Summer Program

Overview

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.  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 LLP is really like.

In addition to the rewarding experience of working in a dynamic legal environment, summering with Patterson Law LLP 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 LLP 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 LLP, 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

At Patterson Law LLP, we invest in our people. Mentoring is an integral part of working at the firm, not only as a student, but throughout your career.

We ensure all students, articled clerks and associates have a formal mentor assigned to assist in developing their legal career. Our students have an associate mentor – someone who has been in their shoes relatively recently and is able to help them adapt to working in a law firm. For our articled clerks and associates, each formal mentor is either a partner or senior associate with a level of experience to assist in guiding each person through the successes and challenges of private practice. We take care when selecting our mentor/mentee pairings, and they are reviewed regularly. Mentor/mentee meetings are typically scheduled once per month, or as needed. Meetings typically canvass a host of topics including career development, practice direction, work/life balance, billing and retainer practices, interoffice communication and relationships and any other topics that require attention. Mentees are encouraged to use their formal mentor as a sounding board for their questions and concerns.

Part of Patterson Law’s management team includes a designated retention partner. The retention partner engages with associates throughout the year and provides yearly reviews of progress and practice goals. The retention partner also engages with mentors throughout the year and reviews formal mentor assignments to confirm the relationship is working for both the mentor and mentee. Student and articled clerk development and mentoring is overseen by our designated recruitment partner, in the same manner.

Informal mentoring is also a daily practice at Patterson Law. Each practice group contains several senior members who are eager to assist with any specific client and file related issues on a day to day basis. Most practice groups consist of junior and senior members who work together to meet client objectives.

Associate and student development is a key priority at Patterson Law. Each year the firm organizes a mock trial at the Halifax Law Courts with a Supreme Court Justice presiding. This allows our summer students and clerks to gain courtroom experience in a controlled and realistic environment. Senior members or our litigation team provide coaching in advance and are on-hand to provide feedback following the mock trial’s completion. We also offer a regular series of practice-based sessions throughout the year, geared at helping our associates with their practice “soft skills”.

Team building is also an important part of working in private practice. Patterson Law aims to provide opportunities to engage with our team members in a social setting at our annual holiday party, multiple family events throughout the year, regular treat days and “Fridays at 4pm.” There is also an annual associates retreat for all summer students, clerks and associates. The retreat is hosted in a different location each year to allow those attending to connect in a relaxed and candid environment amongst their peers. There is also an regular all lawyers’ retreat which includes educational sessions and socializing opportunities for all associates and partners.

We recognize the importance of support and opportunity for each lawyer to confidently develop experience in their preferred area of legal practice, and that every lawyer and lawyer-to-be may need different supports and guidance. This is why Patterson Law takes mentorship and training seriously and has implemented programs to set each lawyer up for success.

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.