MEASURING THE VALUE OF AN ARTICLING EXPERIENCE
Many of you already know that landing an articling position is very competitive. With so many law students graduating from Canadian Law Schools, and those coming from abroad, it is very likely that you may not get the articling position you always dreamed of. Now the Ryerson Law Practice Program ensures that everyone who is a part of the program can obtain a four-month work placement, but even then, you may not be hired by your preferred firm. It is no secret that Bay Street firms can afford to pay a very handsome salary, but what about those other boutique firms that cannot afford to compete in that respect? This is where it is very important as an Articling Student to gauge the value of an articling experience.
“This is not a job“
The first thing to understand with Articling or an LPP work placement is that THIS IS NOT A JOB. Many people miss that this is an educational experience that sets the foundation for your career. If you see this position as a simple job, where you show up, do the work, and collect a cheque every two weeks, you’ve already lost value in the experience. This is your opportunity to soak up as much knowledge as you can because, for most of you, this may be the first time you have appeared in court, attended a discovery or mediation, or even met with a real-life client. As a Student-at-Law, you are given the opportunity to shape your legal career. Therefore, having the chance to get your hands dirty and appear at a motion, conduct a discovery, or attend mediations or case conferences is invaluable. The truth is, a boutique firm is more likely to provide this type of experience.
Considerations
It is also important to appreciate that as a Student-at-Law in a bigger firm, you may just be another piece in their puzzle. You may find yourself working a ridiculous amount of hours, drafting the same documents over and over again, without seeing how that motion record you drafted allowed for successful arguments before an Associate Judge. Or how that mediation memo you put together got the firm a $200,000.00 settlement. A boutique firm is more likely to allow you to witness the outcome and not just be a part of the means to the end.
Thus, consider the above factors when you think of the type of firm you would like to have your Articling experience or LPP work placement. At the end of the day, will you have more value as a starting lawyer if all you have done your whole Articling experience is drafting documents, or do you hold more value if you’ve had the opportunity to do a variety of other tasks? Don’t get us wrong, maybe the area of law requires significant drafting experience, and in that case, you’re ahead of the game, but you always want to consider what you are getting out of the experience, other than a paycheque.
