Lawson Lundell has offices in Vancouver, Calgary, Yellowknife and Kelowna. We are a full-service regional firm with a well-established, loyal client base. Our Vancouver office is the largest office and the base of operations for our articling program.

Vancouver is a growing, dynamic city which offers excellent, high-quality legal work opportunities, while at the same time allowing its citizens to take full advantage of many recreational opportunities in a beautiful setting amidst the mountains and the sea.

Articling Program

Our program includes the Professional Legal Training Course (PLTC) required by the Law Society of BC (during which students are absent from the firm while attending the program), as well as the 42-week rotation through our main practice groups.  

Students may begin the program at flexible start dates during the year, in consultation with the to ensure that there are enough students at the firm at any given time. Students usually begin articles directly after graduation, in May, or after the summer, in September.

Orientation:

Once students have arrived at the firm, they begin with training to teach them about the firm, our expectations, and our systems, including our technology and our library.

PLTC:

Sessions are offered beginning in May, September and February of a given year. We consult with our students to come up with a mutually-agreed upon session (subject to availability of spots at PLTC) which accommodates our students' plans, such as travelling after graduation, and our own need to balance how many students are in the firm at a given time. More information on PLTC and articling generally can be found on the Law Society of BC's website.

Clerking:

Many of our students are fortunate to be chosen to clerk at various courts in Canada. We encourage and accommodate this experience. Clerks receive priority for PLTC sessions. We pay clerks as first year associates once they have received their grants of licence.

Rotations:

Articling students rotate through these four broad practice areas, giving them approximately 10 weeks in each rotation:

  • Real Estate / Tax / Banking
  • Commercial Litigation / Bankruptcy and Insolvency
  • Environmental, Indigenous, and Regulatory Litigation / Labour & Employment
  • General Corporate

These practice areas correspond roughly to the four floors of the firm, and students change offices for each rotation to allow them to get to know staff and lawyers on each floor.

Work Allocation:

During each rotation, students receive work directly from lawyers in those practice areas and are encouraged to take the initiative to seek work in areas of their own interest. Work is not allocated through a central person. However, we do hold monthly student meetings in order to check that work is being allocated fairly and to ensure that students have the opportunity to be involved in work that interests them.

Vacation:

Students may take up to 10 days of vacation during the 52-week articling term.

The Recruitment Committee

Currently, our Recruitment Committee consists of the following members:

Our Recruitment Committee is dedicated to recruiting excellent students and to ensuring that the student experience at Lawson Lundell is a good one. We meet regularly throughout the year to discuss issues that involve students and to maintain our ties with the law school community. We are active in sponsoring school events, such as a Law Games team, orientation activities and a hockey tournament. We also sponsor various law journals. We send speakers to the law schools on a regular basis and we participate in on-campus interviews and career fairs. Our aim is to meet and support students from all Canadian law schools.

All recruitment committee members are happy to speak with students by phone or by email. Often we are able to set up a coffee meeting or a firm tour for interested students. We can also arrange for a student to speak with a lawyer or student in a practice area of interest to the student.

Vancouver Students

Our summer students for 2023 are:

  • Kennedy Aberdeen (University of British Columbia)
  • Samantha Andison (University of Victoria)
  • Allison Bilenkey (University of Victoria)
  • Katrina Bois (University of British Columbia)
  • Inderdeep Dhaliwal (University of Victoria)
  • Cailey Harris (Thompson Rivers University)
  • Michael Hougen (University of British Columbia)
  • Ian Jonson (Thompson Rivers University)
  • Sonal Kaura (University of British Columbia)
  • Nazanin Khoshnoudian (University of British Columbia)
  • Jacqueline Ovsenek (University of Toronto)
  • Felicia Sit (University of British Columbia)
  • Lucas Soper (Dalhousie University)

Our summer students for 2024 are:

  • Akum Sidhu (University of Victoria)
  • Alexa Wills (Thompson Rivers University)
  • Ashley Kalla (Allard School of Law)
  • Dilan Gill (University of Victoria)
  • Jade Tsui (Allard School of Law)
  • Jessica Goodridge (Allard School of Law)
  • Meghan Little (University of Toronto)
  • Pahul Gupta (University of Victoria)
  • Tamara Luistro (Thompson Rivers University)
  • Tristan Kimball (Allard School of Law)
  • Xinyu Xu (Osgoode Hall Law School)

Our articling students for 2023-2024 are:

  • Abbey Fortin (Thompson Rivers University)

  • Amit Chandi (University of British Columbia)

  • Amory Hall (University of British Columbia)

  • Austin Darling (University of British Columbia)

  • Chelsea Colwill (University of British Columbia)

  • Dylan Chohan (University of British Columbia)

  • Jordan Hayward (University of British Columbia)

  • Kristen Taylor (University of Calgary)

  • Lovneet Aujla (University of British Columbia)

  • Madison Dutkiewicz (University of British Columbia)

  • Megan Mussenden (University of Calgary)

  • Nicole Welsh (University of Victoria)

  • Saheena Tegally (Thompson Rivers University)

  • Sarvenaz Ghattan (Queen’s University)

  • William Clark (University of Victoria)

  • Xue Zhang (University of Calgary)

Our articling students for 2024-2025 are:

  • Allison Bilenkey (University of Victoria)

  • Ben Foster (Dalhousie University)

  • Cailey Harris (Thompson Rivers University)

  • Felicia Sit (University of British Columbia)

  • Ian Jonson (Thompson Rivers University)

  • Inderdeep Dhaliwal (University of Victoria)

  • Jacqueline Ovsenek (University of Toronto)

  • Katrina Bois (University of British Columbia)

  • Kennedy Aberdeen (University of British Columbia)

  • Lucas Soper (Dalhousie University)

  • Maddison Zapach (University of British Columbia)

  • Nazanin Khoshnoudian (University of British Columbia)

  • Reed Smith (University of Toronto)

  • Samantha Andison (University of Victoria)

  • Sonal Kaura (University of British Columbia)

Our articling students for 2025-2026 are:

  • Michael Hougen (University of British Columbia)

Frequently Asked Questions

Students frequently ask us about the following topics:

What qualities do we look for in potential articling students?

We consider students to be very important to the future of Lawson Lundell. We have a long tradition of looking to our students as the primary source of talent for future associates and partners. Just as you want to choose the right firm, we want to choose the right students for the long term.

When assessing potential students, we look for qualities which will give a student the best chance of success at our firm. These include:

  • Academic excellence
  • Intellectual curiosity and creativity
  • Reliability, perseverance and self-confidence
  • Polished communication skills
  • Well-rounded interests and experiences
  • Commitment to becoming an exceptional lawyer

During our interview process, students will meet with small groups of our lawyers at every level of practice, as well as have the opportunity to interact with a larger group. We strive to get to know our potential students in more than one setting to ensure a selection process that is fair and thorough for both ourselves and for our candidates. We want to hire a mix of students from various schools and backgrounds: there is no one "type" of Lawson Lundell student.

Are there professional development and training programs?

We are committed to providing and supporting ongoing educational programs. We encourage each student and lawyer to develop their professional skills to the highest degree possible.

Professional development has many aspects that must come together to create a well-rounded lawyer. We support programs that develop:

  • Substantive legal knowledge, such as new developments in tort law
  • Legal skills, such as drafting and negotiation skills
  • "Soft skills", such as time management
  • Business skills, such as marketing and client development

We recognize that learning is an individual process. In order to accommodate different learning styles, levels of experience and time demands, we deliver programs in various ways. These include:

  • Learning by doing – engaging people in meaningful work with the appropriate mentorship, as well as giving as much individual responsibility as the person can manage
  • In-house programs taught by our own experienced lawyers and by invited guest speakers
  • External courses and conferences put on by recognized service providers, in person and by webinars
  • Membership in various organizations such as the CBA
  • Client-centred activities such as seminars and workshops
  • A yearly orientation session for new associates
  • Firm dinners and social events to develop good working relationships amongst our lawyers
  • A formal mentoring program
  • Annual professional development plans for our associates
  • Annual reviews for associates, twice yearly for junior associates

We are constantly working to strengthen our professional development program. We have a Director, Professional Development as well as a Professional Development Committee to review and enhance our programs.

What kinds of work support and resources are available?

All of our students are assigned offices which change with each rotation. Each student has a PC equipped with Internet and research data bases in his or her own office. We have an excellent IT department available to deal with technology issues that arise.

We have a comprehensive library staffed with helpful professionals who continuously support and train students in research matters and resources, including business and legal databases. We also have several dedicated research lawyers who are an invaluable resource to our students.

Our Director of Legal Talent will assist in planning each student's articles as well as assist in developing or providing resources tailored to needs as they arise.

Our Legal Talent Coordinator (Student Programs), Cindy de Graauw, will guide students through paperwork needed for the articling process as well as assist in scheduling rotations and assigning offices.

Our lawyers share support from legal assistants and paralegals. Our students do the same, working with assistants in a team environment.

What role do principals and mentors play in student development?

Principals:

Each student is articled to a principal. A principal is a senior lawyer who holds the general responsibility of ensuring that the articling requirements of the Law Society of BC are met. Principals meet with students periodically during the articling year to make sure students are getting the most from their articling experience. A principal can also act as an informal mentor to a student.

Student Mentors:

Our students are assigned one-on-one formal mentors from our associate ranks.  Most mentors are still quite junior and can remember their own experiences as students very clearly.  They are often associates who enjoy being involved in student recruitment.  Mentors come from various practice groups, and we make an effort to pair up people who will have interests in common.

Mentors take their mentees to lunches, coffees and other events on an individual basis.  In recent years, we have also had group events such as a bowling night or watching baseball at Nat Bailey stadium.  The mentoring relationship is confidential, and mentees are encouraged to ask all the questions they want in order to learn more about the firm and the work we do.

In addition to formal mentorship, students also find that as they move through their rotations within the firm, they develop informal mentoring relationships with various lawyers.

Summer students retain the same mentor when they return as articling students.  When a student becomes an associate, we assign a more senior associate or a partner to become the new associate’s formal mentor, but we encourage the previous mentor to continue to be involved in the new associate’s development. 

We constantly receive feedback from our associates that they enjoy the experience of learning to be mentors themselves through their involvement with students.  Our hope is that by being involved in dual roles of mentor and mentee early in their careers, our associates will develop lifelong mentoring skills that forge strong bonds with their colleagues in the firm.

Is there a review process?

We encourage students to seek feedback directly from lawyers on each assignment, and to be pro-active in finding out what will be done with their work product. Our lawyers are committed to providing regular feedback to students as work is completed. If there is a problem, we want students to know about it right away and have the opportunity to try again. We recognize that when trying things for the first time, students face a learning curve and we seek to be supportive in this process. Our emphasis is on assisting students to do the best quality work they can do, at each stage in their learning.

In addition, articling students receive two formal reviews – one at the mid-way point in their year and one near the end of their articles. The review considers the students legal skills, practice management skills, and communication skills. The Director of Student Recruitment and Development meets with each student individually to discuss progress and to determine areas of development to target. Students are also welcome to set up a meeting of this kind at any time during the articling year if they wish to have further feedback on their progress.

What is the firm culture? Are there social activities?

Lawson Lundell LLP's culture is based on a tradition of collegiality, team work, mutual respect and superb client service. Put simply, it is a nice place to work. Our students are often surprised to find that a firm of one hundred plus lawyers can feel so comfortable. Our lawyers have open doors and questions are always encouraged.

We have a loyal and supportive staff, many of whom have been at the firm for many years. We have many social activities where all members of the firm have a chance to build interpersonal relationships which strengthen our working relationships.

All the lawyers at Lawson Lundell are committed to meeting the expectations of our clients in a timely way. While we strive to maintain a healthy balance between work and our personal lives, we understand that excellent client service may require us to help out at times when our colleagues need us. We hold our students to the same expectations we have of ourselves. However, we are not a firm that requires "face time" just for the sake of being here: when the work is done, and done well, we encourage students to spend time with family and friends outside of work.

We hold various social events during the year. While attendance is encouraged, we do not expect everyone to attend all events unless he or she wishes to do so. We have an annual winter holiday party, firm dinners, golf tournaments, a semi-annual retreat and ad hoc sporting events. Every summer the students and the lawyers square off against each other in a friendly soccer match. Students have a monthly lunch on the firm at a restaurant of their choice and often enjoy student breakfasts together. We participate in community events such as fundraising for the United Way, the Steve Nash Foundation, and the 24-hour relay. We encourage everyone to take part in social, athletic and community activities both within the firm and outside it.

Describe your commitment to diversity and inclusion.

Read about our firm's commitment to diversity and inclusion here. 

What opportunities for advancement exist after articling?

Our students are our future and our primary source of future associates and partners. 

We hire only as many students as we are prepared to keep on as associates. In recent years, we hired approximately 10 articling students and approximately 10 summer students. We have a policy of moderate, controlled growth. Because of the stability of our client base and our success in developing new clients, we expect this pattern of growth to continue. In recent years we have hired back most of our students. Hire-back decisions are made based on the input of all lawyers in the firm. We thrive to keep students who are a good "fit" within our firm over the long-term, rather than focus too narrowly on how busy we are at the time of the hire-back decision. We attempt to communicate decisions to students at least two months before the end of a student's articles.

Once a student becomes an associate with us, opportunities for advancement are always available. Our associates are encouraged to work with more than one senior lawyer in order to learn different styles of practice. Given our emphasis on team work, our files are staffed with the best teams of lawyers and students to solve a particular problem, rather than the same team every time. This gives rise to a number of exciting opportunities for learning and growth for all lawyers.

What can I expect in terms of salary and benefits?

Our articling salary is competitive with the other highest-paying major law firms in Vancouver. Summer students are paid the same as articling students. We pay all of the PLTC tuition fees as well as paying the student's salary while they are in the PLTC program. Students are entitled to medical, dental, and extended health care benefits. We will contribute $300 towards health club membership fees. Summer students receive a tuition and book allowance of $6,500 in addition to their summer salaries.

We encourage involvement with the Vancouver legal community. We pay the annual fees for our students to join the Canadian Bar Association (CBA) and the Vancouver Bar Association (VBA), as well as a variety of other expenses, such as CBA section meetings and professional dinners.

Applications are usually due in June following second year for articling positions, with articling interview week in August.  More specific timing can be found on the Vancouver Bar Association's website.

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Applications

We comply with the Vancouver Bar Association guidelines for both the articling and summer student hiring process. Please check the VBA website for exact dates.

Students should include a brief cover letter, a resume, and copies of both undergraduate and law school transcripts. Reference letters are always welcomed but not necessary. Applications should be addressed to the attention of Allison Jackson and submitted via viDesktop.

Articles: For 2022/23 we have a full complement of students in our Vancouver office and do not anticipate hiring additional articling students.  We are not participating in the 2023/2024 Vancouver Articling Recruit.

Summer Articles:  For Summer 2024, applications are due in the late summer of 2023.  The deadline for applications is August 30, 2023, or as otherwise indicated by your law school’s Career Services Office.

Please address the applications to:

Allison Jackson
 Director, Legal Talent
Lawson Lundell LLP
Suite 1600 Cathedral Place
925 West Georgia Street
Vancouver, BC V6C 3L2

E-mail:  ajackson@lawsonlundell.com

We will acknowledge receipt of your application.

Interviewing Tips:

We hope you will apply to our firm and that we will have a chance to meet you in person. We know that students can find the application process somewhat overwhelming. The following information may assist you:

Applications:

  • We will acknowledge all applications we receive.
  • Contact our Legal Talent Coordinator (Student Programs), should you have any questions about the firm or the application process.

Summer Students:

  • We participate in on-campus interviews (OCIs) at various law schools each fall.
  • Once we select applicants for interviews in the OCI process, we will follow each law school's process for notifying applicants (some schools notify students for us, and other schools ask us to notify students directly – please check with your Career Placement Office should you have any questions).
  • After the OCIs, we will be in contact with you on Call Day if granted an interview: if you are not granted an interview you will receive a letter letting you know that no interview has been granted.
  • If there are no OCIs at your school, after the acknowledgement letter you will either hear from us on Call Day to set up an interview, or you will receive a letter saying that no interview has been granted.

Articling Students:

  • After acknowledgment of your application, you will either hear from us on Call Day if an interview has been granted or you will receive a letter saying that no interview has been granted.

In-Firm Interviews:

  • We send Intent to Call e-mails to students who have been selected for an In-Firm Interview.
  • On Call Day we may invite you for a lunch or dinner with lawyers at the firm during interview week.
  • All of our interviewing students are invited to a reception the Monday night of interview week at our firm and we encourage you to attend for part of the time, even if you have other obligations as well on that evening which require you to leave early or come late.
  • We schedule interviews Monday and Tuesday of interview week – because of the new Call Day and Offer Day system, it no longer matters if you have your first interview early Monday morning. There will be enough time before the Offer Day to meet other lawyers if need be, so please do not worry about the timing of the interview.
  • At the firm you will usually meet with two of our lawyers for your interview, one of whom will be on the Recruitment Committee. We will provide your interviewers' names to you in advance of the meeting. You will also meet one of our current students after the interview for a brief firm tour.
  • We encourage you to ask questions, to relax and to be yourself in the interview: if you have been asked to interview with us, it is because we have a genuine interest in you. Be confident in your abilities and be prepared to talk about your experiences.
  • We do not make offers or give indications that we will make offers until 8:00am PST on the Thursday morning of interview week, in accordance with the VBA guidelines.
  • Once our offers have been accepted, we will contact all of our interviewing students to advise them that our process is complete.
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