Careers at Bird Bolt Law

Practice law like the system was built to be challenged.

We are a trauma-informed employment, human rights, and Charter litigation firm in Hamilton. We are growing, and we are looking for our people.

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A letter from our founder

Dear future flockmate,

I know you feel it. The weight of this moment.

The way injustice runs through so many corners of the world, showing up in workplaces, schools, institutions, and systems that were never built for fairness. The heaviness of knowing how much needs to change, while the profession asks you to just keep the machine running.

But what if you didn't? What if you used your skills to build something new. A practice that centres people and refuses to treat law as just business. A firm that moves purposefully toward change.

Bird Bolt Law is growing, and I am looking for people who understand that our work is not just about individual wins. It is about shifting systems, expanding what is possible, and creating new ways to fight for justice.

There are no billable hour targets here, and no expectation that you grind yourself into exhaustion for revenue. What matters is the quality of the advocacy we deliver, showing up for the people we serve and for each other, and work that is both excellent and deeply human.

It is hard, and it is far more rewarding for being hard. It asks for sharp judgment, real craft in writing and advocacy, and people who don't wait for permission. If that resonates, come build it with us.

— Nicole Biros-Bolton, Principal Lawyer & Founder

Read this before you apply

This is for some people, and not for others.

We would rather be honest now than have you find out in month three. Here is the truth about working here.

You'll thrive here if you

  • Hold yourself to a high standard and sweat the craft of your writing
  • See a gap and fill it without being asked
  • Want a fast pace inside a genuinely supportive team
  • Can meet a person's hardest day with steadiness and warmth
  • Believe the law should serve people, and act like it
  • Are an early adopter who is already proficient with AI tools and keen to push how we use them

You'll struggle here if you

  • Think being kind is a substitute for being excellent
  • Wait to be told exactly what to do next
  • Want the predictability of a billable-hour treadmill
  • Prefer to stay in your lane and out of the work
  • Are looking for a place to coast
How we actually work

The things that make this different are the things we mean.

Excellence, on purpose

We hire for sharp legal judgment and real craft in writing and advocacy, then give you the support to keep getting better. Good enough is not the bar.

No billable hour targets

We work on flat-fee and contingency models. You are measured by the quality of your work and the care you bring, not by a clock you have to feed.

Trauma-informed, all the way down

The people we serve often reach us at a hard moment. How we treat them, and each other, is part of the craft, not a slogan.

AI-forward, human-first

We use AI and automation across the firm so your hours go to judgment and advocacy, not the parts a machine should carry. The human work stays human.

Hamilton, in person and proud

We are building community from the King John Building downtown. We look for people who can be in the office at least three days a week and want to help build something local.

A team that has your back

Fast pace, real support. You will be stretched, and you will not be left alone in it. We answer questions without making anyone feel small for asking.

The good stuff

The perks of flying with us.

A space you'll love

A gorgeous, accessible, family-friendly office in the King John Building, with a rooftop terrace and a ping pong table for when you need a reset.

Law Fuel budget

A coffee budget, because good advocacy runs on good caffeine. Keep yourself fuelled, on us.

Unlimited vacation

Real rest, taken like an adult. We trust you to manage your time and recharge when you need to.

Hybrid by design

Three days in our space to build together, the rest wherever you do your best work.

In-house training

Lots of it. We invest in your craft and your growth, not just your billables.

Community events

We host and we show up. Lectures, fundraisers, and gatherings that connect our work to the city we serve.

What applying looks like

A clear, human process.

You apply

Send your resume and a short email introducing yourself and telling us why you think you're right for the role. Write it in your own voice. We are reading for how you think and how you write.

A first conversation

A real conversation about your story, what drives you, and the problems you want to work on, not a list of trick questions.

A written exercise

A practical exercise so we can see your legal writing and judgment on the kind of work we actually do.

Meet the flock

You meet the people you would work alongside, and you get to interview us just as much as we interview you.

An offer, and a designed welcome

If it is a fit, you join a firm that has thought carefully about your first day, your first ninety days, and your path forward.

Open roles

Where we're hiring right now.

We see a posting as a problem worth solving, not a seat to fill. If you don't see your exact role but you know you belong here, tell us anyway.

Associate Lawyer

3 to 5 years' experience · Employment, human rights & Charter litigation · Hamilton, hybrid (3+ days in office)

Now hiring

Don't see your role?

We are always glad to meet exceptional people. Tell us what you'd want to build here.

Open application

How to apply

  1. Put together your resume and a short email introducing yourself and telling us why you think you're right for the role, in your own voice.
  2. Email both to hiring@birdboltlaw.com, with the role name in the subject line.
  3. That's it. We take it from there, and a written exercise comes later in the process.
Apply now
Good to know

Questions, answered.

Do you really not have billable targets?

Correct. We run on flat-fee and contingency models. It changes everything about how the day feels and how we measure good work.

What are the in-office expectations?

We are based in the King John Building in downtown Hamilton and ask people to be in at least three days a week. Being together is part of how we build the team and serve the people who come to us.

What should I send with my application?

Your resume and a short email introducing yourself and explaining why you think you're right for the role. There is a written exercise later in the process, so the email is just your chance to tell us who you are in your own words.

What do you look for most?

Excellence and initiative. Strong legal writing and judgment, paired with someone who sees what needs doing and does it. Warmth matters too, but it never stands in for quality.

Do you offer accommodations in hiring?

Always. We welcome applicants of all backgrounds and will provide accommodation at any stage of the process. Just ask.

Come practice law differently.

If this is the work you have been waiting to do, we would love to hear from you.

Apply now

With solidarity and hope, the Bird Bolt Law flock