Applying for Articling Recruit vs Waiting for Summer Firm to Make Articling Offer

[Ramesses]

Hi everyone! I am currently summering at a large firm in Vancouver and was told that we would find out about articling offers when our term ends in August. However, Vancouver articling recruit applications are due end of June. 

Should I apply for articling recruit or should I wait it out at my current firm? 

If I was to apply for articling recruit, should I tell my firm beforehand (I am assuming they will find out one way or another)?

[Pantalaimon]

That is strange timing. Is most of the summer student class based in Toronto?

[Psychometronic]

10 hours ago, Pantalaimon said:

That is strange timing. Is most of the summer student class based in Toronto?

National firms have offices in Vancouver as well. The Vancouver recruit is about a week before the Toronto one and many of the studies hired are from BC and other Western provinces.

@Ramesses I thought most large firms hire back all their summer students for articles unless they clerk or "burn down the building." In any event, if you're anxious, maybe talk to someone and let them know you're interested in returning for articles but intend to participate in the articling recruit if you're not brought back.

Edited June 10, 2021 by Psychometronic

[Pantalaimon]

Right. Reason I was asking is for my firm, all the students' hireback timing was based off the Toronto class since they were the vast majority of the students. This was awkward for recruit timings for the rest of us and led to me having the same issue as OP. If Van articling recruit is only a week before Toronto, that's probably not the case for OP - but if it is, feel free to PM me.

[canuckfanatic]

21 hours ago, Ramesses said:

Should I apply for articling recruit or should I wait it out at my current firm?

The Vancouver recruit's job offer call date is August 19th. It seems more likely than not that you would have an offer from your current firm before that date (unless they're waiting until the very end of August).

I'm inclined to suggest that you go through with the articling recruit and withdraw from it/decline offers if your current firm decides to keep you (assuming you want to stay).

[QMT20]

On 6/10/2021 at 3:21 AM, Ramesses said:

Hi everyone! I am currently summering at a large firm in Vancouver and was told that we would find out about articling offers when our term ends in August. However, Vancouver articling recruit applications are due end of June. 

Should I apply for articling recruit or should I wait it out at my current firm? 

If I was to apply for articling recruit, should I tell my firm beforehand (I am assuming they will find out one way or another)?

I wouldn't recommend applying in the articling recruit. If you're at a large national firm basically everyone gets hired back for articling every year (unless they clerk). I even know students who didn't have great reviews that were hired back for articling. 

Most of the time the larger firms have their own internal process and even if they know they're bringing you back, the student director won't give you a clear answer until they're ready the make the offer. If you speak to your mentor, you can often get some informal assurance though. Lawyers are often more willing to openly say something like "from everything I've heard about you, you have nothing to worry about for articling hireback."

[BlockedQuebecois]

@QMT20 and @Psychometronic just a note that since OP is in BC, their firm would be offering articles to their clerks as well (since the LSBC requires you to article for five months in addition to any clerkship). 

Obviously, it’s not applicable to OP, though. 

[Psychometronic]

1 hour ago, BlockedQuebecois said:

@QMT20 and @Psychometronic just a note that since OP is in BC, their firm would be offering articles to their clerks as well (since the LSBC requires you to article for five months in addition to any clerkship). 

Obviously, it’s not applicable to OP, though. 

Oh yeah, I left that part out. You just article after the clerkship.

[Ramesses]

Hi everyone! Thanks for your feedback.

I am still deciding but I did get some informal feedback from the student director, my mentor, and some of the lawyers I have been working with. Seems like everyone is happy with my work and I am being positively noticed by lawyers in a particular group. 

I will update once I finalized my decision. Thanks!

[historicaladvantage]

On 6/10/2021 at 3:21 AM, Ramesses said:

Hi everyone! I am currently summering at a large firm in Vancouver and was told that we would find out about articling offers when our term ends in August. However, Vancouver articling recruit applications are due end of June. 

Should I apply for articling recruit or should I wait it out at my current firm? 

If I was to apply for articling recruit, should I tell my firm beforehand (I am assuming they will find out one way or another)?

I had a similar situation at my firm. They told me articling hireback of summer students wouldn't be finalized until July, after the articling recruit would have begun. I tried reasoning with them but they wouldn't budge. 

I applied to 5-10 firms for articles, but by the time the firms contacted me for interviews, my firm had already hired me back. 

So I would say definitely apply to these other firms. Better to be safe than sorry -- and no need to tell them you're applying elsewhere.

If you do your job well as a summer student, know there's a solid chance your firm will hire you back like they did me. 

Edited June 14, 2021 by historicaladvantage