Career Advice: DOJ? Switch Practice Areas?

[JP5553]

Hi everyone! I have been lurking on here for a long time now but have never bothered to say anything. Here goes.

Introduction 

I am a UNB grad who is coming back to Ontario. I summered at a criminal defence firm and will be articling there this year. Once I finish articling, I will clerk at the Federal Court. Initially, I though I would go back into private practice after I clerk and do a practice involving immigration and criminal law. I am looking for some input or advice because I am a first-generation law student with only a few connections I have managed to form through networking.  I do enjoy criminal law, but I do not know if I have really experienced enough of the law to feel completely comfortable settling into one area - especially since most of the connections I have made through networking have suggested I try something else because criminal defence lawyers do not make much and the work is pretty stressful. 

Context

 I have recently realized that clerking for the FC likely has opened a lot of doors for me that otherwise would be closed. I am strongly considering applying to the DOJ, IRB or PBSC as an internal applicant or even trying to switch practice areas altogether. I have read elsewhere on here that firms are more likely to give former clerks a chance even if they do not have a lot of experience in the area they are applying for.  If I were to go this route, I would probably look into something in civil litigation. 

Some further context

I am getting a paper published in Manitoba's Law Journal. I did a clinic in law school (covering various areas of law, including immigration, tenancy, employment, small claims, and poverty law), and my overall GPA in law school is just shy of a B+ average, but I did manage to get one scholarship (my 1L grades were not great, but I managed to mostly turn it around in 2L and 3L). I also was a restorative justice facilitator for three years and an RA for one year. I was also a varsity athlete in my first year of law school.  I have a few other things on my CV, but these are probably the most noteworthy. 

The only other things I would mention are that I am 25 and that my wife and I got married two years ago. She recently told me she wants to start having kids soon - which scares the hell out of me because coming out of law school, we will have 90k of debt to deal with, and criminal defence work does not pay super well. Part of my motivation to explore other options is motivated by this dynamic. She is not pressuring me to make a lot of money; we will probably be fine no matter what kind of law I decide to do (she has been working full-time as a teacher for the past two years), but I want to get us into a position where we can start a family (it is important to me as well, she just wants to start a little sooner than I would otherwise decide on my own). She is 27, we want two or three kids, and she wants to have most of the kids by the time she is in her early thirties. 

Questions

If I pursue a job with the DOJ (or any other job with the feds), is it worth the hassle to try and learn French beforehand to make myself a more competitive applicant? I already know I will have access to French training as an FC clerk, but If I decide it is worth the effort, I will probably need to start learning while I am articling. 

Taking my grades and experience into account, is it unrealistic for me to try to switch practice areas to civil litigation or some other area? The only firm line in the sand I would draw here is that I know I dislike business law (with the sole exception being when it overlaps with immigration law). 

Do you have any general career advice? I am mostly having to figure things out on my own, as I am the only person in my family who has even gone to university. 

Conclusion

Anyways, any input would be greatly appreciated. These thoughts have been weighing on me for the past few days, and I just needed to get them out there. 

 

 

 

[BHC1]

You seem like a very pleasant person.

My first piece of advice is consider editing your post - there’s a lot of biographical information that while helpful to include, really narrows down who you are. I think some FC staff actually lurk this forum.

With respect to your questions:

-French: French is certainly an asset in the federal public service, but it’s unlikely you can develop the level competency required to make you marketable in a relatively short period of time. Outside of New Brunswick, Quebec (obviously), and Ottawa, it’s also unlikely to help you advance in your early career (first 10 or so years). If you want to start learning now because you have ambitions to become an Associate Justice Minister or get appointed to the FC, start practicing now - but it’s unlikely to help you for hiring.
 

-It’s completely realistic that you can switch practice areas. You are very early in your career, have good grades, and will have great work and clerkship experience assuming everything works out. 
 

-You are doing amazing. Keep it up and best of luck. 

 

 

 

[WiseGhost]

I think its feasible to try reaching a BBB level in French. I'm assuming you already have somewhat of a base with French classes taken during school, and a couple of years of focused practice can lead to significant improvement. 

[BHC1]

1 hour ago, WiseGhost said:

I think it’s feasible to try reaching a BBB level in French. I'm assuming you already have somewhat of a base with French classes taken during school, and a couple of years of focused practice can lead to significant improvement. 

BBB : ce n’est pas la mer à boire.
 

Mais CCB… 😰