Resources

Our vacancies typically require a minimum of one year of post-graduation law firm experience. If you’re in search of your first legal position, we recommend applying directly to your preferred firms.

The vast majority of employers require that their lawyers be accredited to practice law in Canada. We recommend that you contact the National Committee on Accreditation at https://nca.legal to learn more about your individual options. Once you are Called to the Bar in a Canadian province or territory, your eligible employment opportunities greatly increase, and we would be happy to help you navigate those.

Register with us! When we are engaged on a new search, the first thing we do is review our confidential database of candidates. If you are there, you will be one of the first to hear about any new opportunities. You can always decide to give an opportunity a pass, but don’t let the perfect one pass you by.

No. Many of our clients retain us specifically because they want to run a confidential search. These positions are not posted publicly, so to be considered for them you need to let us know you are in the market. We might find you through our search efforts, but the only way to be sure is to register with us in confidence by applying to a position or contacting one of our consultants directly.

We wish you had talked to us first. Once you reach out to a prospective employer directly, we are unable to represent you for that role. We encourage you to start your job search by having a conversation with us as your very first step.

No. Our candidates are our most important asset. We will coach you through every step of your job search, including: submitting your application, helping prepare you for interviews, reviewing offers with you, and following up on your onboarding. There is no fee to you ever.

Absolutely. You are in experienced hands. We will discuss with you the ways in which a lawyer will add value to your organization, and work with you to draft a role description that best reflects your needs.

Excellent question! Our first step is to understand your culture, the specific role you’re hiring for, and what characteristics a candidate needs to possess in order to succeed. Before we present an application, we conduct a thorough personal interview of each potential candidate to ensure the best possible match of both technical capability and soft-skills. At the appropriate juncture, we conduct reference checks that are customized to your opportunity, and we will also administer psychometric testing if requested.

All types! Our specialization is legal. We recruit for all types of employers seeking to hire lawyers, paralegals, legal management, or legal administrative assistants. That includes industry clients (in-house employers), regulatory bodies, not-for-profit organizations, and law firms of all sizes.

No. Your CV and any other materials you forward to Hunter West will be kept strictly confidential, regardless of whether you have applied to a specific posting or just want to explore your options. We will always obtain your explicit consent before presenting your CV to anyone.

Yes! Please contact one of our consultants. We will arrange a confidential meeting and review the market with you, so that you can make an informed decision on how to move forward.

We will take over from here. Your CV will be reviewed by a consultant who is knowledgeable about the opportunity and the prospective employer. If your background is a potential fit, we will speak with you personally to provide further details and answer any questions you may have. Once you are sure you want to move forward, your consultant will submit your application for the opportunity. If there is more to your story than can be captured in a CV, that’s where we really shine. Prospective employers rely on us to give them the full picture of a candidate, not just their CV.

Your recruitment consultant works with you to secure the best possible outcome. Our familiarity with prospective employers means we can help ensure you highlight exactly what they are looking for, both on your resume and in your interview. We will let you know where you stand in the pool of candidates, ensure there is effective communication throughout the process, and help you assess and negotiate an offer.