The Vancouver office hires only second-year summer articled students at this time. Upon arrival at Blakes in early May, students attend an orientation session that introduces them to the Firm and its resources and ensures that students are well integrated into the Firm.

Our summer articled students are assigned to either a litigation or corporate rotation. They are often involved in projects outside of their assigned practice area, which we believe allows them to have a rich and well-rounded summer student experience.

Summer articled students are matched with mentors who are actively involved in training students and ensuring that students receive interesting and varied work assignments. Blakes has a long tradition of providing a strong foundation for legal careers through top-notch mentoring. Our partners benefited from the introduction and wise counsel of more senior members of the Firm, and the Firm benefits further when those lessons are passed onto our summer articled students.

Throughout the summer, summer articled students have the chance to participate in a range of social events. The social events are a great way to get to know the lawyers and other students at the Firm.  Such events may include casual lunches, cocktail receptions, parties, and various Student Committee and Social Committee events.

As an integral part of the Vancouver office team, summer articled students are invited to participate in client functions.

Summer articled students are evaluated at the end of their summer, at which time, they will be advised if they will be hired back as articled students. Our goal in the evaluation system is to help each summer articled student develop their skills as lawyers in training.

For more information regarding temporary articles with the Law Society of British Columbia, please click here.

The current annual salary for summer articled students is C$50,000, which includes 10 days of paid vacation (the same as articled students).

Summer articled students who return for articles receive payment of third-year tuition fees to a maximum of C$6,500 and a book allowance of C$500.

Application Process

The application and interview process for second-year summer articled students are in accordance with the Vancouver Bar Association Articling Interview Guidelines. We will conduct on-campus interviews across Canada in the fall. For more information regarding the Vancouver Bar Association, please click here.

The application deadline for 2013 summer student positions is
September 5, 2012.
The Interview Call Date is on October 2, 2012 at 8:00 a.m. PST.
In-House Interviews will take place October 15-19, 2012.

The application deadlines and interview dates for summer and articling positions are in accordance with the Vancouver Bar Association Guidelines.

Please send your application, including a cover letter, résumé, undergraduate transcripts, law school transcripts and upper-year course list (optional) to:

Jennifer McNaught
Director, Legal Personnel and
Professional Development
Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP
Barristers & Solicitors
595 Burrard Street,
P.O. Box 49314
Suite 2600, Three Bentall Centre
Vancouver, British Columbia V7X 1L3

Email: jennifer.mcnaught@blakes.com
Tel: 604-631-4299
Fax: 604-631-3309

For Law Clerk or Administrative Staff positions, please visit our Careers page or contact Maggie Edwards.

At Blakes, we try to ensure that you receive well-rounded articles by getting experience in different areas of law. We have a three-rotation program for our articled students:

• Corporate
• Litigation
• Other
  • Corporate/Commercial
  • Environmental
  • Financial Services
  • Litigation
  • Real Estate
  • Securities
  • Tax

This ensures that they obtain broad exposure to the principal areas of our practice under the individual guidance and supervision of experienced lawyers in each of these areas.

We try to tailor each student's special rotation to suit their preference. At the same time, we want our articled students to receive exposure to the core areas of our practice. We believe that our rotation program best allows us to develop and assess our students and gives them individual attention.

Our program differs from others in that, in addition to their principal, at each stage of a student's rotation, they are under the supervision of a mentor, usually a senior associate who practises in that area. The mentor ensures that the student receives a variety of work and helps train the articled student. As a result, we integrate our articled students into our day-to-day practice.

When articled students start at Blakes, they receive an orientation on the resources at the Firm.

We have a series of in-house seminars to supplement our rotation program. The seminars cover topics ranging from the development of basic practice skills to introductions to specific practice areas.

Our librarian is available on an ongoing basis to assist students and associates with legal research and writing and issues of substantive law.

We are strongly committed to the principle that our students and lawyers keep current in their practice and that, as a firm, we stay on the cutting edge of new areas of law.

Our lawyers and students are encouraged to participate in conferences and seminars, as speakers and as attendees. Conferences sponsored by professional bodies and industry are supplemented with our Firm, student and office-wide seminars.

First-year associates participate in a week-long national training program that allows them to meet their colleagues in other offices, while developing key practice skills.

Further, mid-level associates participate in a national training program to teach skills that focus on practice development.

Professor Peter Hogg, Canada's leading constitutional law scholar, has returned to Blakes in the role of Scholar in Residence. In addition to constitutional law, Peter is a leading scholar on Crown liability and trust issues. He is assisting with the Firm's continuing legal education activities. Peter works out of our Toronto office and presents skill development seminars for lawyers from all of our offices in conjunction with local lawyers.

Throughout the articling year, students have the chance to participate in a range of social events. The social events are a great way to get to know the lawyers and other students at the Firm. These include events such as office holiday parties, dinners, zip-lining and smaller practice group get-togethers.

We have two fixed start dates for our articled students: May or September.

The Law Society of British Columbia requires students to complete an articling term (usually a nine-month period) and successful completion of the Professional Legal Training Course (PLTC). For more information, click here.

Our mentors and Co-Chairs of the Student Committee give students regular ongoing assessments of their performance on an informal basis. Three times during their articling year, articled students will be evaluated. This is done by the supervising lawyers after they have consulted with other lawyers in the office. These evaluations provide useful and constructive information for the students and afford articled students a formal opportunity to express their views on the Firm, the opportunities given to them, and the direction they would like to see for the balance of their articling year.

Upon accepting an articling student position with Blakes, we pay salary and all course fees. The current annual salary for articled students is C$50,000, which includes 10 days of paid vacation.

Blakes compensation package is competitive with other large national law firms. Our students are covered by British Columbia Medical Services Plan, extended medical coverage, a dental plan, an employee assistance program and a group accident plan.

Due to our continued and steady growth, we are generally able to offer associate positions to a high percentage of our articled students.

We are very proud that our hire back ratios have been consistently high.

The application and interview process for articled students are in accordance to the Vancouver Bar Association Articling Interview Guidelines. For more information regarding The Vancouver Bar Association, please click here.

The application deadline for 2013/2014 articling positions is
June 29, 2012.
The Interview Call Date is on July 13, 2012 at 8:00 a.m. PST.
In-House Interviews will take place August 13-17, 2012.

The application deadlines and interview dates for summer and articling positions are in accordance with the Vancouver Bar Association Guidelines.

Please send your application, including a cover letter, résumé, undergraduate transcripts, law school transcripts and upper-year course list (optional) to:

Jennifer McNaught
Director, Legal Personnel and
Professional Development
Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP
Barristers & Solicitors
595 Burrard Street,
P.O. Box 49314
Suite 2600, Three Bentall Centre
Vancouver, British Columbia V7X 1L3

Email: jennifer.mcnaught@blakes.com
Tel: 604-631-4299
Fax: 604-631-3309

For Law Clerk or Administrative Staff positions, please visit our Careers page or contact Maggie Edwards.

Blakes is pleased to announce that the following students will join the Firm in the Vancouver office as 2011-2012 Articled Students:

Blakes is pleased to announce that the following students will join the Firm in the Vancouver office for the summer of 2012 as Second-Year Summer Articled Students:

2012-2013 Articled Students

Blakes is pleased to announce that the following students will join the Firm in the Vancouver office as 2012-2013 Articled Students:

Please click on student’s name for contact details. If student’s name is not highlighted in red, the student is not currently at the Firm.

The application deadlines and interview dates for summer and articling positions are in accordance with the Vancouver Bar Association Guidelines.

Please send your application, including a cover letter, résumé, undergraduate transcripts, law school transcripts and upper-year course list (optional) to:

Jennifer McNaught
Director, Legal Personnel and
Professional Development
Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP
Barristers & Solicitors
595 Burrard Street,
P.O. Box 49314
Suite 2600, Three Bentall Centre
Vancouver, British Columbia V7X 1L3

Email: jennifer.mcnaught@blakes.com
Tel: 604-631-4299
Fax: 604-631-3309

For Law Clerk or Administrative Staff positions, please visit our Careers page or contact Maggie Edwards.

The Student Committee at Blakes seeks to create a fulfilling student program. The committee is composed of both associates and partners at the Firm who are involved in creating and developing a comprehensive professional development program, recruiting, planning and executing social events, and fostering a culture of learning. The Student Committee also acts as a resource for students if they have any concerns or issues.

In the Vancouver office, there are 20 members on our Student Committee and their names and contact information are set out below. If you would like to find out more about Blakes student programs, please feel free to contact any of the committee members, and they would be pleased to provide you with further information.

• Jennifer McNaught, Director, Legal Personnel and Professional Development
• Steven McKoen, Co-Chair
• Greg Umbach, Co-Chair
  
• Michelle Audet
• Francis Chang
• Sharon Dos Remedios
• Taeghan Duff
• Matthew Ely
• Bahar Hafizi
• Michael Howcroft
• Jeff Langlois
• Andrew McLeod
• Karine Oldfield
• Samantha Rossman
• Susan Tomaine
• Soraya Jamal
• Robin Reinertson
• Andrew Crabtree
• Laura Cundari

The application deadlines and interview dates for summer and articling positions are in accordance with the Vancouver Bar Association Guidelines.

Please send your application, including a cover letter, résumé, undergraduate transcripts, law school transcripts and upper-year course list (optional) to:

Jennifer McNaught
Director, Legal Personnel and
Professional Development
Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP
Barristers & Solicitors
595 Burrard Street,
P.O. Box 49314
Suite 2600, Three Bentall Centre
Vancouver, British Columbia V7X 1L3

Email: jennifer.mcnaught@blakes.com
Tel: 604-631-4299
Fax: 604-631-3309

For Law Clerk or Administrative Staff positions, please visit our Careers page or contact Maggie Edwards.

Our application deadline and interview dates for articling positions will be in accordance with the Vancouver Bar Association Guidelines (Summer).

Our successful interview candidates will be contacted by telephone on the interview call date at 8 a.m. PST, and a convenient interview date and time will be arranged. A confirmation email will be forwarded to you setting out the agreed upon date and time for the interview. If available, the names of the lawyers conducting your interview will be provided to you at that time. We recommend you allow one to 1.5 hours for your interview.

Upon your arrival for your interview, you will first meet with two lawyers, who will spend approximately 40 minutes speaking with you. The lawyers will then introduce you to a current student who will give you an office tour and answer any further questions you may have.

Offers will be made on Thursday morning during the interview week in accordance with the Vancouver Bar Association Guidelines.

The application deadline and interview dates for summer articling positions will be in accordance with the Vancouver Bar Association Guidelines (Fall).

Our Vancouver office participates at on-campus interviews at various locations across Canada. Notices setting out information on when interviews are being held, where they are being held, application submission deadlines and where applications can be sent during the summer student recruitment process will be posted with the Career Services offices at each university.

Our successful interview candidates will be contacted by telephone on the interview call date at 8 a.m. PST, and a convenient interview date and time will be arranged. A confirmation email will be forwarded to you setting out the agreed upon date and time for the interview. If available, the names of the lawyers conducting your interview will be provided to you at that time. We recommend you allow one to 1.5 hours for your interview.

Upon your arrival for your interview, you will first meet with two lawyers, who will spend approximately 40 minutes speaking with you. The lawyers will then introduce you to a current articling student who will give you an office tour and answer any further questions you may have. Our interview week summer reception will also give you another opportunity to meet additional lawyers and students within the Firm.

Offers will be made on Thursday morning during the interview week in accordance with the Vancouver Bar Association Guidelines.

The application deadlines and interview dates for summer and articling positions are in accordance with the Vancouver Bar Association Guidelines.

Please send your application, including a cover letter, résumé, undergraduate transcripts, law school transcripts and upper-year course list (optional) to:

Jennifer McNaught
Director, Legal Personnel and
Professional Development
Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP
Barristers & Solicitors
595 Burrard Street,
P.O. Box 49314
Suite 2600, Three Bentall Centre
Vancouver, British Columbia V7X 1L3

jennifer.mcnaught@blakes.com
Tel: 604-631-4299
Fax: 604-631-3309

For Law Clerk or Administrative Staff positions, please visit our Careers page or contact Maggie Edwards.