It has been more than a year since I penned my piece on 6 Strategies for Transitioning from Student-At-Law to Lawyer. The OBA Student Section and Young Lawyers Division put together a session on helping upper years and articling students smoothly transition into their new legal roles. Without being repetitive, I briefly list these strategies below. They are as follows:
- Networking & Mentorship
- Overcoming Imposter Syndrome
- Time Management and Work-and-Life Balance
- Managing Your Workload
- Communicating with Clients
- Managing Professional Obligations
You are welcome to read more about that inspirational session in the piece referenced above. Plus, I will walk you through how I embraced and implemented those tips in my professional placement discussed below.
As I anxiously listened to the panellists and absorbed their practical tips like a sponge, these tips resonated with my 2L law student brain for more than one reason. First, I was in the process of applying for my 3L summer internships. Second, I had to secure a professional placement for the fall semester of the same year. The former was optional, but the latter was a must.
Integrated Practice Curriculum
Professional placement is a required part of the Integrated Practice Curriculum (IPC) in my J.D. Program at Lincoln Alexander School of Law. Through being engaged in experiential learning, law students conduct legal research, write legal memos and opinions, draft and analyze pre-trial, trial, and appellate-level materials, including briefs, facta, affidavits, respondent’s submissions, participate in moots and mock negotiations, and address client counselling scenarios in contract, family and Aboriginal law. Throughout the three years, I learned oral and written advocacy skills. I received hands-on mentorship from practising lawyers, who taught tutorials and judged mooting competitions such as our first-year LRW Moot.
Ultimately, law students in our Program do not have to article after graduation. Once they pass the barrister and solicitor licensing exams and are called to the Bar in Ontario, they are good to practice law. IPC is a fast-track path to becoming a lawyer, but one can opt out of it for a traditional articling program with a law firm or a government agency. Nothing is off the table.