Information for Prospective Students
CSO Programs, Assistance and Resources
The Career Services Office (CSO) at the University of British Columbia Faculty of Law facilitates and supports the training and professional development of the student body in respect of their individual career- related goals. The Career Services team works all year to provide career-related services to both current and former UBC Law students.
Pam, Jennifer and Tracy are previously practising lawyers who are available to provide students with career guidance and answer questions about traditional and non-traditional career paths, Canadian and international recruitment processes, and general career-related advice.
The CSO's services include one-on-one student and alumni counselling appointments, career programming and seminars, recruitment and networking events, over 100 handouts and a resource library, a website and online job board, and outreach to traditional and non-traditional employers and law societies in various jurisdictions.
- Workshops & Information Sessions
- Recruitment Events / Wine & Cheese Receptions
- Interviews
- Additional Resources
- Information about summer & articling positions
- Summer Positions After First-Year
- Summer Positions After Second-Year
- Articling Positions
- Clerkships
Workshops & Information Sessions
- First-Year CSO Information Sessions
- Resume and Cover Letter Workshops
- Job Search Strategies
- Interview Skills
- Professionalism & Etiquette
- Panel on Career Options for Lawyers
- Women Lawyers Panel
- Practice Area Forums and Panels
- CBA Mentorship Program
- Public Interest Panels & Skills Seminars
- Clerkship Information Sessions
- Employer Information Sessions
- Fellowship Information Sessions for First-Year Students
Recruitment Events / Wine & Cheese Receptions
- Vancouver firms
- Toronto and Calgary firms
- Small, Boutique, Vancouver Island, and BC Interior firms
- Social Justice Forum
- Substantive Practice Area Forums (past examples include family, criminal, intellectual property, labour and sports & entertainment law)
- On-Campus Interviews with Vancouver firms
- On-Campus Interviews with Toronto and Calgary firms
- On-Campus Interviews with New York firms
- Mock Interviews with practising lawyers
- One-on-one career counselling appointments and strategy building for students and alumni, including individual resume and cover letter review
- One-on-one career counselling appointments and strategy building for students and alumni who are interested in practising public interest law
- Outreach to firms and public interest organizations to establish employment and volunteer opportunities for students
- Monitor compliance with applicable interview guidelines
- Work closely with the Careers Committee, a student committee which assists with the coordination of various career-related seminars, events and other student programming
- Publish the annual Legal Careers Guide, which contains information on job search strategies, application procedures in BC and beyond, and important contacts at potential employers
- Provide information on different legal career paths, practice areas, application procedures and career planning
- Maintain and update the Career Services website Symplicity (Note: Symplicity is password protected as it is for the exclusive use of UBC law students and alumni)
- Maintain information on provincial bar qualifications, judicial clerkships, governmental departments, and other employment options
- Maintain information about local, regional, national and international public interest law opportunities
Information About Summer & Articling Positions
Summer Positions After First-Year
There is a diverse range of summer positions that law students hold after their first year of studies. The positions vary greatly depending on students' interests, skills and previous experience. Very few law firms hire first-year law students, with the exception of a few firms in Calgary, Toronto, Ottawa and some smaller centres. Typically, only about 10 first-year students work at a law firm during the summer. The rest of the class may find positions with UBC or the Faculty of Law, government organizations, public interest organizations and private corporations. There are also a few summer programs available to first-year students including 3 law firm research fellowships, 6 public interest work placement opportunities, and a number of legal positions at administrative bodies (e.g. Worksafe BC and the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of BC).
The summer after first year is a great opportunity for students to develop transferrable skills that will strengthen their applications for second-year summer positions and articling positions. As there are a limited number of postings for first-year summer positions, it is important that students take personal responsibility for their job search and take the initiative to seek out interesting opportunities. There are various resources available at the CSO for first-year students to support them with their summer job search.
Summer Positions After Second-Year
There is a diverse range of summer positions that law students hold after their second year of studies as well. The positions vary greatly depending on students' interests, skills and previous experience. Many law firms actively recruit second-year summer students from the major centres across Canada. In general terms, approximately 25% of the second-year class obtains a summer position with Vancouver firms, 2%-5% with Calgary firms, 2%-5% with Toronto firms and 2%-5% with Ottawa firms. There are also approximately 20 summer positions available at law firms in smaller B.C. communities through the Rural Education and Access to Lawyers Program. There are significantly more summer postings available at the CSO for second year students than for first year students. The students who do not obtain a summer position with a law firm seek similar positions that are listed above under first-year summer positions. In addition, there are various resources available at the CSO for second-year students to support them with their summer job search.
Articling Positions
Historically, more than 90% of UBC Law graduates seek articling positions after graduation and between 96%-99% of these students report securing an articling position. The general breakdown of where students article is below:
Location |
% of Students |
| Vancouver | ~70% - 75% |
| Interior/Northern BC | <5% |
| Vancouver Island | <5% |
| Alberta | ~5% |
| Saskatchewan | <5% |
| Toronto | ~5%- 10% |
| Ottawa | <5% |
| NY | <5% |
| Hong Kong | <5% |
Approximately 8% - 10% of the graduating class does not seek articles. These graduates typically pursue an LL.M. or other post-secondary degree, or accept a position in the public interest sector or with the government.
Clerkships
Every year, between 15 - 20 UBC Law graduates clerk with a Canadian court. Approximately 75% clerk at a court in B.C., 5% clerk in other provinces, and 20% clerk in Ottawa.
