Create Equity Where Inequity Exists as a Lawyer!
- Nela Friesen
- Mar 28, 2025
- 8 min read
Table of Contents
About Charlene Scheffelmair
Becoming a lawyer was something that was always a dream of Charlene's, but she ended up deciding to pursue an education to become a teacher. However, after doing some work as a legal assistant, she decided to pursue her dream of becoming a lawyer, attending a law school in Kamloops, BC. She has been in the Lethbridge area for six years now and recently became a partner at DW Law.
About DW Law
What sets DW Law Apart from Other Firms?
DW Law is a very good company to work for. Most law firms function similarly, but where they differ is the interpersonal dynamics within the company, which is what sets DW Law apart. DW Law is the first and oldest law firm in Lethbridge, as they have been operating in the area since 1885. They are well regarded within the community. There are senior lawyers working at DW Law who are at the end of their careers, meaning they have good reputations within the community, a lot of experience as lawyers, and are willing to share their knowledge with the junior lawyers. The open-door policy within the company also helps all lawyers practice collaboratively and learn from each other. DW Law has excellent legal assistants who are very experienced, allowing the lawyers and legal assistants to work together well as a team. The firm also strongly supports their lawyers' involvement within the community in areas they are passionate about. All these things set DW Law apart and make it a great company for which to work as a lawyer.
What are the Positions Within the Company?
Lawyers:
Summer Student Lawyers (Law students working during the summer before going back to school)
Student Lawyers called Articling Students or Students-at-Law (Students who have finished law school and need to complete one year of articling, which can be thought of as a practicum)
Associate Lawyers (Lawyers who have been 'called to the bar' or have become full lawyers. The years of experience for these lawyers can vary, but within DW Law, it's generally any lawyers who are not partners or of counsel.)
Partners (senior lawyers who may or may not have an ownership stake within the company; These lawyers run and direct the business)
'Of counsel' (at DW Law, these are senior lawyers who have often been partners, either at DW Law or a different firm. They often don't work full time but continue to have a close relationship with the company.)
Support Staff:
Legal Assistants, administrative staff, receptionist, office manager, and bookkeeper.
Opportunities for Advancement
This largely depends on the lawyer, what their goals are and how they fit within the company. In general, lawyers want to become partners within their firm. DW Law typically hires summer students with the intention to invite them back after they have finished their schooling, but this depends on the individual.
What is Being a Lawyer Like?
An Average Day
Charlene practices in a variety of areas, including corporate and commercial, real estate, wills and estate, court-based work for closure and collection, and more. This leads to a job with no true average day. Most days, she spends a lot of time in front of the computer, reviewing and drafting documents, answering emails, and meeting and talking with clients. On days that she attends court, the morning is spent preparing and then going to court.
Pay
Pay as a lawyer is a range. As with all jobs, you will start at a lower income when you are just starting. A common misconception people have is that the moment you become a lawyer, you will be making six figures. However, the reality is that while there are opportunities to work up to that through gaining experience or, for example, becoming a partner at a law firm, you will start at a lower income and work your way up to the higher incomes expected as a lawyer.
Work Conditions
At DW Law, it is a bit of both independent and collaborative work. They have an open-door policy, so if you need to discuss a case, you can always talk with your colleagues, which is collaborative. However, a lot of the day will be spent in the office, working independently on your cases. You will need to be able to do your work independently without having someone guide you.
The hours that Charlene works per day vary from about 8 to 10 hours. Sometimes, she might work 12 hours a day in a busy season, but that is quite rare.
It can be stressful in different ways for different people. There will be a lot of meetings with people involved, which can make some people worried. Some lawyers are also worried about whether or not they gave the right advice or if they missed something that could get them sued by a client. Others get anxious about appearing in court and public speaking. It really depends on the personality of the lawyer. There can also be high volumes of files and work with deadlines that can be stressful.
Charlene makes sure to maintain a good work-life balance. She makes sure to leave the office by 7 PM and turns off her emails when she gets home to give herself a chance to unplug from work. Other than this, she also makes sure to stay active and eat well to minimize the effects of stress.
Qualities Needed
This can depend on the area of law you are practicing in, however, there are some general qualities that will be helpful for any lawyer. Problem-solving and critical thinking skills are very important for a lawyer. Many problems can be solved in a variety of ways, and you have to be able to adapt as details of the case are revealed. You also need to be able to work independently without other people telling you specifically what needs to be done. Lastly, you will also need some people skills. You need to be able to meet with your clients and communicate your knowledge to them effectively so that they can understand what is happening, even if it is complicated.
Hardest and Easiest Parts of the Job
The hardest part of being a lawyer for Charlene is the billing, where you try to figure out how much to charge the client based on how much you think the work is worth. This involves keeping track of the time you've spent on a case and taking a look at that time to decide the amount that should be charged. In some cases, you charge the client more than the hourly rate for the time spent because the dollar value of the service provided to the client is higher. In other cases, you lower the bill because you think you spent more time on the case than is reasonable to charge the client.
For Charlene, the easiest part of the job is the people side of being a lawyer. She loves meeting people and attending events.
Why Choose to be a Lawyer?
Law is very broad and you can do a lot with it. She chose to go into private practice, but you can also do in-house counselling where you are a lawyer for one specific company, or go into government and politics, etc. You can also go into fields not traditionally related to law because the skills you gain through a law degree are widely applicable in many places.
Bringing justice to the people and creating equity where inequity currently exists is a big reason why many people choose to go into law. The problem-solving aspect can also be very rewarding.
Misconceptions
There are many common misconeptions that are typically held by many people. Many people assume that all lawyers make a lot of money, and while this can certainly be true, you have to work your way up to it. Another misconception is how quickly cases move forward. In real life, resolving a case takes a long time, and trials are often booked weeks or years in advance, meaning that there is a lot of waiting time. It is very unrealistic for a case to be wrapped up within a few days, as is often seen in media portrayals of law. Lawyers also don't spend all their time in court, as many cases never need a trial. If a trial is happening, a lot of time is spent preparing for court, and many cases get resolved before a trial ever happens.
Post-Secondary
People will typically do a four-year undergraduate degree, three years of law school, and then one year of articling, which can be thought of as a practicum. If you have exceptional grades and a very good LSAT score, you might be able to get into law school after only two years of an undergraduate degree, but this is rare. Law school can be busy because of the need to keep up with the readings and the fast pace of the classes.
Becoming a lawyer is a financial commitment. You might have up to $100,000 in student debt if you need to take out loans for your undergraduate degree and law school. Charlene attended Thompson Rivers University in Kamloops, BC, which is not government funded, meaning her tuition was double what could be expected from other schools.
It is much harder to enter the industry within big cities like Calgary or Edmonton. There are a lot of lawyers in the cities, making it harder to find jobs there.
It is easier to enter the industry in areas outside of big cities. Lawyers are retiring there, and not a lot of lawyers move to these areas, making it easier to find jobs and enter the industry.
What can High School Students do to Prepare?
Reading, writing, and research skills are very important. These are skills that are used every day in law. You need to be able to find information in creative ways, as not everything will be easily found. You might have to look at a lot of different resources on the internet to find the information you are looking for. It is also very important to become familiar with what being a lawyer actually looks like as compared to what you see in media portrayals of the job.
Extra! How Realistic are TV and Movie Portrayals of Law?
Some things I wrote about in the Misconceptions section above are based on the unrealistic portrayal of law in TV shows and movies. This includes the misconception that cases can be wrapped up quickly, with new cases every week. Lawyers also don't spend every day in court, as many people assume. In TV shows, lawyers often like to get close to or cross ethical lines and do things that might not be completely legal. In reality, it is extremely rare for lawyers to operate like that. Lawyers also generally don't practice for example, criminal law one day and then corporate law the next day as lawyers often do in TV shows, unless they are true generalists, which is a bit more rare. It is not common for lawyers to bounce between those areas of law day by day. In short, the way that lawyers are shown in media is not very realistic, so if you're thinking of becoming a lawyer, you might want to make sure you are familiar with what a career in law actually looks like!
I learned a lot about a career in law from Charlene, and I want to thank her for agreeing to meet with me!
Reach out if there are any careers you would be interested in hearing more about, and don't forget to check out the new Instagram account @careerace_blog for the latest updates. Thanks!
Check Out DW Law!
Website: Davidson & Williams
Instagram: Instagram (@dwlawllp)
You can also find Charlene at her blog, The Scheffette!
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