Bookshelves and laptops are placed on the library desk
Bookshelves and laptops are placed on the library desk
Bookshelves and laptops are placed on the library desk

Summer Law Student Program

Our summer student program runs from the beginning of May to mid-August. The program begins with a week of orientation, training sessions and social events. The orientation and training we provide is designed to give our students the tools and skills required to transition from being a law school student to thriving in the law firm environment.

Our summer program is non-rotational, which provides our students with the opportunity to gain experience in a variety of practice areas.  As our students take their first steps in their legal career, we encourage them to seek out broad exposure to our work and our lawyers. This flexibility provides students with the ability to spend their summer exploring different areas of practice. Over the summer, students have the opportunity to gain experience in a variety of areas including corporate and commercial law, international trade law and litigation.

Students are valued members of our team and work directly with partners and associates on matters. Summer students are paired with individual lawyer mentors, who assist the student to integrate into the fabric of the firm and obtain meaningful professional opportunities. Mentors also provide guidance and support over the course of the summer to their mentees.

Over the summer, students are provided with ongoing training, formal and informal feedback. Students are invited and encouraged to participate in all aspects of firm life, including social events, inclusion and diversity initiatives, and community and pro bono programs.

We view our articling program as a natural extension of our summer program and anticipate that most, if not all, of our summer students will return to article with us. The number of summer students we hire therefore correlates with the number of articling students we would like to have.

Articling Student Program

Our articling student program begins in late July and runs for a period pursuant to the requirements of the Law Society of Ontario.

The articling term begins with a week of training and social events.  The training program is designed to refresh our students on the training and orientation they received during their summer, and to prepare them for a successful articling term.

Our articling program does not have a formal rotation system, we believe working on a broad range of matters will give you the opportunity to obtain a realistic view of the practice and help you discover what particular areas you want to focus on for future specialization.

As with our summer program, articling students are integral members of our team and work directly with partners and associates on matters. Articling students are paired with an articling principal who will supervise them over the course of their articling term.

Articling students are provided with ongoing training, formal and informal feedback. Students are invited and encouraged to participate in all aspects of firm life, including social events, inclusion and diversity initiatives, and community and pro bono programs.

How to Apply

Our Ottawa office will participate in the 2L recruitment process for summer 2021 positions, focused on students in their second year of law school. We conduct our recruitment practices and process according to the Agreement between the Ottawa student employers, a copy of which can be obtained through your school’s Career Development Office. McMillan LLP also endorses the Ottawa Law Student Recruitment Ethics Protocol.

Students interested in summer positions should submit applications through the viRecruit Applicant Portal. An application package should consist of a cover letter, resume, copies of official law school and post-secondary transcripts, and upper year intended course lists. We appreciate receiving law school GPA, if available. Please note that as part of our ongoing commitment to ensure a fair and inclusive recruitment process, we do not consider reference letters and/or writing samples as part of an applicant’s package.  As a result, any reference letters and/or writing samples that are submitted will be removed from a candidate’s package before it is reviewed for consideration for our summer student program. Applications should be addressed to:

Jordana Loporcaro, Associate Director, Professional Resources
McMillan LLP
45 O’Connor Street, Suite 2000
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
K1P 1A4
Email: [email protected]

With respect to the articling program, we see it as a natural extension of our summer program. The number of summer students we hire therefore correlates with the number of articling students we would like to have. We anticipate that all of our summer students will return to article with us. Students are welcome to inquire whether we will be participating in an external articling recruitment. If we will be hiring externally, we will interview candidates in accordance with the timing requirements set by the Law Society of Ontario.

We endeavor to promptly reply to inquiries about our firm and our student programs during the application and interview period. We also appreciate receiving communications of a more general nature (such as thank-you messages); however, due to the volume of messages we receive during this period, we may not be able to acknowledge receipt or respond, as we give priority to answering specific questions raised by students. In all of our communications, we are mindful of the Ottawa law firms’ Recruitment Agreement and the Law Society rules, as the case may be.

McMillan is committed to open, honest and inclusive recruitment practices, equal opportunity without discrimination, and providing support in its recruitment processes to applicants with disabilities, including accommodation that takes into account an applicant’s accessibility needs. If you require accommodation at any time during the recruitment process or in order to successfully submit an application, please contact us at 1.888.622.4624 and ask to be transferred to the National Director, Human Resources to submit your accommodation request.

To learn more about Inclusion & Diversity at McMillan, download our Inclusion and Diversity Brochure or visit our Inclusion & Diversity page.

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