The List: The Real Work has begun

Student work at the firm is distributed through a rotation system commonly referred to as “The List”.

It is our third week at the firm as summer students; the articling students have left and the “real work” has begun. Student work at the firm is distributed through a rotation system commonly referred to as “The List”.

The nature of The List means that on any given day, you may be asked to assist a lawyer with a motion record, an accident and benefit claim, a subrogation file, or even a damages brief. This is exciting since you are not aware of what interesting file awaits you when you arrive in the morning, also it means we have to practice excellent time management in order to keep up with all work assigned.

The strategy we have developed as a group -- and thank you to the articling students for this tip -- is to work together as a team on all new assignments. For example, due to the nature of The List, one summer student was able to complete a number of damages briefs. This is a complicated but essential document for any pending litigation and settlement discussions. If for instance, a damages brief appears on my desk tomorrow, and I have a few incidental questions, I know that I can always stick my head over to the next cubicle and the other student will not hesitate to assist me and pass on any suggestions that might be helpful. Beyond assisting each other on files, we have committed to regularly having lunch as a group to share helpful tips and best practices.

In addition to assigning work, The List also determines which student gets to accompany a senior lawyer on discoveries or motions. Last week, I had the distinct pleasure of attending a lengthy motion with a Partner and witnessed her zealously advocate for one of our clients on a very fine point of law. I left the courthouse with a better sense of what was expected of us as future members of the firm, and most importantly, I left with a greater appreciation for exemplary oral advocacy.

‘Til next time,

Mahdi H.

An Ocean’s Eleven of Law Students

Articling is over. Our final day together as students, after the long and challenging haul, was spent in relief and satisfaction, over beers and in each other's company on a cool patio night. ...remove yourself from the competitive maelstrom of law school and prepare for a more collaborative firm environment. I cannot say enough about this group of individuals, who shared their knowledge, effort and support without expectation or delay. We were each other's bulwark, an Ocean's Eleven of Law Students, each putting their unique talents to work in earnest collaboration. These people, and the lawyers at McCague Borlack, were at once my professional exemplars, my safety net and my confidantes. I cannot imagine a better learning environment than the one I experienced over the past 10 months.   To McCague Borlack's incoming summer students, I urge you to lean on each other and draw from the resources provided by the firm. An honest assertion of yourself and a sincere interest in the success of others is truly all you need to succeed. To those law students who will soon summer or article, I urge you to remove yourself from the competitive maelstrom of law school and prepare for a more collaborative firm environment. And to my fellow articling students, I look forward to many more days as newly called lawyers at McCague Borlack this Fall. Ben C

Orientation Week: Summer Students 2015

It has been said at least twice in previous blogs that the weeks leading up to the first day as a summer student are a mix of anticipation and anxiety. I couldn’t agree more. In my case, my anxiety increased the closer I got to my start date. I loved that students at McCague Borlack get lots of responsibility, but it struck me how little I knew about the tasks that I might be assigned. I didn’t know if I could handle everything.

...my anxiety increased the closer I got to my start date...

Thankfully, the transition from law school to law firm was as gentle as it could possibly have been. For three days, all of the summer students were taught the practical side of being a lawyer, such as how to docket and manage files, as well as substantive legal concepts, like civil procedure and the basics of insurance law. Each lesson was taught by a different person, all of whom told us that we could come to them, or anyone else, with any questions that we had. In fact, that was a theme of this week. Nearly everyone we have met has reassured us that they are happy to answer any questions we have.

When training ended, it became clear that this was not just something people said. When I was given my first assignment, one of the articling students explained to me exactly how to do it, gave me an example to follow, and gave me feedback before I submitted it. When I met with the assigning lawyer before I started the assignment, he not only gave me a little more detail on what he needed me to do, he also explained to me an aspect of accident benefits that I had been struggling with. When I was given small claims files, the articling student who transferred them to me explained exactly what was happening in the proceedings and what I would need to do next.

As promised, the work has been hands-on, but manageable. In addition to the work distributed through the student email list, more than half of the summer students, including myself, have attended discoveries with lawyers. Two of the eight students have attended motions. Many of us have been given carriage of small claims files; at least one of mine will likely have a settlement conference scheduled for this summer.

The articling students in particular have been a tremendous asset, willing to answer all of our questions, no matter how basic. We are all slightly dreading Monday morning, when they are gone and we are on our own. Thankfully, all of the summer students are willing to help each other out, offering advice when another student gets an assignment they have done before. I’m grateful to be working with such a good group of people.

Karen B.

Home Stretch

As we near the home stretch of the articling experience, students everywhere are beginning to feel the excitement and buzz surrounding the fast-approaching call to the bar. Reflecting on the past eight months of articling and trying to find ways to push forward to complete the last two months with grace, perseverance and enthusiasm I find myself thinking of the five most important things I’ve learned to help keep myself motivated throughout this process:

Reflecting on the last eight months of articling... thinking of the five most important things:

Make time to see friends and family
We were lucky enough to have a fantastic articling group, which is a testament to the kind of people that work at MB. But regardless of how well you get along with your articling peers, it is important to make sure you have time to see your friends and family outside of work. While articling can be an all-consuming endeavour, it is important to start learning how to balance your personal and work commitments.

Lean in and out as needed
In any job certain weeks are bound to be busier than others. Learning to lean in when needed and enjoy the lulls when lucky enough to have them will allow you to pace yourself during these ten intense months. You may have to work late nights and even weekends some months, and during this time your workload may demand all of your attention. However, enjoying the slower periods during your articling term and ensuring not to overload yourself will help you be prepared for those more demanding times.

Don’t give up your hobbies
Whether it be going to the gym, or taking a cooking class, make sure you don’t give up all your hobbies once you start articling. Continuing to do something you enjoy outside of the office that is just for you will help you be more productive during the day. It will help keep your mind and body refreshed and will also decrease stress levels.

Seek out assignments that interest you
Everyone has different interests and lucky for us, the lawyers at MB encourage us to seek out work that we find interesting. While it is important to ensure you give yourself a wide variety of experiences, seeking out assignments in practice areas that interest you can also help keep you motivated at work.

Don’t bite off more than you can chew
Despite the above advice to seek out assignments you are interested in, keep in mind you have to keep up with your workload and over-committing to too many projects or people is a sure-fire way to upset others as well as burn yourself out. Staying organized will also help you ensure you don’t over-commit yourself.

By Divya K.

A Wide Exposure to Litigation Disputes

As we begin to turn down the home stretch for our articling terms at MB, I think this is a good opportunity to give prospective students an idea of the sort of matters that cross our desks on a day-to-day basis. The big advantage in articling at MB being exposed to a large number of practice areas.

...each case and event in the file demands a unique approach.

In my own experience, I have had the opportunity to assist on a range of matters from product liability to professional negligence, from employment disputes to landlord and tenant disputes and from bodily injury to accident benefits. I have seen subject matters ranging from disputes over leaky pipes to errors in large infrastructure projects, matters involving children and adults and, even animals! I have been asked to assist with preparations for motions, mediations, pre-trial conferences and trials. I have had the opportunity to interview expert witnesses, prepare witnesses, and speak to clients and opposing counsel.

What I have found is that although the work at MB is usually through the lens of civil litigation process, each case and event in the file demands a unique approach. By being exposed to every aspect of a dispute, and many types of disputes, I have quickly learned that, despite how similar the various aspects of the files appear to be, every matter demands a unique approach. As a result, we are constantly learning how to navigate new challenges and come up with new approaches to best meet the needs of our clients.

The lawyers at MB commonly look to us, the articling students, to be more than “paper pushers” for the file. Instead, many lawyers want us, and in some cases encourage us, to be a contributing member of the “team”. I have found that we are frequently challenged (in a positive way) to offer our thoughts on how to best approach the file. For someone who best learns by doing, I have found this approach to be a very effective way to engage me in the file and has allowed me to really become invested in the work that I am asked to do. As a result of this engagement, I have become more and more confident in my own abilities as the articling term has progressed. I think if I were to ask the other articling students if they feel the same, they would agree.

My hope as I look towards the end of my articling term is that my knowledge base continues to be challenged and, as a result, continues to grow. Based on how my time has progressed thus far at MB, it is more than likely that my hopes will be realized.

Garett H.