5 Tips for a Successful Transition from Law School to Articling

I figured it would be an opportune time to publish this article with the incoming 2020–21 articling class commencing in a few short weeks.

Congratulations to all who recently completed the Bar examinations in Ontario amidst the pandemic.

My years in law school in Ottawa were some of the best years of my life. Emphasis added.

In law school, I made a whole new group of smart, funny, and diverse friends. I enjoyed playing sports four evenings a week. I had a running route that looped around Parliament Hill, the Supreme Court of Canada, and the scenic Rideau Canal.

I loved my formative student years in Ottawa. And, most importantly, I enjoyed the study of law.

Being a student comes with a sense of freedom and independence too. Who doesn’t love that?

Of course, all things come to an end.

The transition from being a student in law school to an articling student at a law firm can be a challenging one.

No longer are your grades the focus of your work-related existence.

You now must add value to a business while assuming tasks which are completely new.

For many law students, this means having to navigate uncharted waters. The thought of articling, alone, leaves many anxious for this reason.

Here are my 5 tips for a successful transition from the law school classroom to articling at a law firm:

(1) FIND YOURSELF A MENTOR

Identify someone who is not more than a few years ahead of you in the same process. Someone with whom you can trust to have an “off-the-record” conversation. Someone who you feel comfortable asking hard questions regarding work and life. The life part is key.

Also, take the next step. Make the mentorship real. Ask this person if they would like to be your “official” mentor.

You should be trying for lunch with your mentor at least once a month. You should pop your head into their office, occasionally, for a social catch up.

It is important to foster this relationship. If so, your mentor will be a source of guidance for you. Your mentor will help you navigate the office, the law and life, when you need a co-captain.

(2) FIND YOURSELF AN ADVOCATE

You will need an advocate to be your voice. An advocate is different from a mentor.

Identify someone with influence. Perhaps a partner. Perhaps a senior lawyer. Perhaps someone who leads a practice group of interest to you.

Introduce yourself to this person early.

Identify yourself as a person that is willing to be helpful in any way, shape, or form that you are capable.

Make yourself available. Provide them with your cell number.

Work hard. Meet deadlines. Continue to express interest in their work. Continue to find ways to add value to their practice.

Try to establish yourself as someone who is dependable and, then, someone your advocate is depending on.

If applicable, express to your advocate that you see yourself at the firm long-term. When it comes time for hire-back, you want to ensure that your advocate is in the room fighting on your behalf.

(3) USE TEAM PLAY LANGUAGE

You are now a part of a team. You are now a part of a business.

Whether you receive one percent of the credit for your work or 100 percent, it is important to internalize that your team’s success is yours.

Take pride in the success of your team. Take ownership over the legal work as part of the team.

Ensure that, in your communications, you use “team” words, such as “we” and “ours” instead of “I” and “yours”. Make sure your language reinforces that this is yours too.

Team language will show that your engaged, that your invested, and it depicts a sense of accountability on your end. It will close the gap of you appearing like a short-term employee AND you appearing as an important member of the team (and soon-to-be fabric of the firm).

(4) WRITE EVERYTHING DOWN

I know when a waitress/waiter doesn’t write down my order, the meal is most likely coming out with one or two things missing. This is one of my pet peeves.

Never enter any meeting without a notepad and pen. More likely than not, you will be assigned work in that meeting.

Without a notepad and pen, you will appear unprepared and irresponsible. You will likely miss one or two things.

Write everything down.

Once you have written it down, and arrive back at your desk, summarize the task with the assigning lawyer via email, and confirm when the task needs to be completed. Never leave deadlines up in the air. Ask the assigning lawyer by what date he or she expects the task to be completed and meet that deadline.

(5) SILENCE IS GOLDEN

You may not get instant feedback on your work.

This is hard for students who are used to receiving prompt feedback on school-related assignments.

Lack of feedback is not necessarily a bad thing. Lawyers are super busy.

You will not receive feedback on every task.

If you don’t, it most likely means that you completed the task at least a satisfactory level.

If you are being assigned more work from the same lawyer, you can assume you did at least a satisfactory job the first time around.

I would recommend following up with the lawyer every couple weeks or every three tasks for feedback.

Don’t get me wrong, you need feedback to learn and improve. So, if you do not receive feedback for an extended period, consider scheduling yourself into the lawyer’s calendar, if possible, for a short feedback discussion.

Final Thoughts

I look back on my articling experience fondly. Our student team enjoyed lunches and shared many laughs together. My articling principal was my advocate and we care deeply about each other’s success. I am now his junior lawyer.

But, I am not alone in success. I found that many of my law school contacts ended up articling for firms where there was a mutual fit.

Work hard, invest yourself in your tasks, foster meaningful relationships, and you will be fine.

Good luck!

Summary of the Author:

Hayden Cantor graduated from the University of Ottawa, Faculty of Law. He summered (2018) articled (2019) and is now a personal injury lawyer with Diamond and Diamond Lawyers LLP.

Hayden has devoted his practice to lawsuits involving plaintiff-side personal injury, slip and falls, car accidents, pedestrian accidents, motorcycle accidents, boat accidents, fatalities, wrongful deaths, child injuries, dog bites, and LTD denials.

Hayden can be reached at hayden@diamondlaw.ca or 416–568–6169 (direct). Connect with Hayden on LinkedIn!