RESOURCES FOR EMPLOYERS
HOW TO HIRE A UBC LAW STUDENT
- Why hire a UBC Law student?
- Why hire an articling student?
- What can Career Services do for your firm?
- We recommend that job postings include the following information:
Why hire a UBC Law student?
UBC Law has a diverse student body made up of exceptional students from a range of Canadian and international undergraduate institutions with a broad array of academic backgrounds including business, liberal arts, and the sciences. Many UBC Law students have previous professional work experience and are actively involved in a variety of extracurricular activities and volunteer organizations. UBC Law students are able to customize their program to fit their particular interests, and they are well prepared to pursue employment in all areas of law and other related careers. UBC Law students qualify for admission to the bar in all provinces across Canada and our distinguished alumni have become leaders in legal, academic and business fields. The high-caliber education and exceptional opportunities offered at UBC Law prepare students to make a meaningful contribution to your organization.
Why hire an articling student?
- Meet your future associate
- You are investing not only in that student's future but the future of your firm by hiring an articling student. It affords you the opportunity to guide and train your future colleague.
- Law students work for you
- UBC law students are among the brightest in the country. Students learn substantive law during three years of law school and have often also obtained practical experience through clinics such as the Law Students' Legal Advice Program. Students can perform useful and billable work including conducting research, drafting documents, and attending court (subject to the limitations of Law Society Rule 2-32.01).
- Articled students in BC can now perform a greater range of legal services, so long as they are properly supervised by their principal or another lawyer. See the Fall 2011 (No. 3) edition of the Law Society of British Columbia’s Bencher’s Bulletin for more information.
- It is a short term commitment
- While firms are encouraged to hire a student with the consideration that they will retain the student as an associate, the commitment to an articled student is only for 9 months of employment, plus the 10 week Professional Legal Training Course (PLTC).
- Articles can be shared with another lawyer or law firm
- The Law Society of British Columbia permits students to complete their articles under the supervision of more than one lawyer. Shared articles are ideal for situations where a student may seek a more diverse range of practice areas than may be available at a firm, or if the firm has insufficient financial resources or work to retain a student for the nine month articling period. Note that the Law Society's breadth requirements are now only recommendations. The Credentials Committee of the Law Society will permit shared articles where they are satisfied that the student will receive adequate and appropriate articles and supervision. For more information about shared articles, please visit the Shared Articles Registry hosted at: http://www.cba.org/BC/initiatives/articles/.
- Fulfilling a professional responsibility obligation
- Every year, a small number of qualified students are unable to obtain articles due to a lack of available positions. Articling principals provide students with the requisite knowledge and skills to become competent legal professionals. Hiring an articling student is an excellent opportunity for you to provide training and mentorship. You have the opportunity to assist a student just as your principal assisted you.
- You can hire a student at any time
- While the majority of students graduate from law school in May, a student is able to commence their articles at any point throughout the year. The Law Society Admission Program (LSAP) is 12 months in total with nine months spent working at a law firm under the supervision of a principal, and 10 weeks at the Professional Legal Training Course (PLTC). PLTC is offered three times a year can be taken at any point in the articling year (although a student is required to have secured an articling position prior to enrolment in PLTC). Once students complete LSAP, they are licensed to practise law in British Columbia.
- You, or someone at your firm, are likely eligible to act as an articling principal
- In order to act as an articling principal, you must have been active in the practice of law in Canada (Law Society Rule 2-30):
- For at least 7 of the 10 years immediately preceding the articling start date; and
- Full-time for at least three of the five years immediately preceding the articling start date.
- Of the seven years that you have spent in the active practice of law immediately preceding the articling start date, at least five of those years must have been spent in British Columbia or the Yukon Territory (while you were a member of the Law Society of BC).
What can Career Services do for your firm?
The UBC Faculty of Law Career Services Office invites your firm to consider using our free job posting service to advertise for a law student for casual research or project-based work, summer employment or articling opportunities. We can also distribute associate postings to UBC Law alumni and post the position on the career services website.
Postings through the Career Services Office are viewed online by 200-600 law students on the career services website.
Please provide your posting to our office by e-mailing it to our Program Assistant at careers@law.ubc.ca. If you have questions about posting a position, please contact a member of the Career Services Team.
We recommend that job postings include the following information:
Brief description of:
- the job, duties and responsibilities;
- the employer, practice areas, size of firm/type of organization;
- what you are looking for in a student - skills, qualities, and year of study (e.g. 1st, 2nd, 3rd year, or graduate) ; and
- term of position (full-time or part-time)
Application procedure:
- where to send, to whom, and how (mail, email or fax);
- what to include (typically cover letter, resume, and transcripts but may also request a writing sample and/or references);
- deadline for receipt of applications; and
- salary (optional)
In addition to the job posting service, the Career Services Office also provides the following recruitment initiatives for your firm:
- Annual Wine and Cheese Receptions (including the Small and Boutique Firm Reception, Vancouver Large Firm Reception, Out of Province Employer Reception, and Social Justice Forum); and
- Resume Book of application materials from 3rd year UBC Law students seeking articles.
If you have questions about any of these programs, please contact a member of the Career Services Team.
