“You shouldn’t jump in too fast, especially if it’s a dramatic change,” says Sherri Pinsler, senior consultant at The Heller Group, a legal recruitment firm in Toronto. “Before you go and change your practice area, I think it’s worth investigating and finding out what’s really motivating you to do it.

“Make sure that you’re interested in the new practice area. If you think it’s unhappiness with the practice area you’re in you want to cover off everything and make sure of that.”

Pinsler, who specializes in recruitment and placement of associates and partners in law firms and corporations, often hears from candidates who want to change practice areas. Whether it’s a small shift, like going from a general practice area such as corporate law to a niche such as IT law, so something larger such as shifting from commercial litigation to corporate law, she recommends they reflect on the reasons behind the change.

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