Vancouver

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. BLG Vancouver employs approximately 130 lawyers.

We typically hire approximately 10 to 12 summer students and articling students.

We want 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
• demonstrate commitment and ambition in their careers

In short: we look for exceptional people.

We hire our summer and articling students in accordance with the Vancouver Bar Association Student Recruitment Guidelines. We normally conduct on-campus interviews with second-year students in Victoria, Vancouver, Calgary or Edmonton and Toronto each September and host in-firm interviews in mid-October in accordance with the Vancouver Bar Association Guidelines. However, please note that due to COVID-19, the dates for applications, OCIs and in-firm interviews for 2021 summer hires have moved to January-March 2021, details on which are on the VBA website: Vancouver Bar Association - Student Guidelines.

For your in-firm interview, you'll be assigned a host lawyer – a junior associate who will guide you through every step of the process.

Your first interview will be conducted by two practicing lawyers. This interview typically lasts 45 minutes. Afterward, you'll tour the firm with your host to get a feel for the office culture and chat with lawyers in practice areas of interest to you.

We provide unconscious bias training to everyone involved in recruitment

We recruit from law schools across Canada. Regardless of where you grew up or went to school, if you want to establish your law career in Vancouver, we want to hear from you.

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

Summer students generally start in early May and stay until late August. Articling students start at various times, depending on when they finish law school (for those in combined programs) and when they are enrolled in the Professional Legal Training Course.

Yes. Summer students are assigned three to four mentors in each of their rotations. These experienced professionals play a hands-on role in assigning, assisting with and supervising your work.

Articling students choose a mentor in each rotation—he or she may work with you directly, but is mainly a source of guidance and support. You are also assigned a principal—a partner responsible to the Law Society for the completion of your articles. The manager of Professional Recruiting is also available to provide advice and information at any time.

In your first week, you’ll take part in an intensive orientation program with three goals:

• to ensure you’re familiar with all the resources available to you
• to establish what is expected of BLG students
• to prepare you for the hands-on work to come

As a summer student, you’ll attend weekly seminars led by top lawyers in a variety of practice areas. These professionals will offer practical tips and help you develop a sense of focus for your own legal career. Articling students also attend regular professional development training sessions to increase legal knowledge and improve important practice-related skills, such as:

• preparing for trial
• mediations
• settlements
• business development
• practice management

On large and complex matters, you’ll work as part of a team. On smaller matters, you’ll get to work on your own, but with consistent support and supervision.

Summer students identify two practice areas of interest and receive assignments mainly from mentors in those groups. We encourage you to seek work from and build relationships with lawyers in other practice areas.

Articling students have rotations in Disputes and Business Law. You will receive assignments directly from lawyers in these groups, but you should also ask for work from lawyers in the practice areas that interest you most.

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

Summer students and articling students participate in two formal evaluations during their time at BLG. We encourage all students to seek feedback from their mentors and other lawyers at any time during an assignment.

As a student, you can always rely on your mentors for support in your work. The manager of Professional Recruiting is also available to answer any questions and provide guidance.

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

Our judicial clerks’ policy is perhaps the most generous in the city. Just as we offer summer students articling positions after they finish law school, students can article with us following their clerkship.

During the Professional Legal Training Course, clerks are paid the same salary as articling students. Upon arriving at the firm and throughout their articles in the firm, clerks make the same salary as first-year associates. Once hired as associates, their salary increases to that of a second-year associate.

Summer students wrap up their first week of orientation with a day of team-building activities.

Summer and articling students also receive a budget to plan their own team-building weekends – events that can foster lifelong friendships.

We have city-league teams in softball, volleyball and soccer, and hold an annual golf tournament.

Our social committee also arranges group outings to cultural and sporting events and hosts dinner parties, a summer family picnic and various holiday celebrations.

Our workforce and clientele reflects Vancouver’s multicultural community. 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

We sponsor and participate in initiatives such as:

• the annual conference of the Federation of Asian Canadian Lawyers
• the annual conference of the Black Law Students’ Association of Canada
• Pride at Work events

We are also 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