Summer Program

Overview

Spending a summer working with Patterson Law 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.  You will be exposed to a variety of assignments and experiences so that you can get accustomed to juggling multiple activities and working with a range of lawyers.  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 is really like.

In addition to the rewarding experience of working in a dynamic legal environment, summering with Patterson Law increases your chances of securing an articling position with us following your graduation from law school.

Why We Work Here

Are you looking for a great place to work? For interesting clients and varied work assignments that will challenge your intellectual and problem solving power? Patterson Law is that kind of place.

We love what we do. Lawyer jokes aside – and as you begin your career your friends and family no doubt will offer many – we love the practice of law. This is the place to start a journey of discovery. We find solutions for our clients that are at times straightforward or can be delicate and complex — legal issues with huge financial and personal stakes.

We take enormous pride in truly getting to know our clients, their long term plans and their needs.

The Working Relationship

At Patterson Law, students are an integral part of the firm and the services we provide to clients. Our size fosters a very dynamic and collegial work environment that creates an extremely rewarding learning experience. Both articling and summer students are closely involved with all aspects of files and accordingly they have the opportunity to engage in very meaningful and rewarding work.

Our focus is to ensure you receive the best legal training and experience possible. At the beginning of the relationship, we will set out our expectations so you can understand our responsibility and yours. We will assign work with clear instructions and deadlines, honour your own ability to motivate yourself to complete the work as assigned, and we commit to providing you with timely, relevant feedback.

Feedback and Mentors

Students are assigned a mentor who will ensure the student receives feedback, guidance and support throughout the summer. The mentor will also ensure that students are working on a variety of files as their summer progresses.

A more formal evaluation at the end of your summer will provide you with constructive feedback on your professional development. This feedback is gathered from all lawyers with whom you worked, and is a contributing factor when deciding whether students will be offered an articling position with the firm.

We also encourage you to discuss any aspect of your summer experience informally with any lawyer in the firm.

Training and Development

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 topics of law, practice management, technological and administrative procedures. We also encourage all students to participate in business development training programs.

Summer positions available

While our needs fluctuate from year to year, we anticipate future openings for between two and four summer law students annually.