Articling Program
- Articling Student Rotation System
- Mentoring System
- Professional Development
- The "Nuts & Bolts" of Articling
- How to Apply
Articling Rotation System
- At Blakes, we try to ensure that you receive well-rounded articles by getting experience in
different areas of law. Our rotation system also ensures that you work with a wide variety of
lawyers at the firm. Students do four rotations in different practice areas. Each rotation is
2 ½ months in duration.
- We work with our articling students to help them get the experience they want and need to
develop. Our students are required to do at least one corporate-focussed rotation and one
litigation-focussed rotation.
- In our Toronto office, students do rotations in the following areas:
- We also offer a number of rotations outside the firm. In the past, we have offered
rotations with the Ontario Securities Commission, the ARCH Disability Law Centre, the Hudson's Bay Company, Justice for Children and Youth, UPS, Coca-Cola,
GE and the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce.
Back to Top
Mentoring
- During each articling student rotation, students are assigned a mentor whose role it is to
ensure the student receives good work experience at the firm. Mentors give the students work
directly, and make a concerted effort to find work for the student with partners and senior
associates at the firm who can evaluate them. A mentor also helps the student deal with work
flow, shows them precedents, reviews their work and gives the student advice about work
styles of different lawyers.
- The mentors enjoy the mentoring role and have a proven ability to work well with
students. We collect feedback from our students about their mentors and use that information
to continually improve our mentor program.
- While the mentor will assign most of the work, other lawyers will also assign work
to the students.
- The mentor will ensure that students receive ongoing feedback on their work. Students
will also meet with a member of the Legal Personnel Committee and the Cheif Officer of Legal
Personnel who will review the student's performance and discuss the experience at the
firm. There are also regularly scheduled group meetings with articling students to
discuss development in the firm and to receive feedback from the students on matters
which concern them.
Back to Top
Professional Development
- When articling students start at Blakes, they receive an orientation on the resources at
the firm. They also receive a two-day professional development program. We have an educational
plan for our articling students as well, which focuses on developing substantive skills such
as legal research and writing, advocacy and drafting skills. Click
here for the articling student education plan.
Back to Top
The "nuts & bolts" of articling
- The Law Society of Upper Canada requires students to complete the Licensing Process and
complete 10 month of articling in order to qualify to practice as an associate. For more
information, click here.
- At Blakes, we strongly encourage all of our articling students to complete the Licensing Process requirements (Skills Phase and Substantive/Procedural Phase) before starting
the articling period at the firm. For information about the Bar Admission
Course, click here.
- At Blakes, we pay salary and all course fees for the Licensing Process if
students accept an articling position with us.
- Students are paid once they commence the Licensing Process. Blakes will pay all Licensing
fees. Articles will commence late July/early August.
- The current salary for articling students is $1,450 per week.
- Upon accepting a position as an articling student, students receive a tuition bonus.
Back to Top
How To Apply
Please send your application including a resume, law school and undergraduate transcript by to:
Mary Jackson,
Chief Officer, Legal Personnel & Professional Development
Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP
199 Bay Street
Box 25, Commerce Court West
Toronto ON M5L 1A9
Tel: (416) 863-4303
Fax: (416) 863-2653
email: mary.jackson@blakes.com |
