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Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP - Calgary, Alberta
Recruitment & Hiring
| 1st Yr. Summer | 2nd Yr. Summer | Articling Students | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Do you hire: | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| How many did you/will you hire for: | |||
| 2021 | 4 | 5 | 12 |
| 2022 | 5 | 7 | 10 |
| 2023 | 4-6 | 5 | 10-14 |
| 2024 | |||
| 2025 | |||
| Rotation | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Split/Secondment | No | No | Case-by-Case |
|
First Year Summer Students |
|
|---|---|
| FIRST YEAR SUMMER STUDENTS:Do you recruit first year summer students? | Yes |
| When is the application deadline for first year summer students? | January 2023 |
| When is the interviewing period? | February 2023 |
| Do you participate in on-campus interview (OCI) programs to fill such positions? | Yes |
| Description of first year summer program: |
Blakes allows students to experience what it is like to practice law at a top-tier law firm, get to know Blakes lawyers and gain an understanding of the Firm’s culture. Through the course of the summer, students will be asked to complete a variety of different assignments including researching and drafting legal memoranda, due diligence reviews, assisting with corporate transactions, attending client meetings, hearings or court dates or assisting in drafting articles or conference materials. The Firm encourages students to take on a variety of assignments to get a feel for what it is like to practice law at Blakes.
Blakes has a long tradition of valuing mentorship, which is particularly emphasized during the summer program. Students will be assigned a mentor whose role is to facilitate their professional training and skills development, as well as to ensure all students are enjoying their summer at Blakes. The Firm’s partners benefitted from the wise counsel of more senior members of the Firm and the Firm benefits when those lessons and guidance are passed on to students and associates. Throughout the summer, students have the chance to participate in a wide range of social events including our Stampede events. The social events are a great way to get to know the lawyers and other students at the Firm. Such events may include casual lunches, organized student events and the annual golf tournament. As an integral part of the Calgary office team, students are also invited to participate in client functions. |
| Comments | |
| How many weeks is the first year summer program? | 16 weeks |
|
Second Year Summer Students |
|
|---|---|
| SECOND YEAR SUMMER STUDENTS:Do you recruit second year summer students? | Yes |
| When is the application deadline for second year summer students? | Varies by Law School |
| When is the interviewing period? | |
| Do you participate in on-campus interview (OCI) programs to fill such positions? | Yes |
| Description of the second year summer program |
Blakes allows students to experience what it is like to practice law at a top-tier law firm, get to know Blakes lawyers and gain an understanding of the Firm’s culture. Through the course of the summer, students will be asked to complete a variety of different assignments including researching and drafting legal memoranda, due diligence reviews, assisting with corporate transactions, attending client meetings, hearings or court dates or assisting in drafting articles or conference materials. The Firm encourages students to take on a variety of assignments to get a feel for what it is like to practice law at Blakes.
Blakes has a long tradition of valuing mentorship, which is particularly emphasized during the summer program. Students will be assigned a mentor whose role is to facilitate their professional training and skills development, as well as to ensure all students are enjoying their summer at Blakes. The Firm’s partners benefitted from the wise counsel of more senior members of the Firm and the Firm benefits when those lessons and guidance are passed on to students and associates. Throughout the summer, students have the chance to participate in a wide range of social events including our Stampede events. The social events are a great way to get to know the lawyers and other students at the Firm. Such events may include casual lunches, organized student events and the annual golf tournament. As an integral part of the Calgary office team, students are also invited to participate in client functions. |
| Comments | |
| How many weeks is the second year summer program? | 16 weeks |
|
OCIs |
|
|---|---|
| Will you be participating in OCIs this year? | Yes |
| Schools: | Dalhousie University, Dalhousie Law|McGill University, Faculty of Law|Lakehead University|Osgoode Hall Law School, York University|Queen's University, Faculty of Law|Thompson Rivers University|University of Alberta, Faculty of Law|University of British Columbia, Faculty of Law|University of Calgary, Faculty of Law|University of Manitoba, Faculty of Law|University of New Brunswick, Faculty of Law|University of Ottawa, Faculty of Law, Common Law Section|University of Saskatchewan, College of Law|University of Toronto, Faculty of Law|University of Victoria, Faculty of Law|University of Western Ontario, Faculty of Law|University of Windsor, Faculty of Law|Ryerson University, Lincoln Alexander School of Law |
|
Other Campus Recruiting |
|
|---|---|
| We will be recruiting students from the following law schools (outside of the OCI process) |
Dalhousie University, Dalhousie Law McGill University, Faculty of Law Lakehead University Osgoode Hall Law School, York University Queen's University, Faculty of Law Thompson Rivers University University of Alberta, Faculty of Law University of British Columbia, Faculty of Law University of Calgary, Faculty of Law University of Manitoba, Faculty of Law University of New Brunswick, Faculty of Law University of Ottawa, Faculty of Law, Common Law Section University of Saskatchewan, College of Law University of Toronto, Faculty of Law University of Victoria, Faculty of Law University of Western Ontario, Faculty of Law University of Windsor, Faculty of Law |
| Comments | |
| 2022 | 2023 | |
|---|---|---|
| No. of 1st Year Summer Students | 4 | 5 |
| No. of 1st Year Summer Students Offered Articling Positions (region dependent) | 4 | 5 |
| No. of 2nd Year Summer Students | 5 | 7 |
| No. of 2nd Year Summer Students Offered Articling Positions | 5 | 7 |
| Quebec: Number of future articling students working as a 2nd year summer student | ||
| Atlantic: No. of articling students hired during 2nd year January recruitment | ||
| No. of additional articling students hired (in some regions, in addition to students hired through the summer process) | 2 | 1 |
|
Articling Students |
|
|---|---|
| When do you hire articling students? | June |
| Do you still have any articling positions open for this year (starting 2023)? | No |
| Do you anticipate having articling positions open for next year (starting in 2024) for external candidates outside of your current student hires (if any)? | No |
| If so, how many positions do you anticipate having for external candidates? | |
| Do you allow students to work during the licensing process in your jurisdiction? | Yes |
| Description of articling program |
Articling Student Rotation System
The Blakes Articling Student Program is designed to ensure that our students receive well-rounded articles. We tailor each articling student’s rotation to suit their preferences. At the same time, we want our students to gain experience in and exposure to different core areas of law. We believe that our rotation program best allows us to develop and assess our students and gives them individual attention. In our Calgary office, articling students do two rotations: one in litigation, which includes areas such as general litigation, bankruptcy and insolvency, regulatory, and labour and employment; and, one in corporate/commercial, which may include exposure to general corporate, securities, banking, oil and gas, energy, real estate and tax. Mentoring and Evaluations Blakes has a long tradition of providing a strong foundation for legal careers through top-notch mentoring. At each stage of an articling student’s rotation, they are under the supervision of a designated lawyer who practices in that area. The mentor is responsible for ensuring that the students are integrated into their respective practice groups and that they receive interesting and varied work assignments. The evaluation process occurs two times during the articling student program. Feedback from each evaluation process is discussed at a meeting with the student, their mentor or articling principal. These evaluations provide useful and constructive information for the students and afford students a formal opportunity to express their views on the Firm, the opportunities given to them, and the direction they would like to see for the balance of their articling year. Professional Development We have a series of approximately 30 in-house seminars to supplement our rotation program. The seminars cover topics ranging from the development of basic practice skills to introductions to specific practice areas. Our lawyers and students are encouraged to participate in conferences and seminars, as speakers and as attendees. Conferences sponsored by professional bodies and industry are supplemented with our own Firm, student and office-wide seminars. Social and Networking Events Throughout the articling year, students have the chance to participate in a range of social and networking events, and in particular our Stampede Roundup event at Fort Calgary. The social events are a great way to get to know the lawyers, other students and staff at the Firm. Such events may include casual lunches, organized student events and the annual ski trip. As an integral part of the Calgary office team, students are also invited to participate in client functions. Compensation and Benefits Blakes Calgary offers a comprehensive package that is competitive within the market. Our articling students are entitled to four weeks paid vacation. As well, articling students enjoy a benefits package that includes Alberta Health Care (family coverage), extended medical coverage, a dental plan, an employee assistance program and a group accident plan. We also subsidize membership in a health club of the student’s choice. The Firm pays the Law Society admission fees for our students and their articling salary while at CPLED. Articling students hired by the Calgary office also receive $5,000 bonus paid at the commencement of articles. Due to the continued and steady growth of our Calgary office, we are generally able to offer associate positions to a high percentage of our articling students. The hireback ratios at Blakes Calgary have always been very high. |
| Comments | |
|
Internships |
|
|---|---|
| Do you offer internships? | Case-by-case |
| If so, when should students apply? | |
|
Summer/Articling |
|
|---|---|
| Do you accept applications for summer/articling positions from foreign trained students/lawyers? | Case-by-case |
| If yes, do applicants need to have an Assessment Report from the National Committee on Accreditation (in Québec, an attestation from le Barreau du Québec) before applying? | Case-by-Case |
| Comments | |
|
Required Application Materials |
|
|---|---|
| Required Application Materials |
Resume cover letter post secondary transcripts law school transcripts |
| Comments | |
|
Preferred Method of Application |
|
|---|---|
| Preferred Method of Application | viDesktop Portal |
| Comments |
Your cover letter should be addressed to:
Gabrielle Maunier Senior Manager, Professional Development & Student Recruitment Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP 3500 Bankers Hall East Tower 855 - 2nd Street S.W. Calgary, Alberta T2P 4J8 Tel : 403-663-2245 Email: [email protected] |
| 2022 | 2023 | |
|---|---|---|
| How many articling students did you offer a first year lawyer position? | 12 | 14 |
| How many articling students in your articling program were seeking a position? | 12 | 14 |
| How many additional first year associates did you hire outside of your articling student program? | 0 | 3 |
| How many of the additional students clerked? | 2 | 2 |
