Vancouver Student Recruiting

How to Apply

Applications for both articling and summer positions should include:

• Cover letter
• Resumé
• Undergraduate transcript (photocopy of original transcript)
• Law School transcript (photocopy of original transcript)
• Post-graduate transcript, if applicable (photocopy of original transcript)
• List of upper year courses (2L)
• Reference letters (optional)

All applications should be submitted online through the viRecruit Portal which is accessible via our website. All applications should be addressed to our Vancouver office to the attention of Robyn Enslen, Director, Associate and Student Programs (Vancouver).

We will acknowledge receipt of your application by email. For summer applicants, if we are conducting on-campus interviews at your school, we will follow the procedures set out by your Career Development Office to advise if we will be able to meet with you and for scheduling. For all student recruiting, we adhere to the guidelines set forth by the Vancouver Bar Association.

All in-firm interviews will be conducted in person, however, we are happy to accommodate a virtual interview if preferred by the candidate.

Our students have prepared My Future in Law: Student Recruitment Guide, a guide to the application and interview process. We invite you to review the guide as it may answer many of your questions.

Work Assignment/Rotation System

For our summer program, we believe that the summer is a time for students to experience as much or as little of a practice area as desired. Summer Law Students are free to work with our lawyers in their chosen interest areas or may wish to explore a broader range of work.

Articling Students participate in two formal rotations and can expect to work on matters from various practice areas such as corporate, regulatory, capital projects, tax, litigation, commercial real estate, and environmental. At the end of the articling term students have a final rotation of the student's choosing and generally may select the practice area in which they intend to practice as an associate.

Mentoring System

Each summer student is assigned a mentor who is an associate. The role of the mentor is to act as your host and introduce you to the firm and to assist with your workflow and work assignments.

Each articling student is assigned one principal (a partner) and one mentor (an associate) whose job is to help you integrate into the firm and assist with your workflow and file management. Our Chief Legal Talent Officer and our Student Coordinator also work closely with you to ensure that you receive individualized attention and career planning assistance/guidance.

Professional Development

Through our own Bennett Jones Academy, we offer a series of in-house seminars and programs to supplement the summer and articling program and ongoing professional development. This begins with an in-depth orientation and continues with regular programs designed to build your practice management skills and provide you with introductions to specific practice areas. We also encourage our students to attend Bennett Jones Academy sessions designed for associates.

Feedback

We recognize that feedback is essential to your development. Our students receive regular informal feedback from assigning lawyers, principals and mentors and also receive formal written reviews during the summer and during articling.

Social Events

Our students are encouraged to take part in social events at the firm. Many of our social events focus on our commitment to the community and building and maintaining lasting relationships amongst the students. Past events have included lawyer happy hours, Grouse Mountain and Quarry Rock climbs, snowshoeing expeditions, team cooking competitions, office holiday and summer parties and a firm golf day.

Salary & Benefits

All articling and summer law students receive a competitive salary, including vacation pay. For articling students, the firm covers all Law Society enrolment fees and PLTC tuition fees, including your full-time salary while attending PLTC.

During articles, we offer a comprehensive benefits package including extended health care, vision, dental, employee assistance plan, short and long-term disability and a fitness subsidy.

All articling students receive a third-year tuition bonus.