Attorney Shawna Hoyte stands outside the Nova Scotia provincial courthouse in Halifax. The Truro native is a former business owner who maintains a gruelling and intense schedule as a lawyer. With Dalhousie Legal Aid she teaches in her field, attends court on her own cases and also puts in a full schedule of community service. (TED PRITCHARD / Staff)

FOR TRURO'S Shawna Hoyte, becoming a lawyer was a natural extension of things she found interesting and challenging.

"People don't really have to question if they want to practise law; they will feel it like a natural call," the defence lawyer said of her progression from a totally different field in another province into a new career in law in Nova Scotia.

"I had a chance to study some labour law when I owned an executive recruitment business in Toronto, and I felt I really had a knack for it," she said of a process that led her to Dalhousie University law school and eventually a position with Dalhousie Legal Aid, where she has been working since 1995.

Ms. Hoyte is a former business owner who maintains a gruelling and intense schedule as a lawyer.

With Dalhousie Legal Aid she teaches in her field, attends court on her own cases and also puts in a full schedule of community service. She is also a registered social worker with a busy private practice, but that is for another story.

"I always seem to be in the courtroom or preparing for a case," she said of the pace of her work life.

The Truro native (Cobequid Educational Centre, graduating class of 1974) said people who care about others and who are interested in helping to right some wrongs cannot go wrong by pursuing a career in law, even if they do not picture themselves in a courtroom.

"There is so much you can accomplish by studying law," she said. "It opens up many doors and keeps presenting new challenges." Do you find the law interesting? Read on.

WHAT DO THEY DO?
Lawyers act as advocates and advisers. As advocates, they represent one of the opposing parties in criminal and civil trials by presenting evidence that supports their clients in court.

In general, lawyers plead cases or conduct prosecutions in courts of law; negotiate contracts with other parties on behalf of their clients; and draw up legal documents such as contracts and wills. Lawyers may specialize in specific areas, such as criminal, corporate, commercial, real estate, family and estate, and labour law.

Judges preside in a courtroom and must be very familiar with all aspects of the law because they apply it.

Self-employment is common for lawyers. Judges tend to work fairly regular business hours.

WHO WORKS IN THIS JOB?
To work in this field you should enjoy challenge and competition.

Office-style work requires a high degree of accuracy and concentration. Excellent oral communication skills are important for courtroomstyle work. You must be convincing, concise, able to think quickly under pressure and able to express your ideas clearly.

Lawyers and judges have an average age of 44, with over 19 per cent older than 54. Thirty-eight per cent are women. Forty-two per cent are self-employed and less than five per cent work part time.

WHERE DO THEY WORK?
Annapolis Valley 7% Cape Breton 9% Halifax 70% North Shore 10% Southern N.S. 4%

WHAT TRAINING AND EXPERIENCE IS REQUIRED?
To become a lawyer in Nova Scotia, you must successfully complete a bachelor's degree in law. After graduating you must complete a full year of articling with a law firm.

Within that year, you must complete a seven- week course during which you learn a variety of skills. At the end of that year, you must pass the bar exam.

To become a judge, you must have extensive experience as a lawyer or as a professor of law. Ten or more years of experience at the bar would qualify you to become a judge.

WORK PROSPECTS
Employment growth for judges is expected to be limited. Appointments of judges at federal, provincial and territorial levels usually only occur when there is a vacancy created due to retirement. Extensive experience in law is required.

Employment of lawyers is expected to remain stable in the coming years. Demand for lawyers is linked to population growth and economic conditions, among other factors.

There is a lack of articling opportunities in Nova Scotia and a particular shortage of lawyers in rural areas. Because of this, job openings are expected to be higher in rural areas. With close to one in five lawyers being 55 or older, retirements are expected to contribute to job openings.

Outlook: Fair

Employment in 2005: 1,820

Estimated average annual number of job openings for new lawyers: 44

Earnings in 2005: Averaged $38.50 hourly with a maximum of $107.75

Typical Jobs: General counsel, family court judge, criminal lawyer, corpo¬rate counsel, Supreme Court justice

On The Job is a weekly feature looking at career opportunities in Nova Scotia.