Does having an Australian law degree make it harder to find a job in Canada?

If you have an Australian law degree, can you still find a job in Canada?

Perhaps most of the lawyers you know completed law school in Canada, and maybe it was your first choice as well. The reality is that Canadian law school admissions are extremely competitive and there are very few spots. So, if you make that leap across the Pacific to chase your dream in Australia, does that make it harder for you to find a job as a lawyer in Canada once you complete your degree?

Australian law school graduate, Ryan, doesn’t think so.

After returning to Canada, he looked for entry-level jobs in law offices as a clerk or legal assistant. At this point he hadn’t completed his NCA exams so he couldn’t immediately take on an articling position, but he was eager to still find a job in his field so he could gain some experience for his resume. He started cold calling law firms and before long he found a job as a legal assistant.

When it finally came time for articling, he had several offers, and he chose the firm that was the best fit for him. The majority of his Canadian colleagues from law school also found jobs in Canada once they graduated.

While it was once a rarity that Canadian lawyers obtained their degrees elsewhere, the legal landscape now looks a little different. Today, many of the lawyers Ryan knows of were trained outside of Canada, including the two lawyers he articled for.

Ryan even believes that a studying law abroad has its bonuses.

“Doing your degree overseas shows that you’re flexible and I guess adventurous in the sense that you’re not scared off easily by daunting opportunities, that you’ll take leaps and you’ll try something new and you’re not afraid to do that, and I think a lot of employers recognize that.”

So, there you have it! While it may not be easy to find a job as a lawyer once you return to Canada, the reality is that it may not be as difficult as you had thought.

Would you like more information about law degrees offered in Australia? Please contact OzTREKK’s Australian Law Schools Admissions Officer at law@oztrekk.com.