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 (Temporarily Articled) Student Program

McMillan’s summer (temporary articled) student program runs from May to August. Information for second year students who wish to apply can be found below.

The summer program begins with a week of orientation, training sessions and social events. There is no formal rotation, providing students with the opportunity to gain experience in a variety of practice areas. Students are valued members of the team and work directly with partners and associates on client matters.  Students receive additional guidance and support from their principals and mentors, who meet with them regularly.

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, as well as with our projected future associate requirements.

Articled Student Program

McMillan’s articled student program runs for twelve months and includes the ten week Professional Legal Training Course held off-site and administered by the Law Society of British Columbia.

While at the firm, the program is divided into a solicitor’s rotation and a litigation rotation. Students are valued members of the team and work directly with partners and associates on client matters. They are encouraged to seek work from lawyers who practice in areas of interest to the student, and are given responsibility backed with guidance. Students receive additional support from their principals and mentors, who meet with them regularly.

Articled students are provided with orientation training, ongoing professional development and training opportunities, formal and informal feedback. They 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.

Hiring Practices

Our Vancouver office’s student programs are subject to the rules and requirements of the Law Society of British Columbia. We follow the Vancouver Bar Association’s guidelines with respect to recruitment for both summer (temporary articled) and articled students.

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.

How to Apply

Currently our Vancouver office participates in the 2L recruitment process for summer (temporary articled) positions, focused on students in their second year of law school.

Students interested in participating in the 2L recruit should contact their law school’s Career Services Office for more information about the process and timing. The Vancouver Bar Association deadline for applications for Summer 2025 positions is Wednesday, August 28, 2024 at 11:59PM PT; however, if you wish to be considered for on-campus interviews (OCIs) you must apply by the deadline set by your law school.

Applications should be submitted 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:

Judith Atwood
Director, Professional Resources
McMillan LLP
Royal Centre, 1055 West Georgia Street
Suite 1500, P.O. Box 11117
Vancouver, B.C. V6E 4N7

Please note that we do not hire first year law students, and are not currently accepting applications for articled student positions. While we appreciate all applicants’ interest in McMillan, due to the volume of messages we receive we are unable to respond to inquiries or applications for these roles.

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