Montréal

With more than 750 lawyers, BLG is one of Canada's largest firms, serving a diverse range of clients in key practice areas. Approximately 135 lawyers work in our Montréal office.

We typically hire eight articling students who also work in our offices in the summers or during the school year leading up to their articling program.

We look for students who:

• embody our core values: integrity, teamwork, commitment and client-centred service
• fit well with our office culture and have the potential to grow into associates and then partners
• have strong leadership and entrepreneurial skills in addition to strong academic achievements
• possess sound judgment and excellent oral and written communication skills in both official languages
• have exciting, fulfilling interests outside their career ambitions

In short: we look for exceptional people.

You’ll be assigned a host lawyer – a junior associate who will call you to arrange your in-firm interview and guide you through every step of the interview process.

Two lawyers will conduct your first interview. Three lawyers, including our Director of Professional Recruitment, will conduct your second interview.

After your second interview, you’ll have an opportunity to tour the firm and get a feel for the office culture. You’ll also meet with one of our partners informally to discuss their practice and chat about your professional and personal interests.

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.

We recruit from all law schools, 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 build your law career in Montréal, we want to hear from you.

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

Summer students start the second week of May for 12 to 15 weeks, depending on when they return to school. 

Articling students start on one of three dates: the end of January, end of June or beginning of September, each for 26 weeks.

Yes. We provide each summer student with a mentor who will answer all your questions about the firm, the work and the legal profession. We assign articling students both a mentor and an articling principal or maître de stage who will sign off on your articles. Many students also develop rewarding mentor relationships with other legal professionals in the firm.

During your first two weeks, you’ll learn about the firm and its systems during an intensive orientation program, where you’ll learn what is expected of you, get prepared for the hands-on work to follow and learn about all the BLG resources available to you.

You’ll also attend weekly seminars led by lawyers in a variety of legal practice areas. These professionals will offer practical tips and help you develop a sense of focus for your own legal career.

Articling students and associates attend regular professional development training sessions to increase substantive legal knowledge, including:

• preparing for trial
• mediations
• settlements

You’ll also learn how to improve important practice related skills, such as:

• drafting
• business development
• practice management

Our summer program provides students with in-depth involvement in business and litigation law.

The program is flexible, encouraging students to explore several practice areas. On large complex matters, you’ll work as part of a team. On smaller matters, you’ll get more hands-on experience, but with solid support and supervision.

BLG articling students do much the same work as junior associates. This includes:

• research
• client meetings
• discoveries
• court appearances

Our aim is to provide insightful, challenging work and an educational experience.

You’ll receive assignments in two ways: electronically from a student dispatcher who coordinates assignments, and directly from lawyers as you develop relationships and specific interests within the firm. By taking charge of your workload, you’ll develop your practice and time management skills.

Yes. BLG professionals volunteer regularly as pro bono counsel for people who would not be able to access legal services otherwise. You’ll have the opportunity to work on pro bono projects and cases in a variety of practice areas.

Summer students undergo one formal evaluation during their program at BLG Montréal; articling students undergo two. 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 mentors for guidance and support; articling students can turn to both their mentors and principals. 

Members of our student recruitment committee are always available. The Director of Professional Recruitment meets with all students regularly, both one-on-one and in groups, to check in, answer questions and monitor work allocation. 

We provide all the office resources of a large national law firm: IT services, corporate and library services, a copy centre and facilities support. 

You’ll be invited to a wide variety of social events, some specifically for students and their mentors and principals, including cocktail evenings and a casual meet-and-greet away from the office to kick off each summer. 

Firm-wide celebrations include the annual firm dinner, departmental socials, and summer and holiday parties. 

We also host family-friendly events such as our children's holiday party, apple-picking outings and sugar shack visits.

Our workforce and clientele reflect Montréal’s multiculturalism. 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
• gathering and reviewing statistics on retention, leadership and advancement of our professionals
• seminars and social events for our women professionals

We are signatories 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