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Occupational Profile

Lawyer
NOC code(s): 4112

Interest code(s): M I D

Lawyers study and interpret points of law to advise clients of their rights and legal
obligations, and represent client interests in legal transactions and proceedings.
Also Known As
Advocate, Barrister, Solicitor, Negotiator
Regulated Occupation

Full Profile
Duties
Lawyers advise clients on legal matters, represent clients before courts and administration boards and draw up
legal documents such as contracts and wills. They also plead cases, represent clients before tribunals and
conduct prosecutions in courts of law.
Legal practice may be roughly divided into two types: court work and office work. In Canada, when lawyers have
completed their training, they are called Barristers and Solicitors because they are eligible to do both.
Barristers (court work practitioners) act as advocates for their clients in both criminal and civil law suits. Criminal
law involves breaches of the Criminal Code of Canada (for example, arson, theft, murder) or violations of other
statutes (for example, the Controlled Drug and Substances Act, Young Offenders Act). Civil cases involve noncriminal actions and often are settled out of court. For example, civil cases include:
personal injury law suits
family and divorce actions
contract law suits
employment and labour disputes
intellectual property disputes.
In general, barristers acting on behalf of clients:
research legislation, legal precedents and case law
gather evidence (interview witnesses, review documents)
advise clients, initiate legal actions and draft pleadings
present a client's case or defence in court or before a tribunal, board, mediator or arbitrator
negotiate settlements
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may act as a mediator, conciliator or arbitrator.

Litigators are barristers engaged in civil work.
Prosecutors are barristers for the Crown who:
research legislation, legal precedents and case law
assemble and analyze evidence gathered by police
advise police regarding charges and keep crime victims informed about legal procedings
prosecute criminal cases in court.
Solicitors (office work lawyers) deal with those areas which generally do not require courtroom appearances
such as real estate transactions, corporate law, commercial law, administrative law, patents, probate and
administration of estates, international law and some aspects of family law.
In general, solicitors:
act as advisors in legal transactions
draft legal documents such as wills and business contracts
handle the transfer of property
administer estates
incorporate companies
negotiate deals
act as executors, trustees or guardians in estate and family law matters
act as trademark or patent agents.
Lawyers and articling students are notary publics under the Notaries Public Act (Alberta). A notary public may:
administer oaths and take affidavits, affirmations and declarations
draw, pass, keep and issue deeds, contracts, charter parties and other mercantile transactions in Alberta
attest (show that something is true and valid) commercial instruments.
Lawyers and articling students also are commissioners of oaths under the Commissioner of Oaths Act (Alberta).
They may administer oaths and take and receive affidavits, declarations and affirmations in Alberta.

Working Conditions
Legal work can be very demanding and stressful. Lawyers may spend many hours outside the normal working
day drafting briefs, researching cases and generally keeping informed about new developments in the legal
profession. They usually work as partners or associates in law offices and employ one or more staff members to
assist them with their work.
Other working conditions depend on factors such as size and type of law firm. For example:
criminal lawyers may, if required, spend time conferring with clients who are being detained in remand
centres or prisons.
practitioners in international, corporation or taxation law work closely with government officials and
professionals such as accountants, economists and business executives.
family law lawyers meet with families in the course of adoption or child custody proceedings.
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labour lawyers sometimes visit work sites to investigate working conditions or labour disputes.

Personal Characteristics
Lawyers need the following characteristics:
the physical and emotional stamina required to cope with periods of stress
a sense of public responsibility and a strong code of ethics
the ability to communicate persuasively and promote their services
the ability to think logically and analytically and respond quickly
organizational skills and the ability to balance career demands and outside interests
a high tolerance for confrontation and conflict
tact and patience in dealing with clients
an excellent memory.
They should enjoy co-ordinating information, negotiating settlements and advising clients.

Educational Requirements
To practice law in Alberta, lawyers must have completed three stages of post-secondary education and training
requiring a total of six to eight years of study.
The first stage is two to four years in an undergraduate (bachelor's) degree program. Undergraduate degree
programs and university transfer programs are offered by post-secondary institutions throughout Alberta.
Students seeking admission to law school must write the Law School Admission Test (LSAT), an aptitude test
administered four times a year at a number of Canadian campuses.
The second stage is a three year Bachelor of Laws (LLB) degree from an accredited law school. Admission to
law school is based on the Faculty of Law's assessment of the applicant's academic record, LSAT score and
general qualifications. The minimum academic requirement is completion of at least two years of a program
leading to a bachelor's degree or equivalent, but admission after two or three years of undergraduate study is very
unusual. A bachelor's degree generally is required to gain admission.

Related Education
The following schools offer programs or courses that are related to this occupation but are not required to enter
the field.
Click on the banner below to see the list of schools.

University of Alberta
Combined Juris Doctor/ Master of Business Administration - Law
Doctor of Philosophy - Law
Juris Doctor
Master of Laws - Law

University of Calgary
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Juris Doctor - Law

Master of Laws - Law

For a broad list of programs and courses that may be related to this occupation try searching using keywords.
The University of Saskatchewan in Saskatoon offers a special law program for Aboriginal people. For more
information, contact the Legal Studies for Native People program, located at the Native Law Centre, University of
Saskatchewan.
The third stage of education and training for lawyers is called articling. After prospective lawyers graduate from a
JD, LLB or combined degree program, they must work for one full year as a student-at-law (Law Society of Alberta
requirement). This is a form of apprenticeship in which the student enters into an agreement (articles of
clerkship) with a practitioner of the Alberta Bar, to provide the graduate with practical training in both barrister's
and solicitor's work. Most articling students are paid a modest salary.
It is the responsibility of the law graduate to obtain an articling position. A graduate's ability to secure an articling
position depends on a number of factors including the level of economic activity in the province, transferable
assets and skills from their work, volunteer and extracurricular experience and, to some degree, the graduate's
grades.
Articling students must attend and successfully complete the CPLED program (Canadian Centre for Professional
Legal Education) which is offered several times a year and covers many practical aspects of the law. This bar
admission program includes classroom sessions and online learning.

Certification Requirements
Lawyer
Lawyers study and interpret points of law to advise clients of their rights and legal obligations, and represent
client interests in legal transactions and proceedings.
Legislation
Under Alberta's Legal Profession Act, you must be registered member of the Law Society of Alberta (LSA) to
practice law in Alberta or call yourself a Lawyer.
Education
Registration requires: (1) a Canadian common law degree, (2) one year of articling as a student-at-law, and (3)
successful completion of the Law Society of Alberta Bar Admission Course (CPLED). For official, detailed
information about registration requirements, visit the LSA website or contact the Law Society of Alberta.
Working in Alberta
Lawyers who are registered by and in good standing with a regulatory organization elsewhere in Canada may be
eligible for registration in Alberta if registered lawyers in the two jurisdictions have similar responsibilities and
competencies. For more information, see " What if I am already certified in another province or territory?" and the
Alberta regulatory authority (below).
Critical Contact Details
Law Society of Alberta
Suite 500, 919 - 11th Avenue S.W.
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Calgary, Alberta
Canada T2R 1P3
Phone number: 403-229-4700
Toll-free phone number: 1-800-661-9003
Fax number: 403-228-1728
Website: www.lawsociety.ab.ca
Law Society of Alberta
Suite 800, Bell Tower, 10104 - 103 Avenue
Edmonton, Alberta
Canada T5J 0H8
Phone number: 780-429-3343
Toll-free phone number: 1-800-272-8839
Fax number: 780-424-1620
Website: www.lawsociety.ab.ca

Employment and Advancement

Occupational outlook is currently unavailable. Job openings are a result of employment turnover and newly
created positions.
Lawyers may be self-employed or employed by a law firm, businesses or federal, provincial or municipal
governments. In the past, most lawyers started their careers in private practice, either as members of firms or on
their own. Today, a growing number of graduates are pursuing alternate careers working for government,
business, industry, nonprofit groups or post-secondary institutions.
Lawyers in private practice sometimes become senior partners in their firms. A few are appointed to the Bench or
to administrative tribunals. Government legal advisors may advance to positions as department heads or
diplomats, and corporate lawyers may become company executives. Lawyers also may combine their training in
law with other professional training (for example, in arbitration, mediation, medicine, business, library studies or
political science).
Lawyers are part of the larger 2011 National Occupational Classification 4112: Lawyers and Quebec Notaries. In
Alberta, 88% of people employed in this classification work in the following industries:
Professional, Scientific and Technical Services
Public Administration
The employment outlook in this occupation will be influenced by a wide variety of factors including:
trends and events affecting overall employment (especially in the Professional, Scientific and Technical
Services industry)
location in Alberta
employment turnover (work opportunities generated by people leaving existing positions)
occupational growth (work opportunities resulting from the creation of new positions that never existed
before)
size of the occupation.
Employment turnover is expected to increase as members of the baby boom generation retire over the next few
years.

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Wage and Salary

Incomes in private practice vary tremendously depending on the lawyer's or the firm's ability to attract and
maintain clients.

Lawyers and Quebec Notaries (NOC 4112)

According to the 2013 Alberta Wage and Salary Survey, Albertans in this occupational group earned on average
from $38.12 to $81.39 an hour. The overall average wage for this group was $59.25 an hour.
Average Hours Worked (per week)

40.7

Overall Average Wage (per hour)

$59.25

Overall Average Salary (annual)*, Alberta

$119,116.00

* Rounded to the nearest dollar

Hourly Wage
(For full-time and part-time employees)
Wages*

Low (5th
percentile)

High (95th
percentile)

Average

Median

Starting

$21.50

$67.30

$38.12

$31.25

Overall

$34.34

$95.38

$59.25

$57.21

Top

$43.79

$182.19

$81.39

$72.12

Data
Reliability

* All w age estimates are hourly except w here otherw ise indicated. Wages and salaries do not include overtime hours, tips,
benefits, profit shares, bonuses (unrelated to production) and other forms of compensation.

Skills Shortage
% of Employers that Recruited in the Last Two Years

58%

% of Recruiting Employers that Experienced Hiring Difficulties

30%

% of Employers with Unfilled Vacancies of over Four Months

7%

2013 Vacancy Rate

1%

Industry Information
The following is a list of industries within the specific occupation.
Industry

Average Salary

Oil & Gas Extraction

$161,734.00

Health Care & Social Assistance

$145,214.00

ALBERTA, ALL INDUSTRIES

$119,116.00

Professional, Scientific & Technical Services

$118,511.00

Public Administration

$109,979.00

Notes
In some instances, anomalies have occurred as a result of the occurrence of outliers or employers not
responding to all the survey questions. In most cases, the inconsistency is fairly small and within the margin of
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error for the survey. For some occupations, outliers have been suppressed and the averages have been
recalculated. For some wage levels for other occupations the information has been entirely suppressed. N/A is
listed in instances where no information is available.
These wage estimates include employees in companies which were believed to have 8 or more employees,
from the public and private sector and include full and part-time employees. Average wages were weighted by the
number of employees and post-stratification employer weighting.

Survey Methodology

Survey Analysis

Related High School Subjects

English Language Arts
Health, Recreation and Human Services
Legal Studies
Science
Social Studies

Related Post-Secondary Fields of Study

Social Sciences, Law and Religious Studies

Other Sources of Information

Law Society of Alberta website: www.lawsocietyalberta.com
Legal Education Society of Alberta website: www.lesa.org/CPLED
For more information on career planning, education and jobs, visit the Alberta Learning Information Service (ALIS)
website, call the Alberta Career Information Hotline toll-free at 1-800-661-3753 or 780-422-4266 in Edmonton, or
visit an Alberta Works Centre near you.

Related Occupations:
Actuary
Arbitrator
Canadian Armed Forces Personnel - Commissioned Officer
Mediator
Paralegal
Sustainability Specialist

The information contained in this profile is current as of the dates show n. Salary, em ploym ent outlook and educational program
information may change w ithout notice. It is advised that you confirm this information before making any career decisions.

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The Government of Alberta is w orking in partnership w ith the Government of Canada to provide employment support programs and
services.

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