Reality Check: With OCIs around the corner...

I thought I would take the time to write a blog that touches on my OCI experience and give you a glimpse of reality now that I am midway through the summer. I still get chills reminiscing about all of the stress and excitement during the summer and fall of 2015.

I wanted an experience where I was able to work hands-on with files and gain exposure to different areas of law.

During applications for OCIs, I read, for what seemed like days, about all of the opportunities that firms are willing to offer their summers students. I learned very quickly from past summer students that not all of these touted opportunities are a reality. Many students spoke of doing one single task for the entire summer, whether it was endless research or summarizing records all day long. I did not want this to happen to me. I wanted an experience where I was able to work hands-on with files and gain exposure to different areas of law. Without sending caution to the wind, I spoke further with some students who expressed their array of learning experiences at one firm, in particular, McCague Borlack, and I thought to myself, 'this firm sounds like a perfect fit for me!'

Needleless to say, after 7.5 weeks I can confirm that the student experience and opportunities that MB promotes for its summer students, is bang on. In less than two months, not only have I had the opportunity to work closely with partners on files, but I have also had carriage of my own small claims court files and even became published! How is this possible in only 7.5 weeks? The key is the firm’s teamwork mentality; working closely with lawyers has given me the opportunity to have real responsibility. The firm really does promote a “learn through experience” environment.

Throughout the summer I have been assigned an assortment of tasks, some with tight deadlines and some with deadlines that will outlive my summer here. I have been able to attend court proceedings and watch my work be put into action. I’ve even performed some delivery law, which provides students with the opportunity to familiarize themselves with the court system.

The atmosphere at McCague Borlack definitely centres on training students and giving us the tools we need to prepare for articling. I can see why MB prides itself on the work quality of their young lawyers since they are not only shown the ropes but also given the opportunity to test them out.

Melissa P.

Sherlock Holmes of the Legal Profession

As law students, we learn the importance of research in the legal field. Law school is designed to teach us to think like lawyers and equip us to learn and adapt to the ever-changing common law. As such, Principles of Legal Research is one of the mandatory classes law students must take in their first year of law school. We learn about the many legal research resources. The websites. The books. The famous McGill Guide.

...research is a key aspect of practicing law.

The first half of my time as part of the MB summer program has taught me that what my law school professors have stressed throughout the past three years of my education is correct: research is a key aspect of practicing law.

Yes, I have done research regarding case law, statutes, regulations, the ever-famous Rules of Civil Procedure and how legal principles apply to different cases and situations of fact. However, I did not expect to become the legal Sherlock Holmes.

On more than one occasion, the research I have done as a summer law student involved contacting individual courthouses to determine their own procedures and customs. I have tracked down documents and exhibits. I even determined the date of death of an individual in order to subsequently identify their executor.

These are not the kind of investigations that law school prepared me for. However, they are the kind of assignments that develop the skills required to become the kind of lawyer I hope to become: a resourceful individual who identifies the information needed to successfully represent her clients; an individual capable of finding answers whether they are easily accessible or not.

Jessica M.

Approaching The List like Goldilocks

For the summer months, law firms often delegate student work through a rotation list. Each student has a spot on the list that determines who will accept the different assignments in the cycle. Some might be large, others small, but one thing is for certain – sticking to the list ensures that everyone gets a taste of the different work available and that there is coverage for all assignments.

Approaching the lawyers directly allows me to show interest and initiative...

I can remember feeling apprehensive when I first started at McCague Borlack. I was assigned a spot in the middle of the list, meaning that on some days the cycle did not always reach me. I wondered if I would get a chance to work on assignments that were interesting and exciting to me, and what I should do while I was waiting for my name to come up.

Luckily, my mentor and student director encouraged all of the students to actively seek out work from the lawyers. Part of getting the most out of your summer student experience is always looking for the next opportunity to dive into legal work. Approaching the lawyers directly allows me to show interest and initiative, as well as obtain work from those who might not use the rotation list.

Overall, this double-pronged approach ensures that I am comfortable and happy with my spot in the rotation. I never get so bogged down with work that I feel overwhelmed, but I also get steady and interesting work. Kind of like Goldilocks, I have found the spot that is just right for me.

Michelle L.

Trust the Process

I entered the Summer Student program with enthusiasm and a hint of trepidation. How will I fare? Will I be able to meet what are no doubt high expectations? These and many other concerns can become all-consuming in and out of the workplace. As law students, each new experience in our legal education brings new stressors, but they also bring opportunity. This blog post is a reminder for me (and perhaps a few readers) to be intentional in my work and to continue to look for opportunities to learn. In short, I’m trying to be mindful.

Exactly what is mindfulness and how can I apply it to my summer experience?

To counteract the stresses of life, we are regularly urged to “be in the moment.” Exactly what is mindfulness and how can I apply it to my summer experience?

Trust the Experts

I believe that it starts with trusting the experts – trusting that many successful lawyers have walked this path and that our mentors are eager to help us make the most of our summer experience.

Trust Ourselves

Then we must learn to trust ourselves – trust that we will work hard, and we will meet expectations. One lawyer I have worked with quite a bit over the last few weeks mentors us Socratically (a teaching style most readers will be familiar with from law school, no doubt). Instead of answering my questions right off the bat, the lawyer will ask me to try to answer my own question. More often than not, I do know the answer. This lawyer’s mentorship style has made me more confident in my own abilities.

Trust the Process

Next, we must trust “the process.” The practice of summering allows us to gain invaluable practical experience as we are mentored and guided while actively engaged in the practice of law. One month into the job and I have carriage of my own files! Along with many other one-off tasks from various assigning lawyers, I will see a file from its infancy through to the investigative stage, onto the pleadings stage, and beyond. Under lawyer supervision, I will communicate directly with clients and opposing counsel to move the files along. It is amazing how quickly we learn by doing.

Finally, we must trust that taking time away from the office to gather interesting experiences is time well spent. Seek out opportunities to shadow lawyers as they conduct examinations for discovery, participate in mediations and settlement conferences, and appear in court. While it is paramount to meet work deadlines, it is often possible to finish your assigned task at the office and still go on a field trip. As my mentor said, soon enough we will have a great deal more responsibility and far less time to spend away from our own files. I have found that by going on these sorts of field trips, I am better able to understand the human aspect of the file. Meeting our clients, the opposing parties, the opposing parties’ counsel, and mediators is always insightful. In what is an adversarial process, we are able to find common ground and build relationships.

When we undergo a transformation – be it training for a marathon, taking a big risk, or beginning a career – it is important to be accountable to the process. We should remember that there are opportunities to learn around every corner. To bring the mantra of mindfulness into the workplace, we need to trust the process, to approach new challenges with intention. Each new experience is helping me build a stronger foundation upon which to build my future law practice.

Emily K.

Mathematics in Litigation

Despite the fact that law students vary immensely in their personal tastes, experiences and cultures, there is one thing that is widely common among legal thinkers – we are not fond of numbers and steer clear of mathematical equations. Simply put, it is scarce to uncover a law student that is a skilled mathematician and passionate about numerals and equations. Our weaknesses in calculations and our deliberate attempts to avoid the irksome symbols, which force activating a different part of our brain, are obvious and a source of routine amusement inside law school classrooms.

...full force mathematics requiring precise calculations that correlate to specific percentages for three possible judgment outcomes...

My distress over numbers was quickly triggered when I received one of my first tasks as a summer student at McCague Borlack: preparing a Bill of Costs. After discovering what exactly this meant I was nervous and anxious. Full force mathematics requires precise calculations that correlate to specific percentages for three possible judgment outcomes. I remembered the definitions of partial, substantial and full indemnity rates from my Civil Procedure Professor at the University of Windsor and how he referred to cost awards as the bonus round of litigation but applying lessons into actual practice is easier said than done.

Luckily, McCague Borlack encompasses a team that is approachable and genuinely interested in teaching new students. Not only did I receive help from the legal team but was pleasantly surprised at the patience and invaluable assistance I received from the mathematics experts themselves, the accounting department. Needless to say, support at McCague Borlack does not end with the lawyers; the whole firm unites to help one another. After receiving amazing tutelage from accounting, I now feel at ease and prepared to confront any task requiring calculations.

Numbers and computations form a big role in litigation, something law students need to become acquainted with and stop running from. Besides, there is always the trustworthy and loyal calculator.

Gabriela C.