The transition from student to practitioner can be daunting. So, what are some of the things I’ve encountered in the few weeks since beginning my summer at MB? As a student at a litigation boutique, my day-to-day work typically involves assisting with preparing various court documents and legal research. From the day the students began working on files after our orientation...
"I was immediately immersed in interesting files and provided meaningful and essential work to move a file forward."
Whether it be affidavits, motions, briefs or research memos, we always walk through the matter with the lawyer assigning the task through a call or conference. This is imperative because, as students, it’s essential we understand what’s expected of us. It also allows us an opportunity to ask as many questions as we need to be able to tackle the assignment. And when I say, “as many questions as we need,” I mean it. The culture at MB is one of support and collaboration. This means that the lawyers understand that as much as we are there to aid with matters, they are there to guide us in becoming expert litigators.
In addition to the meaningful assignments, I’ve had the opportunity to attend “field trips.” These field trips were attending discoveries and an arbitration. These attendances, which started as an opportunity to take notes and be a sponge through observing varying styles of oral advocacy and negotiation techniques, quickly evolved into being involved in the matter through exciting follow-up assignments.
Though it has only been a few weeks, they have been rewarding and full of learning. I don’t expect that to change any time soon.
by Arjun Raju