First Year Summer Student Program
Blakes is one of few Toronto law firms that offers a First-Year Summer Student Program. Upon arrival at Blakes in early May, students attend an orientation session that introduces them to the Firm and its resources and ensures that students are integrated into the Firm.
During the course of the summer, students are given the choice of working within two practice areas. The practice areas in which summer students can complete a rotation include:
- Corporate & Commercial
- Competition
- Financial Services
- Intellectual Property
- Labour & Employment
- Litigation
- Pensions, Benefits & Executive Compensation
- Real Estate
- Restructuring & Insolvency
- Securities
- Tax
Blakes will also consider requests from students to spend part of their summer with another organization through a program sponsored by their law school or with a law firm in a foreign jurisdiction.
In each rotation, first-year students are matched with mentors who are actively involved in training students and ensuring that students receive interesting and varied work assignments. Blakes has a long tradition of providing a strong foundation for legal careers through top-notch mentoring. Our partners benefited from the introduction and wise counsel of more senior members of the Firm, and the Firm benefits further when those lessons are passed onto our summer students. In addition to the mentoring process, first-year summer students are invited to regularly scheduled “coffee talk” meetings during which any topics of interest to students may be discussed, including workload and capacity.
All first-year summer students are invited and encouraged to attend a variety of professional development seminars held throughout the summer on a variety of topics. Blakes believes training and the continuous education of students and lawyers is a key driver in the Firm’s success. The main focus of the professional program is to expose students to different practice areas and assist them in developing substantive skills.
Social events are held throughout the summer and are a great way to build relationships. Past events have included attending a Blue Jays game, student/mentor dinners, a go-carting event, a pub night, a dinner at the home of a partner, an Amazing Race-type adventure, and an AGO tour and dinner.
First-year summer students are evaluated and reviewed at the end of each rotation. At the end of the summer, first-year summer students will learn if they will be hired back as second-year summer students. Our goal in the evaluation system is to help each student develop their skills as lawyers in training.
Our recruitment of first-year students is governed by Law Society regulations. For more information regarding The Law Society of Ontario’s regulations, please click here.
Second Year Summer Student Program
Second-year summer students may select up to two practice areas for their rotations during their summer at the Firm. Upon arrival at Blakes in early May, students attend an orientation session that introduces them to the Firm and its resources and ensures that students are integrated into the Firm.
During the course of the summer, students are given the choice of working within two practice areas. The practice areas in which summer students can complete a rotation include:
- Corporate & Commercial
- Competition
- Financial Services
- Intellectual Property
- Labour & Employment
- Litigation
- Pensions, Benefits & Executive Compensation
- Real Estate
- Restructuring & Insolvency
- Securities
- Tax
Blakes will also consider requests from students to spend part of their summer with another organization through a program sponsored by their law school or with a law firm in a foreign jurisdiction.
In each rotation, second-year students are matched with mentors who are actively involved in training students and ensuring that students receive interesting and varied work assignments. Blakes has a long tradition of providing a strong foundation for legal careers through top-notch mentoring. Our partners benefited from the introduction and wise counsel of more senior members of the Firm, and the Firm benefits further when those lessons are passed onto our summer students. In addition to the mentoring process, second-year summer students are invited to regularly scheduled “coffee talk” meetings during which any topics of interest to students may be discussed, including workload and capacity.
All second-year summer students are invited and encouraged to attend a variety of professional development seminars held throughout the summer on a variety of topics. Blakes believes training and the continuous education of students and lawyers is a key driver in the Firm’s success. The main focus of the professional program is to expose students to different practice areas and assist them in developing substantive skills.
Social events are held over the course of the summer to ensure that students get to know one another as well as lawyers at the Firm. Summer social events have included a student/mentor dinner, attending a Blue Jays game, a go-carting event, a pub night, a dinner at the home of a partner, and an AGO tour and dinner.
We evaluate our second-year summer students twice during the course of the summer. At the end of the summer, second-year summer students will learn if they will be hired back as articling students. Our goal in the evaluation system is to help each student develop their skills as lawyers in training.
The application and interview process for second-year summer students is governed by Law Society rules. We conduct on-campus interviews across Canada in the fall. For more information regarding The Law Society of Ontario’s regulations, please click here.