Time to start articling!

Does anyone really know what articling means? I remember when I first heard about articling I thought it meant that you had to literally write an article after law school. It turns out there’s a bit more involved than that. My friends ask, “You’re still not a lawyer?!”. No, not yet.

The word "articles" has its origin in the articles or contracts entered into by the student (who agrees to work) and his principal (who agrees in exchange, to educate).

So we’re all on the same page, articling is one of two ways to fulfill the experiential training requirement in order to become licensed to practice law in Ontario. It requires a ten-month work period under the supervision of an articling principal.

Side Note: If you don’t get an articling position, the other way is a new program called the Law Practice Program, which includes a four-month training course and a four-month work placement.

It has already been a few weeks that the other articling students and I got started. Fresh off of vacation and still riding the post-bar exam high, we were thrust into training and then quickly into real work. There are three differences between working as a summer student vs. an articling student. They aren't huge, but there is a difference.

Articling Principal
First, we now have an articling principal; a mentor to get us through the articling period. This is in addition to the countless lawyers that have already offered to hel
p us figure things out and provided words of advice for life as a lawyer. One thing that hasn't changed about MB is that someone is always there to help; whether it’s an assistant, clerk, associate, partner, or another student.

Responsibility
Second, as articling students, we are given more responsibility and more significant work. Just two weeks into articling and we’re already being handed assignments such as arguing motions and, for one student, running their own Small Claims Court trial in the fall.

Know-How
Third, an understanding that (to some extent) you know what you’re doing. As an articling student it is expected that you've picked up some tricks of the trade at this point. Don’t let this scare you off! You know more than you think you do, trust me. Three years of law school have taught you to read, write, and think like a lawyer and suddenly you’ll be doing it instinctively.

So, no I’m not a lawyer yet… but I am starting to feel like one.

Sarah B.