LAW CAREERS OFFICE Your Legal Career Search

Your Legal Career Search Updated November 2008 INTRODUCTION LAW CAREERS OFFICE You may have come to law school with a particular legal career in mind, or you may be unsure of exactly what kind of employment you want to pursue following graduation. For many of you your career goals will evolve and change during law school. Any successful career path requires careful self-analysis and preparation. During your first year of law it may take you awhile to just get acquainted to the study of law. It is never too early to start thinking about your career plans following law school, because as you may have noticed already, certain recruitment processes will come up fast. Your job search will be an ongoing process as you learn more about law and the opportunities available. Remember that everyone is going to leave law school following their own unique career path. For some it may be working in a legal aid clinic. For others it may include working as a corporate lawyer with a large national law firm, representing a First Nation in treaty negotiations or pursuing graduate studies in law. Whatever path you do decide to follow, it should be one that is right for you. The best way to find the path that is right for you is to explore all of your options. WHAT IS SUMMERING? - Summering usually involves working after 2nd year at a large or medium sized law firm in Vancouver, Toronto or Calgary - Some smaller firms in smaller cities also offer summer positions, and some firms offer summering after 1st year - Summering gives students an introduction to practicing law and training for articling - Duties of a summer student are similar to those of an articling student - Many of the larger firms (especially in Toronto) are starting to only recruit 2nd year summer students and not articling students, but understand that if you do not locate a 2nd year summer position there are still many articling positions, especially with medium and small firms and government WHAT IS ARTICLING? - Articling is the final stage of the formal training to qualify to practice as a lawyer with one of the provincial law societies; it is essentially an “internship” - Articling exposes you to the practical application of the law under the training of a qualified lawyer or “principal” - The articling requirements are governed by the provincial law societies and the length of articles and structure of the bar admissions courses differ between the provinces (see pages 2 & 3 for details) - Generally the bar admissions process and articling term takes one year to complete - Once you complete the bar admissions process you are “Called to the Bar” and qualify to practice in that particular province NATIONAL MOBILITY AGREEMENT (www.flsc.ca/en/committees/mobility.asp) - As of November 3, 2006 nine (9) jurisdictions within Canada (British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland) have fully implemented the National Mobility Agreement (NMA). The Barreau du Quebec has signed the NMA, but has not yet implemented it. This agreement makes it easier to work and travel across provincial boundaries by giving lawyers greater scope to practice temporarily in another province, and by easing the admission requirements when transferring between provinces - Lawyers who apply for call and admission in a reciprocating province no longer need to write transfer exams but must comply with a prescribed reading requirement Law Careers Office UVic, Faculty of Law 2 PROVINCIAL BAR ADMISSIONS REQUIREMENTS Province British Columbia www.lawsociety.bc.ca Length of Articles 9 months Required Course Work & Exams www.lawsociety.bc.ca/licensing_membership/pltc/intro.html 10 week Professional Legal Training Course (PLTC) offered 3 times/yr (May, Sept, February) 4 assessments & 2 qualification exams - PLTC can be taken at the beginning, middle or end of articling period www.lesa.org/CPLED.asp - CPLED Program runs roughly 5 months, completed throughout articles - number of modules, some on-line and others in a classroom Note: In Alberta students can register in the CPLED Program without a secured articling job, but must have articles before starting the program. www.lawsociety.sk.ca/newlook/Programs/SKLESI.htm - 8 weeks in class training - 3 skills assessments - 3 comprehensive exams Note: In Saskatchewan students can register in the CPLED Program without a secured articling job www.lawsociety.mb.ca/cpled_students.htm - 7 month session with 8 modules - 3 classroom modules, 5 on-line modules to be completed while working at your articles Note: In Manitoba students can register in the CPLED Program without a secured articling job http://mrc.lsuc.on.ca/jsp/licensingprocess/index.jsp Note that the Licensing Process changed in 2006 Skills and Professional Responsibility Program: - mandatory 5 week skills and professional responsibility phase taken first before articling (only offered in May) - followed by barrister and solicitor licensing exams which are to be written during your articling term Note: In Ontario students can register in the Bar Admissions Course without a secured articling job & LSUC will offer assistance in the articling search 8 weeks broken up into four 2-week sessions, with exams after each session Alberta www.lawsocietyalberta.com 12 months Saskatchewan www.lawsociety.sk.ca 12 months Manitoba www.lawsociety.mb.ca 12 months Ontario (Law Society of Upper Canada) www.lsuc.on.ca 10 months New Brunswick www.lawsocietybarreau.nb.ca 44 weeks Law Careers Office UVic, Faculty of Law 3 www.nsbs.ns.ca/barcourse.html - Bar Admission Course consists of two components: a six-week Skills Training Course and the Bar Examination Prince Edward Island * 12 months www.lspei.pe.ca/bar_course.php www.lspei.pe.ca - Bar Admission Course consists of two components: a two-week course offered in the province and a seven-week Bar Admission Course in Nova Scotia *Note: Students who wish to be called to the bar of PEI must have taken the following courses in law school: Administrative Law, Canadian Constitutional Law; Civil Procedure; Commercial Law, Contracts; Corporate Law, Criminal Law, Criminal Procedure; Ethics and Professional Responsibility; Evidence; Family Law; Property Law; Torts; and Wills and Trusts Newfoundland & Labrador 44 weeks 8 weeks (Oct-Nov) with 6 exams www.lawsociety.nf.ca Yukon www.lawsocietyyukon.com Northwest Territories www.lawsociety.nt.ca Nunavut http://lawsociety.nu.ca 10 months - students take the BC PLTC course - students take the Alberta Bar Admission’s course - Law Society of Nunavut is working to put together a student-at-law admissions package - students who can find a lawyer called to the NWT or Nunavut bar for 5 years to act as a principal can take the Alberta bar admission and be called to the Nunavut Bar Nova Scotia www.nsbs.ns.ca 12 months 10 months GENERAL LAW FIRM RECRUITMENT TIMELINES In most provinces, recruitment of articled students takes place sometime during the spring or summer after second year of law school for articling to begin the following year Recruitment of articled students can take place much earlier in the Maritime Provinces (starting at the beginning of first year of law school in NL and PEI). Make an appointment with the LCO if your plan is to article anywhere on the East coast. Many smaller cities (including Victoria) or smaller firms will not hire for articles until students are in their 3rd year of law school Increasingly most of the larger firms in the major cities (Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Toronto, Ottawa) are filling their articling positions with their 2nd year summer student hires. This can affect Co-op students Many of the larger Toronto firms now only hire 2nd year summer students and do not hire additional articled students The recruitment of 2nd year summer students with medium and larger law firms takes place very early (September/October of 2nd year) The LCO will hold a session in March for 1st years specifically on the topic of how to prepare for the 2nd year summer job search and On-Campus Interviews (OCI’s) Although start time for articling can vary from province to province, most students start their articles in the spring or the fall following graduation - - Law Careers Office UVic, Faculty of Law 4 FIRST YEAR SUMMER POSITIONS - Very few firms offer 1st year summer positions. Most students will return to a summer job they have had in the past. - Calgary and Edmonton firms tend to have more 1st year summer opportunities than other regions, although still few compared to 2nd year summer and articling positions. The LCO will organize resume collection late October/early November for select firms. If you are interested in working in Alberta make an appointment to meet with the LCO and keep checking your email for information. - Large Toronto firms also offer a limited number of 1st year summer positions. Recruitment follows the LSUC guidelines and happens in January/February. - Intellectual Property (IP) firms tend to hire 1st year students who have a hard science background ((BSc, BEng, Masters, PhD). - Very few Vancouver and Ottawa firms hire 1st year summer students. Most positions would be with Intellectual Property firms and the hiring would follow the same timelines as the second year summer hiring in those cities. - Other small and mid-sized firms in all regions may hire first year students, but likely won’t advertise these opportunities. Students should use the employer database on the LCO website to research firms and contact them directly to see if they are hiring. They could hire at anytime throughout the year, but generally will make decisions in the spring. EXAMPLE of a Typical Law Firm Recruitment Timeline If you started law school in Sept 2008, and you are a not in Co-op you will be graduating in May 2011 and seeking articles in the 2011-2012 articling year. You will most likely start your articling search during the winter/spring of 2009. If you are applying for 2nd year summer positions you will be applying for Summer 2010 (applications generally due Fall 2008). Co-op students, depending on the number of work terms that you do, will either be applying for articles in the same year as your non-Co-op colleagues, or you will be applying for the following articling term, 2012-2013. If you do 3 Co-op terms you could graduate August 2011 and you could theoretically start articling September 2011. Of if you do 4 co-op terms you would graduate December 2011 and you could apply for articles in the 2012-2013 term. Law Careers Office UVic, Faculty of Law 5 SUMMARY of RECRUITMENT TIMELINES BY PROVINCE British Columbia Vancouver: - Voluntary guidelines established by the Vancouver Bar Association (VBA) for the recruitment of students by downtown Vancouver firms sets out established interview weeks for summer & articling - Interviews are granted on a rolling basis, so apply early nd - Articling – apply in spring after 2 year transcripts are available & the rd interview week usually occurs during the 3 week of August nd - 2 year summer positions – apply in late August/early September & interview week occurs in October. Victoria: nd - Ministry of AG recruits for articles early (end of February of 2 year) - Some Victoria firms follow the Vancouver timeframe for hiring, but many rd will wait until into a student’s 3 year - If you are looking in Victoria, be patient & network! nd - 2 year summer positions – are available with some firms, but they likely won’t post the positions so you need to contact them directly Northern BC: nd - Prince George firms tend to start their interviewing in May of 2 year law nd - 2 year summer positions – are available with some firms, but they likely won’t post the positions so you need to contact them directly Interior: nd - no structured recruitment; apply in spring after 2 year law for the articling to start the following year nd - 2 year summer positions – are available with some firms, but they likely won’t post the positions so you need to contact them directly Calgary: - Articling – major law firms participate in the “Match” – a computerized matching process administered by National Matching Services www.natmatch.com that coordinates the first choices of students after the interviewing with the first choices of firms - students can interview with Match & non-match firms - for articling, most firms in the Match have application deadlines at the nd beginning of May after 2 year; the Match Student Agreement forms are due mid-May - 2 week articling interview period set usually for the first 2 weeks of June nd - 2 year summer positions – interviewing occurs anywhere from Sept – nd Jan of 2 year with some of the larger Calgary firms having an agreed “offer date” in January nd - some Calgary firms participate in On-Campus Interviews for 2 year summer positions in September at UVic nd - 2 year summer hiring happens outside of the “Match” Edmonton: - although Edmonton firms do not participate in the Match, their deadlines and interview times for summer and articling are similar to Calgary Alberta Law Careers Office UVic, Faculty of Law Saskatchewan - 6 Manitoba Ontario the Articling Committee at the College of Law at University of Sask has formulated voluntary guidelines for articling hiring - Application deadline is at the beginning of May and interviews take place at the College of Law over a weekend in late May - www.lawsociety.mb.ca/articling_recruitment_guidelines.htm - For articles, there is a Connecting Point program administered through the Faculty of Law at the University of Manitoba. - Applications are due early May and interviews are generally held at the law school later the same month. - the Law Society of Upper Canada regulates student recruitment more strictly than any other law society in Canada - the full recruitment guidelines are available on the law society website at www.lsuc.on.ca (under Lawyer Licensing – Articling – Recruitment Procedures) - many of the recruitment procedures set a deadline for applications, “call day”, interview week, “offer date” and time frame that offers must remain open Toronto: nd - applications for 2 - year Summer jobs is VERY EARLY. The deadline for summer 2009 positions will likely be September 9, 2008 - a number of larger Toronto law firms come to UVic in September for OnCampus Interviews (OCI’s) - selected students are then invited to come to a summer “interview week” at the firm in Toronto (usually the first week in November) - the Articling application deadline is mid-July after your second year with rd interviews occurring during an interview week usually the 3 week in August (the same as Vancouver) Ottawa: - Summer applications are due at the beginning of February and interviewing takes place in late February and early March - Recruitment for IP summer positions occur earlier, usually in October - Articling applications are due at the beginning of May and interviews take place early June London & Hamilton: - Summer applications due mid January, interviews in early February - Articling applications due at the beginning of May and interviews occur during the last week of May recruitment of students can happen very EARLY with East Coast employers Newfoundland and PEI firms start recruiting/interviewing for articled students during the fall of 2nd year nd In Newfoundland, 2 year summer work experience counts toward your articling requirements In Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, firms generally interview during nd January of 2 year An offer of articling often is accompanied by an offer of summer employment NL, PEI, NS & NB do hire some first year students in the fall/spring of first year for the summer. nd No formalized recruitment times; apply for articles in spring after 2 year law New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, Newfoundland Yukon, NWT - Law Careers Office UVic, Faculty of Law 7 FAQ’s 1. Do I have to article? If you want to be a practicing lawyer called to a provincial bar in Canada, you are required to article. There are a wide variety of career options that utilize a law degree, but do not require you to be a “practicing” lawyer. The majority of UVic law students do choose to article and be called to the bar of a provincial law society. Some choose to be called to the bar first and then pursue “alternate or non-traditional” legal careers. If you decide not to article, a law degree is recognizable as excellent education that provides you with many transferable skills to use in a variety of different careers. Some reasons to consider articling include: 1) it provides you with an opportunity to “test” the practice of law out and see if you like it; 2) articling will help you develop skills including writing, oral advocacy and negotiation; 3) it will enable you to practice law should your interests change down the road. 2. What are “alternative or non-traditional legal” careers and how do I find out about them? Alternative or non-traditional legal careers are wide-encompassing terms that can capture just about every type of employment that is outside of the traditional practice of law. Some alternate careers may be “law-related” or they may be totally unrelated to law. Some examples of law-related alternative careers include: mediation and alternative dispute resolution; policy and legislation; communications; legal teaching & research; law enforcement; politics; banking/investment. Some examples of non-law career fields that utilize the skills you learn in law school are: entrepreneurial; non-profit sector/fundraising; marketing/public relations; business/management consulting; writing/journalism. These types of careers are not as obvious as finding an articling job in a law firm, and may take some extra work on your part. An essential step in discovering an alternate career path is going through a self-assessment process to determine where your interests, skills and strengths are. An excellent book to help you do this is Kimm Alayne Walton’s, “Guerrilla Tactics for Getting the Legal Job of your Dreams” (available from the LCO and on reserve in the library). You can also participate in UnCommon Law Day, an annual event (usually in January) that brings in law grads that have non-traditional law-related careers. 3. Do I need a “law-related” job during the summer after first year law school? Most of the summer recruitment legal processes are not geared towards first year law students. As you will have noticed some law firms in Alberta, Ottawa and Toronto do hire a limited number of first-year law students, but the number of total available positions is quite small. Most law firms prefer to hire second year law students after you have completed some more of the core courses. You will hear from your professors, practicing lawyers and current articled students that really you should take a “break” from law after first year. You may go back to a summer job that you had prior to law school. You can use the summer after first year to get involved in some volunteer or community activities that can be valuable experiences to draw on when you are applying to legal jobs later. Check out the main Career Services office at UVic (located next to the bookstore) for resources in finding nonlegal summer employment. All job postings are posted on the Workopolis website. Go to www.stec.uvic.ca for instructions on how to obtain the UVic password. Law Careers Office UVic, Faculty of Law 8 4. What is a Clerkship? Law clerks generally assist judges with the research before and after a case is heard in court. Duties of clerks include legal research, summarizing decisions, preparing preliminary memoranda, and observing the court process. Clerking is an excellent experience if you are interested in the academic or theoretical aspects of law, or if you are interested in pursuing litigation. It is an unparalleled opportunity to see “behind the scenes” of the court process and to observe first-hand how judicial decisions are made. Clerking opportunities are available with a number of provincial superior level courts and at the federal level. Applications for clerkships can be competitive and academic performance in law school is important in the selection process. Clerking can count as part or all of the articling requirements depending on which provincial bar you wish to be called to. If you are interested in clerking, the recruitment process usually begins in late fall of your 2nd year. Watch for emails from the LCO. 5. What is normally included in a legal application package? Your application package to a legal employer whether it is for summer or articling should include: 1) a cover letter tailored specifically to the firm or organization to which you are applying; 2) a 2-page resume; and 3) photocopies of official undergraduate and law school transcripts. Reference letters and writing samples are optional. Do not include a writing sample unless the employer specifically indicates that they want to see one. A memo can work well, but be sure to indicate if it is open or closed. You can check for what an employer likes to see in an application package on their website, in the Quicklaw National Articling Database (NAD), and firm brochures. The LCO is available to review your resume and application package – just make an appointment by contacting Katie Macquarrie (careerof@uvic.ca). Email a copy of your resume to Jennifer Moroskat (moroskat@uvic.ca) the day before your appointment. Law Careers Office UVic, Faculty of Law 9 SOME TIPS TO FOLLOW IN YOUR SEARCH FOR LEGAL EMPLOYMENT 1. Be Prepared & Research Only you can plan your own unique job path. Do your research to find out about all of the options that might be right for you. Self-assessment is a key part of any career planning – start by using some of the career resources provided by the LCO. Responsibility for developing your career goals and finding employment is ultimately yours. 2. Get Involved and meet people with similar interests (AKA Networking) Get involved in some law school activities – it may be a way to explore some of your interests in law. Come out to career sessions. You will have an opportunity to meet lawyers and find out what the practice of law is like. Join the CBA and participate in the mentor program and join sections such as the Young Lawyers Section. This is especially important if you want to article in a smaller community such as Victoria 3. Be Proactive and Persistent Finding an articling job really can be a lot of work at times and you may need to be patient. The process can be competitive and at other times arbitrary. It may be the first time that you face rejection. But, remember there may only be “one” job interview that goes perfectly and if you are offered the job all past rejections will not matter at that point. 4. Keep in touch with the LCO Don’t hesitate to come see the LCO when you have questions or you just need some reassurance in preparing for a job interview. The door is always open to you. If it is a busy time of year, you may need to schedule an appointment. Remember to let the LCO know if you accept a position somewhere. RESOURCES TO HELP WITH YOUR JOB SEARCH Law Careers Office  Emails from the LCO – watch for our emails to the student listservs with important recruitment information – file for later reference. A weekly email will be sent as a summary  Career Information Sessions, listed on the LCO website under Upcoming Events  Resume and Interview Workshops  Events (UnCommon Law Day, BC Employers Wine and Cheese, On-Campus Interviews, Vancouver Firms Open House, etc) Law Careers Office Website – http://cdo.law.uvic.ca *Password: available from the LCO or in the resource room  Student Information  Bar Admissions – Links to Canadian Law Societies and their associated bar admission requirements  Career Research – Legal career research links  Government Information – Links to Government employment websites  LCO Handouts  Job Postings Database including summer, articling and other positions (clerkships, internships, etc.)  Employer Database with over 900 legal employers across Canada with links to firm websites  Upcoming Events hosted by the Law Careers Office Law Careers Office UVic, Faculty of Law 10 Career Resource Room – Room 140 Fraser  LCO Handouts (cover letter and resume writing, interview tips, applications tips, volunteer opportunities, summering and articling guidelines, UVic mentor list, etc.)  Articling handbooks from other law schools  Extra brochures on shelves which may be taken  Legal Magazines: Lexpert, Canadian Lawyer, The National, Career Verdict  Old Canada Law List and BC Lawyers Listing (current copies available in the Law Library)  Clerkship Postings and Information Other  Quicklaw’s National Articling Database (db NAD)  Career Materials on Reserve in Library – Articling Handbooks from other law schools  Phonebook and Yellow Pages  Membership in the Canadian Bar Association – great for networking  Other UVic Law students and alumni  Professors, friends and family Do not hesitate to come see us if you need help getting started. Jennifer Moroskat Law Careers Officer moroskat@uvic.ca Office: Room 140C Phone: (250) 472-4719 Katie Macquarrie Law Careers Assistant careerof@uvic.ca Office: Room 140 Phone: (250) 721-8790 http://cdo.law.uvic.ca Contact Katie if you have forgotten the password. Office Hours: 8:30am – 4:30 pm To book an appointment, contact Katie.