG]

It's a legal clinic to be more precise, 

 

My main issue is that I have another offer that is still on the table that is more appealing and waiting to hear back from them and applied to this one as a failsafe just in case. The other position is with the  and still waiting to hear back from them.

Edited June 30, 2023 by CapricornAKG

[TheDevilIKnow]

You are telling us the exact position you were offered, and also telling us that you don't really want it? Do you realize how identifiable this makes you? I mean, if you really don't care about that, ok... but I would not identify a small employer, and tell everyone I was offered a spot there but don't really want it. Especially if I still might accept the offer. Just pointing this out because you still have 40 minutes or so to edit your post.

I will be vague about the next part of this post, so that it still makes sense if you edit your last post to remove identifying details:

In any case, money aside (and I realize money is important), the job you've been offered seems more likely to be a useful, door-opening articling experience than the second one. The first job will offer you a bunch of litigation experience, from the likes of it, which you can likely use to hopefully get an associate position in some type of litigation 10 months later. Or, if necessary, maybe even set out as a sole practitioner in an area where you've gained some strength.

The second job's area is extremely niche, albeit maybe interesting. A very small employer doing a small subset of the work of an already small field. At the end of the articling period, unless that employer itself is keeping you on, I think you are likely to have a harder time taking your next step. You'll be a lawyer but you'll have fewer options.

Not sure why the LPP would be on the table at all.

Best of luck.

[myth000]

Just FYI.  The LPP does not cost anything other than the articling fee that you pay anyways.   And there is a paid work placement in the 2nd half which could possibly be with a better firm than what you managed to arrange yourself, and you are not on your own advocating for yourself if the work placement does not meet expectations.  So I'd say it's a viable option in this case.  

[TheDevilIKnow]

4 hours ago, Ribbons said:

I am not sure how a firm can legally pay 35K yearly given the recent minimum wage changes

PS 35K a year is $673/week, which is more than the minimum set by the LSO ($620). It is also, assuming a 40 hour week, higher than Ontario's minimum wage. Not sure how things like vacation pay, etc., come into play though.

[Ribbons]

On 6/30/2023 at 5:08 PM, TheDevilIKnow said:

PS 35K a year is $673/week, which is more than the minimum set by the LSO ($620). It is also, assuming a 40 hour week, higher than Ontario's minimum wage. Not sure how things like vacation pay, etc., come into play though.

Oh dang, somehow I thought minimum was in the 50k range! I cannot believe they had to set this as a minimum with living costs nowadays.