What are your reasons for working as a public service lawyer?

Earlier this week, Legal Aid Saskatchewan participated in a panel discussion for law students called “Careers for the Public Benefit - Public Service and Advocacy Roles.” Participants shared a variety of perspectives on how their work is engaging, personally meaningful and focused on helping others.

Moderated by Chris Lafleur, Director of the Indigenous Law Centre, panelists included Joanne Khan, Practice Management Counsel with LAS; Amanda Kimpinski, Compliance Officer with the Saskatchewan Real Estate Commission; Alan Fern, General Counsel with Lotteries and Gaming Saskatchewan; Tyla Olenchuk, Associate Regional Crown Prosecutor with Saskatchewan Public Prosecutions; Catriona Kaiser-Derrick, Lawyer with CLASSIC Law Inc.; and Evan Morrow, Counsel with the Saskatchewan Department of Justice.

“It was a fantastic discussion because each of the panelists focused on the perks and benefits of public service,” says Jayne Mallin, LAS CEO. “Everything from values alignment and purpose to having a work/life balance.”

Khan agrees. “Some panelists said they appreciate working in specific areas of public law because they have become very knowledgeable and developed an expertise about certain legislation and regulations. This is different than a private bar lawyer in a general practice, where numerous pieces of legislation must be looked at and learned often quickly.”

Approximately one-third of lawyers in Saskatchewan work in public service. Everyone has their own reasons for moving in that direction. Khan has a teaching background, so she feels becoming a public service lawyer was a way for her to continue to provide necessary services to those in need. “I also worked for several private bar firms before working with Legal Aid Saskatchewan and wanted to focus more on the best ways to help my clients without handing them a bill for services, which I am able to do with LAS,” she explains.

Another plus is that no day working for LAS is like another! Khan lists flying up north and conducting trials and court in community halls to working on complex legal arguments for family law and appeals as some of her memorable experiences so far. “As a public service lawyer, I have had the ability to grow and evolve from a term lawyer working on a three-month contract to a permanent staff lawyer working in different offices in the province to becoming a Legal Director and now Practice Management Counsel,” Khan says. “And the stability of having a regular salary, benefits, vacation and pension is a huge advantage as a public service lawyer.”

During the panel discussion, Khan reviewed with the audience Legal Aid Saskatchewan’s summer student program, articling positions, and the new rural and regional externship program. “Our first term rural externship students are going to be working with LAS again later this year, one as a summer student and the other as an articling student!” Khan says. “Two students came up to me afterwards and said they were interested specifically in working in rural Saskatchewan. Everyone seemed keen to learn more about us and are planning to attend our law student meet and greet at Head Office on March 25th from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.!”

Thank you to the Indigenous Law Centre and the University of Saskatchewan’s College of Law Career Development Office for this informative event!