kurrika

Folks getting laid off due to the vid - make sure you register for the federal EI / EI equivalent stuff that is flowing out now.

Please don't say you are "thrilled" to apply for a position. Makes you sound like a psycho.

Litigation risk is a good thing to have pointed out. I shoot the shit with my regular solicitors and run things by them. I'm more talking about things like, say: "Government has decided to implement a senior's fitness tax credit, to encourage seniors to do healthy things, just checking in, making sure there aren't any charter issues with age discrimination or something before we get drafting" Random constitutional lawyer sends back a giant memo with a single paragraph saying its legal and 8 pages complaining that senior's tax credits won't be effective for improving health of seniors and its a waste of money. The legal opinion gets attached to the documents that have to go to cabinet for approval to get the legislation moving. Our Minister gets a nice surprise at the cabinet meeting. Of course the flip side of that is two years after it is implemented, I will find out the tax administrators have never audited the credit because some failed ex-lawyer in the appeals branch decided the month after it was passed that the age requirement is unconstitutional due to age discrimination. And no one on the admin side went and got that brilliant idea checked by an actual lawyer.

If I've asked if something is legal, or I've asked for an opinion on the correct way draft something to achieve a particular end, I don't need one paragraph saying it is legal and then three pages on why it is a bad policy idea. I'm not a fucking moron, I already know if it is a good or a bad idea and I've already given that advice and it has already either been followed or not followed. It's particularly annoying if it is a legal opinion that is going up to cabinet or a minister along side a policy document and there is a long meandering aside from some elderly call about why it is a bad idea that you are messing with their favourite piece of legislation that they've been tending for the past 30 years. If you want to give policy advice, take a pay cut and apply for a policy job.

One frustrating thing you run into on the policy side is ex-lawyers who want to continue to give legal opinions in their briefing notes. It's almost as bad as the lawyers that give policy advice dressed up as a legal opinion

I prefer the surface over the macbook, having used both. Either will work just fine in law school. I would not use an ipad.

https://bcpublicservice.hua.hrsmart.com/hr/ats/Posting/view/67960

One thing supervisors forget (and you will have to manage upwards to obtain) are the basics of assigning a task, anytime you ask someone to do something the assignee should know: Who, What, Where, When, How, and Why?

That sounds like fun.

I hate getting thank yous for interviews. But I may be anti-social.

BC government positions will pay off the BC portion of your student loan (approx 1/3 typically) over 3 years, which can help. Analysts in my area generally make between 80-90k. It is a relatively high pressure / high demand job though and you would likely be paid more in the private sector for the type of work you are doing.

Tax. I applied for the job after I clerked.

This is a problem I run into frequently - people show up and say they have legal opinion that says their wacky proposal is okay. Then you ask to see the question that was posed to LSB and ask to the see the written opinion provided. Frequently the question provided to the solicitor is poorly framed, omits important facts etc.... And then the opinion provided is being misunderstood by the person with the opinion and they are using it to support something they never asked about.

I have a law degree, I work in government, I don't do legal work, I do policy work. I like my job. I sometime look enviously at the salaries earned by LSB solicitors but then I take note of their jaundiced complexions and shaky hands. And fire off a request for a legal opinion at 5 pm on my way out the door - if it could be ready by 10 am tomorrow that would be great, we are in a real hurry.

Mostly victoria because most of your client ministries are headquartered in victoria. Crown counsel is going to be a different story.