1st Year Summer Students (Truro, Bridgewater, and New Glasgow)

Patterson Law LLP is Accepting Applications for 1st Year Summer Students (Truro, Bridgewater, and New Glasgow)

Patterson Law LLP’s students are an integral part of the firm and the services we provide to our clients. At Patterson Law LLP, we value teamwork and pride ourselves on having a firm-wide connection between all our offices. Our students and clerks will engage in very meaningful and rewarding work across a wide variety of practice areas.

Purpose:  Our goal is to identify bright and talented people who will remain and grow with the firm, initially as associates and, ultimately, as partners. In hiring students and clerks, we consider a variety of factors including academic achievement, work history, career interests, and community involvement – we know that there is no “one size fits all” path to becoming a successful lawyer.

Our focus is to ensure you receive the best legal training and experience possible. Both students and clerks receive orientation training at the start of the summer, as well as dedicated mentoring and regular feedback throughout their work term.

Locations:  For the summer of 2026, we are seeking to hire for 1L summer student positions (Truro, Bridgewater and New Glasgow). Applicants should specify in their cover letter to which office they are applying.

Work Schedule: Summer student positions run from May to August 2025. Standard work hours are 34.5 per week, Monday to Friday. Some flexibility and overtime may be required.

What We Offer: Spending a summer working with Patterson Law LLP is a great way for students to gain practical legal experience and exposure to a variety of practice areas. It is also the best way to get a sense of our culture and work environment. As a summer student, you will be exposed to a variety of assignments while working with lawyers in different practice areas. Summer students often have the opportunity to attend client meetings, court, mediations, settlement conferences, and discoveries with the lawyers they are working with. At the end of the summer, you will come away with a solid understanding of the practical application of law and a great sense of what life as a lawyer at Patterson Law LLP is like.

Patterson Law LLP is a full-service legal firm. Summering with Patterson Law LLP is a rewarding experience, working in a full range of legal areas, including corporate/commercial, litigation, real property and estate planning, criminal law and family law.

Our summer program begins with an orientation designed to introduce you to our firm. In addition to the many projects you will work on as a student, you will be invited to attend in-house seminars dealing with substantive legal topics, practice management, technology and administrative procedures. We also encourage all students to participate in our business law learning sessions and in our annual mock trial program.

All students are assigned a lawyer mentor who ensures the student receives feedback, guidance, and support throughout the summer, and that the student is gaining a variety of experiences.

Our salaries are revised every year and are competitive in our local market.

Application Process: Be sure to include your resume, a cover letter, and a copy of law school and post-secondary transcripts. Cover letters should be addressed to Anna-Marie Manley, Recruitment Partner.

First interviews are typically 20 minutes long and conducted virtually. Students invited for second round interviews will have the opportunity to visit the office they’ve applied to, where they will meet with members of the Recruiting Committee for about an hour and will be given a tour of the office.

During the interview, you should feel free to ask any questions that are important to you. We understand that choosing where to start your career is an important decision, and we want to ensure you are as comfortable with us as we are with you.

About Us

Patterson Law LLP is an established Nova Scotia law firm with offices in Truro, Halifax, New Glasgow, and Bridgewater, and with clients whose interests range from global to purely local. Our more than 160 lawyers and staff are dedicated to meeting our clients’ diverse legal needs.

Patterson Law LLP hires on the basis of merit.  We are committed to employment equity and welcome diversity.  Applications are encouraged from all interested and qualified individuals.