A Productive Summer Without Temporary Articles
Exams are ending, you still have not found the perfect law job you were looking for, and you are wondering what to do with your summer.
Take this summer to make yourself the best you can be. This could be your last summer, for a long time, that you are not entrenched in the legal world…take advantage of it!
Learn
Use this time to educate yourself. There will not be many more oppertunties where you have 4 months of little to no expecations of you. This is a great time to work on how you will advocate for future clients.
Read Case Law: Now is the time to read about the law you are most interested in, not what your syllabus assigned. If you have any niche interests, explore, learn, and reflect. Look into the most recent SCC and appellate level decisions, try to imagine how the precedents will affect future decisions. This is your chance to read purely for fun, learn more about what interests you, and keep up on the evolution of our justice system.
Enhance Your Advocacy Skills: Do you struggle with public speaking? Think about joining a group. Toastmasters is a great, non-judgemental, and encouraging group to practice your oral advocacy skills. While it will take place online this summer, learning to present effectively via Zoom will not only help your in-person speaking skills, but also prepare you for your career with some COVID protocols likely to stick in place.
Do you struggle with writing? See if there are any online writing classes over the summer. Written advocacy is just as important as oral advocay. Learn to write persuasively and effectively.
Brush up on Research Skills: WestLaw and LexisNexus both offer FREE legal research certifications. Becoming efficient in research is a very important research skill for lawyers to acquire.
https://www.lexisnexis.ca/en-ca/academic/certification-program.page
Volunteer
Volunteering is something I really enjoy. However, when in school, I often find I struggle to maintain my studies and work with volunteering; unfortunately, I am not able to volunteer as much as I would like while school is in.
Volunteering is very fulfilling. Find a volunteer group that centres their efforts towards something you are passionate about. Think of sports you did and loved while you were growing up, there are tons of kids sports camps throughout the summer that are always looking for help. Or, use the skills you have learned so far in school, and apply for law related volunteer positions like pro bono or a research assistant.
You could also consider writing for a blog about your law school experiences. I have had many employers ask me about writing for Law School Life and Beyond. Writing articles exhibits your interest in the law outside if it being a profession.
Work
Just because you have not been able to get a law-related job, does not mean your summer work experience won’t ‘help’ next time you look for a job. Look for jobs in customer service and/or labour. Customer service jobs show future employers you will likely be great with clients, can think quickly on your feet, and are outgoing. Labour jobs are great too, they illustrate that you are a hard worker and are not afraid of a long, work-intensive day.
Network
Reach out to lawyers! Having informal interviews/discussions are very useful when it comes time to apply for jobs. Not only would you have a connection to the firm now, but you would also have insight about the firms general vibe and if you think you would fit. Starting to get a feel for specific firms can be very beneficial for the job application process. Knowing what a firm is like and the types of personalities lawyers have there will help you decide to apply or not, potentially saving you a lot of time in the long-run.
Plan Ahead
Ultimately, not working in law is not devastating to your future career; however, the loss in self-confidence might be. There are so many opportunities available to law students outside of working in a law firm. Take some time to make your application stand out. If you are seriously worried about a lack of legal work experience, consider applying to work at your school’s legal clinic. In my opinion, the experience I had at our legal clinic was comparable to a summer position, if not better. Plan ahead and prepare for the next job hunt by learning, volunteering, working, and/or networking. Show resilience and a passion for what you are doing!
