Associate Lawyer, Family and Civil Litigation

Keystone Legal is a boutique Alberta law firm acting for private clients in family law, estate litigation and estate planning, and civil litigation, including urgent court applications, harassment claims, civil claims arising from intimate partner violence, and business disputes. Its clients are for the most part professionals, business owners and families with substantial assets, and its contested matters are argued at the Calgary Courts Centre. The practice is virtual, and its work is held to an exacting standard of preparation and drafting. The firm is now looking for an associate who wishes to build a practice of their own within it.

The role

The associate will take conduct of their own litigation files in family, estate and civil matters, from the first consultation through to settlement, hearing or trial, and will appear before the Court of King's Bench and the Alberta Court of Justice in Calgary. Files are assigned by the principal, Naomi Iskra, who remains available on strategy and reviews significant work. A legal assistant and an administrative team take care of intake, scheduling, document management and billing, so that the associate's time is given to the law and to clients rather than to finding work or running an office.

The person

The position suits a member in good standing of the Law Society of Alberta with at least one year of litigation practice in family, estate or civil matters, who is at ease appearing alone in chambers and who drafts with precision and care. Senior lawyers are warmly encouraged to apply, and the role and its terms will reflect their experience. French would be a real asset, since the firm serves clients in both official languages.

Compensation

The associate receives 40% of the fees collected on their files. Associates with one to three years of practice bill at $350 an hour, and more senior lawyers at a higher rate set according to their experience. The firm supplies the files, the support staff and the practice systems, so that an associate billing at $350 and collecting between 1,000 and 1,200 hours a year would earn roughly $140,000 to $165,000, and proportionately more at a higher rate, with no ceiling as the practice grows. The work is done remotely, on the associate's own schedule, with attendance in person at the Calgary Courts Centre as files require.