National Occupational Classification (NOC): 41101
Fast Facts
- Average Pay: N/A
- Future Growth: N/A
- Skill Level: N/A
- Employment Size: N/A
- Unemployment: N/A
- Full-time Share: N/A
Sample Job Titles
- Articling law student
- Barrister
- Crown attorney
- Corporate counsel
- Law partner
- Lawyer
- Legal advisor
- Legislative counsel
- Prosecutor
- Solicitor
What do lawyers and Quebec notaries do?
Lawyers and Quebec notaries advise clients on legal matters, represent clients before administration boards and draw up legal documents such as contracts and wills. Lawyers also plead cases, represent clients before tribunals and conduct prosecutions in courts of law. Lawyers are employed in law firms and prosecutor’s offices. Quebec notaries are employed in notary offices. Both lawyers and Quebec notaries are employed by federal, provincial and municipal governments and various business establishments or they may be self-employed. Articling students are included in this unit group.
Lawyers and Quebec notaries performs some or all of the following duties:
- Advise clients of their legal rights and all matters related to law
- Research legal precedents and gather evidence
- Plead clients’ cases before courts of law, tribunals and boards (lawyers only)
- Draw up legal documents such as real estate transactions, wills, divorces and contracts, and prepare statements of legal opinions
- Negotiate settlements of civil disputes (lawyers only)
- Perform administrative and management functions related to the practice of law
- May act as mediator, conciliator or arbitrator
- May act as executor, trustee or guardian in estate and family law matters.
Lawyers and Quebec notaries may specialize in specific areas of the law such as criminal law (lawyers only), corporate law, contract law, taxation law, administrative law, international law, commercial law, real estate law, family and estate law, intellectual property law and labour law.
Source: National Occupational Classification (NOC) 2021, Employment and Social Development Canada
Lawyers and Quebec notaries primarily work in the following subsectors (NAICS) in Newfoundland and Labrador:
- 541 Professional, scientific and technical services
- 912 Provincial and territorial public administration
- 524 Insurance carriers and related activities
- 911 Federal government public administration
Source: Census 2021, Statistics Canada
Short and Long Term Occupational Projections
Short Term Projections for 2023-2025
The employment outlook will be moderate for lawyers and Quebec notaries in Newfoundland and Labrador (rating of 3 out of 5) for the 2023-2025 period.
Source: Job Bank, Government of Canada
Long Term Projections for 2023-2032
Lawyers and Quebec notaries belong to the broader occupational group 4110, 42200 (Legal and paralegal occupations). This group is forecast to be tightening (rating of 2.6 out of 4) over the next several years, meaning new labour supply will be required to meet anticipated job openings.
Source: Department of Finance, Occupation Projections (Summer 2023)
Number of Job Postings in 2023
During 2023, there were 52 public job postings for this occupation, with the following distribution:
| Avalon: 67% | Western: 12% |
| Eastern: 0% | Labrador: 4% |
| Central: 17% | NL-unspecified: 0% |
Source: Lightcast (note: data used in this analysis reflects new unique monthly postings which are totaled for the calendar year)
Who works as lawyers and Quebec notaries in Newfoundland and Labrador?
During the reference week of May 2021, there were approximately 710 people working in this occupation in Newfoundland and Labrador. 57% of those employed were Male+ and 42% of those employed were Female+.
Here is the age group breakdown for this group of workers:
| 15 to 24 | 25 to 54 | 55 to 64 | 65+ |
| 0% | 73% | 14% | 12% |
Source: Census 2021, Statistics Canada
How much do lawyers and Quebec notaries make?
Annual Earnings
The median employment income for all lawyers and Quebec notaries in the reference year 2020 (715 workers in total, including those working part-time and full-time, as well as part-year and full-year) was $130,000.
Source: Census 2021, Statistics Canada
Hourly Earnings
Wage information for lawyers and Quebec notaries in Newfoundland and Labrador is as follows:
| Low ($/hour) | Median ($/hour) | High ($/hour) | |
| Newfoundland and Labrador | $27.70 | $56.70 | $140.24 |
The following low, median, and high wages are for Canada:
| Low ($/hour) | Median ($/hour) | High ($/hour |
| $28.85 | $55.77 | $93.59 |
Source: Job Bank, Government of Canada
Most Frequently Sought Skills from Job Postings (2023)
- Administrative Law
- Lawsuits
- Legal Hearings
- Family Law
- Appeals
- Legal Research
- Mediation
- Case Law
- Providing Legal Advice
- Legal Strategy
Source: Lightcast
What training is required?
Lawyers
- Two to three years of undergraduate studies or, in Quebec, completion of a college program, a bachelor’s degree from a recognized law school, successful completion of the bar examination and completion of a period of articling are required.
- Licensing by the provincial or territorial law society is required.
- Be an active member of a law society in the province or territory of legal practice.
Notaries (Quebec)
- A bachelor’s degree in civil law from a recognized law school and a master’s degree in notarial law, which includes a 16-week internship, from a recognized law school are required.
- A 15-day training program at the Chambre des notaires du Québec is required.
- Licensing by the Chambre des notaires du Québec is required.
Lawyers wishing to practice in another province or territory are required to pass examinations set by the provincial or territorial law society, except in New Brunswick and Saskatchewan where the National Mobility Agreement (2013) was implemented.
Source: National Occupational Classification (NOC) 2021, Employment and Social Development Canada
* Find public and private education, training and skills development opportunities in Newfoundland and Labrador here.