Calgary

With more than 750 lawyers BLG is one of Canada’s largest firms, serving a diverse range of clients in a variety of practice areas. Our Calgary office has approximately 115 lawyers.

We typically hire eight summer students and eight articling students.

We look for students who:

• have the potential to grow into associates and then partners
• offer strong leadership, teamwork and entrepreneurial skills, in addition to strong academic achievements
• possess sound judgement and excellent oral and written communication skills
• have exciting, fulfilling interests outside their career ambitions

In short, we look for exceptional people.

We invite first-year candidates to in-firm interviews led by two lawyers. We then invite candidates to meet with other members of our team informally over coffee or drinks.

We invite second-year candidates to interviews on campuses in Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Saskatoon, Winnipeg and Toronto, with one exception: University of Calgary students attend first interviews in our offices. We then conduct second interviews in our offices, led by two lawyers. At that time, you’ll tour the firm with a current BLG student to get a feel for the office culture and chat with some of our lawyers. We were Canada’s first law firm to introduce game-based assessment in our recruitment process. This innovative recruitment tool gives us an objective way to help understand our candidate’s natural strengths and preferences, and helps us to remove bias and create a level playing field for all candidates. We also provide unconscious bias training to everyone involved in recruitment.

BLG Calgary recruits with the goal of building our firm over the long term. Regardless of where you grew up or went to school, if you want to forge your law career in Alberta, we want to hear from you.

Our students receive salary and benefits competitive with large Calgary firms.

Summer students generally start in early May and stay until mid-August. Articling students currently start in mid-June.

Yes. Each summer student is assigned an associate mentor, Each articling student is assigned an associate mentor as well as a principle responsible for supervising your articles. Many students also develop rewarding mentor relationships with other legal professionals in the firm.

Our summer program provides students with in-depth involvement in litigation and business law. The program is flexible, encouraging students to explore multiple practice areas.

Summer students work on much of the same projects as articling students and junior associates: everything from research and client meetings to managing your own Small Claims Court matters and drafting contracts. We aim to provide hands-on experience in a diverse and challenging workplace.

You’ll receive assignments directly from lawyers, so we encourage you to seek out work and build relationships in practice areas that interest you.

By taking charge of your workload, you’ll develop your practice and time management skills. We’ll supply you with support systems and tools to help you along the way.

Yes, BLG professionals volunteer regularly as pro bono counsel for people who would not be able to access legal services otherwise. You'll have opportunities to:

• work under the guidance of BLG lawyers acting as Civil Claims Duty Counsel with Pro Bono Law Alberta at Provincial Court, or with Amicus at the Court of Queen's Bench
• assist volunteer lawyers at the Children's Legal and Educational Resource Centre, providing legal services to young Calgarians
• participate in the Pro Bono Alberta Volunteer Lawyers Program
• volunteer with Calgary Legal Guidance and Student Legal Assistance at the University of Calgary

Summer students undergo two formal evaluations during their time at BLG: mid-term and end-of-term. Articling students undergo formal evaluations every three months. You can also ask your mentor and other lawyers for informal feedback at any time during an assignment.

Summer students can always rely on their associate mentors for guidance and support; articling students can turn to both their associate mentors and principals. All students can turn to associate mentors, the Director of Professional Recruitment and Development and Student Committee members for advice and information at any time.

All our office resources are available to students: IT services, business development support, corporate and library services, a copy centre and facilities support.

You’ll be invited to a wide variety of social events, many specifically for students and their mentors and principals. Firm-wide events include golf and ski trips, seasonal dinners and our Calgary Stampede events.

Diversity and inclusion is key in everything we do. We have established:

• a National Diversity and Inclusion Council
• diversity-related training sessions
• name pronunciation resources, including audio clips attached to BLG bios
• affinity groups to foster mutual support for religious, cultural and social communities within BLG
• monthly diversity bulletins for sharing information
• a diversity calendar highlighting cultural and religious observances
• programs to retain and advance our women professionals
• the gathering and review of statistics on retention, leadership and advancement of our professionals
• seminars and social events for our women professionals
• a room for quiet reflection and religious observance

BLG is a signatory of:

• the Catalyst Accord
• the Justicia Projects of regional law societies of Québec, Ontario, Alberta and British Columbia
• the Canadian Law Firm Diversity and Inclusion Network