Too often, students fresh out of law or medical school get attached to the idea of going to a large city to make a big name for themselves and earn big money.
The Canadian Bar Association, B.C. Branch (CBABC) has introduced a project that encourages and funds law students to try out smaller towns and rural areas first –
because those places need lawyers too.
The project is called Rural Education and Access to Lawyers and is about more than just supplying small communities with lawyers.
At heart, the program not onlyintroduces law students to smaller cities and towns, it shows students the benefits and charm of living and working in a tighter community and at a smaller law office.
According to Paul Varga, 43, who is currently taking part in it, the program‘s philosophy is that it‘s easier for students to network and make connections in a small town, which are key to establishing a
career.
“Once you start making those connections, you‘ll feel an affinity for that town, and you‘ll want to go back there,” explains Varga.
Varga was managing editor at the Penticton Herald for five years before leaving to pursue a career in law in August 2008. He will be going into his third year at University of Saskatchewan in the fall. Right now, he is a summer student with the law firm of Pearce, Taylor & Schneiderat in Penticton.
Lawyer Mike Pearce is a fan of the program so far, and is happy to have Varga working with him.
“Paul is a hard worker,” says Pearce. “There are benefits to the firm, to Paul and his family.”
Pearce also believes the program is successful in getting more lawyers to the rural areas.
After 18 years of moving all over B.C. from one newspaper to another, Varga decided to go back to school and dive head first into a new profession, one that he hoped would be a little more satisfying.
“At the Herald I would get people walking into the office every day, asking for me to be their advocate,” says Varga. “And I didn‘t have the training for that. It wasn‘t what I was there to be.”
Now, he says, when people knock on his door asking for help, he can actually provide it.
Varga wanted to keep his career and family in Penticton, but he‘s quickly learning why a smaller workplace is so good for students.
In larger centres like Vancouver, says Varga, “students end up doing one little piece of the puzzle over and over. And their time with clients is very limited.”
In Penticton, Varga gets to spend as much time interacting with clients, “with real people,” as he wants.
He is also not confined to a
specific branch of the law, and has a better opportunity to become a generalist. And if he does want to specialize, technology makes it
really easy to do so.
Another welcome benefit that students and employers experience through the REAL program is that summer students get paid by the profession itself, the CBABC.
And all students – old or young – know that a paid apprenticeship position is the best kind.
Rebecca Selvig also contributed to this article. Both she and Keely Covo are journalism interns at The Herald.
