Vancouver Hireback

[sunshinecoast]

Do big firms in Vancouver usually give hire back offers to their articling students around the same time of year? If they do when would that typically be?

Most of the info I've seen on hire back offers has been specific to Toronto. Thanks for the help!

[Aschenbach]

Last year it was around mid March

[sunshinecoast]

Quick update. A few of my peers at small and mid-sized firms received hireback offers in late February. It seems like smaller firms tend to vary much more when they give hireback offers since they usually don't follow the same timelines as big firms.

I heard Dentons in Vancouver has given hireback offers but not sure if that is true. If anyone would like to confirm.

I'll try and post if I hear of any other confirmed offers. It sounds like the hiring need is much less than in previous years but really who knows

[sunshinecoast]

Osler gave hire back offers this month

[sunshinecoast]

Clark Wilson hired back 3/6 (1 clerking)

Dentons hired 7/9

Sangra Moller hired 2/2

The above was updated on NALP.

Harper Grey didn't give offers to their full cohort but I don't have the exact numbers

[syh-0120]

Is the hireback rate from articling to associate like this usually? Is it expected that for a cohort of 5+ people 2ish people won't be hired back as associates?

[canuckfanatic]

42 minutes ago, syh-0120 said:

Is the hireback rate from articling to associate like this usually? Is it expected that for a cohort of 5+ people 2ish people won't be hired back as associates?

Pre-pandemic, firms with less than 12 or so articling students (which is most of them, even the national firms) would try to keep all of them if possible. Maybe 1-2 would not receive an offer or maybe 1-2 would refuse the offer. Generally though, I'd say 80-90% in Vancouver were hired back. 

In the past year or two, I think that number has dropped to 50-70%. I know of a regional firm that hires 2-3 students per year and hasn't kept any of them for the last 2 years.

Blakes was always an exception, because they always had the largest cohort of articling students (~20) and would always lose the most, for various reasons, at the end of articles.

Edited March 20, 2024 by canuckfanatic

[perryplatypus]

any news on other firms? Gowling, Fasken, BLG, Blakes?

[sunshinecoast]

On 3/25/2024 at 10:12 AM, lawstudentvancouver said:

any news on other firms? Gowling, Fasken, BLG, Blakes?

Haven't heard any other news yet. Historically Blakes Vancouver office doesn't hire back their full articling cohort FYI.

 

[Patient0L]

Reviving this thread to see what’s up with Vancouver hirebacks. I hear it’s a rough situation out there and I am curious if anyone has more info. TIA

[Forever Curious]

4 hours ago, Patient0L said:

Reviving this thread to see what’s up with Vancouver hirebacks. I hear it’s a rough situation out there and I am curious if anyone has more info. TIA

Might be a little early for this years cohort. I understand that timing of articling cohorts has changed for many firms but I'm not sure if this was because of PLTC or on a firm-by-firm basis. In either case, I would expect similar numbers to last years cohort. 

[QueensDenning]

On 1/7/2025 at 11:44 AM, Patient0L said:

Reviving this thread to see what’s up with Vancouver hirebacks. I hear it’s a rough situation out there and I am curious if anyone has more info. TIA

I also anecdotally heard the hire back rate was terrible (even for “top” firms that always have near 100% in Toronto). 

[Patient0L]

10 hours ago, QueensDenning said:

I also anecdotally heard the hire back rate was terrible (even for “top” firms that always have near 100% in Toronto). 

Apparently there was a 25% hireback rate at one of the big ones in Vancouver. I was wondering how widespread this is. 

[sunshinecoast]

12 hours ago, Patient0L said:

Apparently there was a 25% hireback rate at one of the big ones in Vancouver. I was wondering how widespread this is. 

I know very few firms in Vancouver (including big firms) who had 100% hireback rates last year. With this being said, it was mostly corporate/commercial groups that could not hire back their students.

[Aschenbach]

It was 50% my year (2023) and I was one of the students who wasn't offered a position. For anyone who did not get an offer or who is worried they will not be getting an offer, it will be fine. I ended up in a boutique in my preferred practice area, the work is rewarding and I'm still a lawyer. Everyone I know who did not get hired back also found a position.

[Patient0L]

On 1/15/2025 at 10:06 AM, sunshinecoast said:

it was mostly corporate/commercial groups that could not hire back their students.

Why do you think that is? Did they just overhire in the first place? 

[Forever Curious]

On 1/18/2025 at 7:35 AM, Patient0L said:

Why do you think that is? Did they just overhire in the first place? 

Nope. Its a slower market with fewer deals so there is less demand for associates. 

[canuckfanatic]

On 1/15/2025 at 10:06 AM, sunshinecoast said:

it was mostly corporate/commercial groups that could not hire back their students.

For students who don't care about what they practice (Big Law or bust), Financial Services (aka commercial lending) groups in Vancouver have been somewhat desperate for articling students. Most articling students tunnel vision on corporate/commercial, securities, and real estate.

There aren't a ton of spots in Financial Services groups (typically one of the smaller groups at Big Law firms, depending on the firm), but competition is generally low and you're more likely to be kept on.

[chaboywb]

6 minutes ago, canuckfanatic said:

For students who don't care about what they practice (Big Law or bust), Financial Services (aka commercial lending) groups in Vancouver have been somewhat desperate for articling students. Most articling students tunnel vision on corporate/commercial, securities, and real estate.

There aren't a ton of spots in Financial Services groups (typically one of the smaller groups at Big Law firms, depending on the firm), but competition is generally low and you're more likely to be kept on.

Financial services was very in demand among my cohort a few years back. It had a reputation for having slightly better work-life balance than the other transactional groups - although I'm not sure how true that is these days.

[canuckfanatic]

Just now, chaboywb said:

It had a reputation for having slightly better work-life balance than the other transactional groups

Definitely wasn't the case at my old firm - that might be why they struggled to get students. That said, being in that particular FS group virtually guaranteed that you would exceed the billable target and earn a bonus.

[VancityFlorrick]

The hire backs have started in Vancouver for anyone who wants to know. I'm not 100% sure, but I think Stikeman might have hired back all their students. Not sure how many that is though. 

[matron of ephesus]

Would anyone have any idea what's the hire back rate for other firms?