Vancouver Student Programs

Summer Program

Hiring

For the summer program, Miller Thomson’s Vancouver office hires three or four students in their second year of law school.

Student Experience

The summer position allows students to experience the working environment at our firm before starting their articling year. Students will have the opportunity to work within the areas of Business Law, Labour & Regulatory, Litigation & Dispute Resolution, Real Estate and Tax. Students handle a variety of assignments, ranging from assisting with trials to helping with various corporate transactions. Summer students are always welcome to join our lawyers and observe proceedings. Summer students are also encouraged to be entrepreneurial, and seek work and experiences of interest to them. In this way, our program provides students with a greater insight into Miller Thomson, the overall practice of law and areas of law that may be of interest to them.

In the litigation department, our summer students are involved in conducting research, drafting pleadings, attending with lawyers at examinations for discovery and client meetings, among other activities.

In the solicitors’ department, summer students prepare documents for buying, selling and financing business ventures; prepare wills; draft agreements and letters of intent for commercial contracts; help conduct due diligence for securities underwritings and other commercial transactions; and attend transaction closings.

Mentoring

Students are paired with a partner who serves as their principal and an associate who serves as their mentor. They each help the student integrate into the firm environment and provide invaluable guidance and support throughout the summer term. The Professional Resources team and other firm members are also available to support students.

Feedback

Our summer students will receive a formal performance evaluation. We also encourage students to take ownership of their work and seek feedback from lawyers they are working with on a ongoing basis.

Professional Development

In addition to various work assignments students are engaged in, our office offers training in substantive law as well as other areas. Our students are invited and encouraged to attend all student, as well as firm-wide in-house continuing legal education seminars. Highlights of our student continuing legal education programming include seminars on Small Claims Court matters, drafting pleadings, research, legal memorandum writing, Chambers applications, Bills of Costs, witness preparation, corporate records overview, securities law introduction and corporate records review, conveyancing, estate planning, and ethical issues and undertakings.

Articling Program

Hiring

The Vancouver office has hired our articling students for 2024-2025 and 2025-2026 through our summer student program. As a result, we will not be hiring additional articling students or participating in upcoming articling recruitments. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.

Student Experience

Our students are exposed to a wide variety of experiences during their articling year. Students will work within the areas of Business Law, Labour & Regulatory, Litigation & Dispute Resolution, Real Estate and Tax. Students are given the opportunity to, among other things, assist and accompany lawyers to discoveries, hearings, trials, mediations, commercial deal closings and client meetings.

On the litigation side, our students: help with the preparation of trials; junior at trials; appear as counsel at trials in Provincial Court (including Small Claims); appear as counsel in Chambers; attend with lawyers at examinations for discovery; meet with clients; assist lawyers on large litigation cases; and conduct research. Students are given full responsibility for Small Claims files — they learn to deal with clients directly, attend settlement conferences, negotiate settlements, interview witnesses and conduct the trials. This is done under the supervision of experienced litigators.

On the solicitors’ side, our students: prepare documents for buying, selling and financing business ventures; prepare wills; assist in the probate of estates; draft agreements and letters of intent for commercial contracts; review and research taxation issues; help with the preparation of construction contracts and research construction-related issues; assist in the conveyance of real property; support due diligence efforts in securities underwritings and other commercial transactions; attend at closings of transactions; participate in client meetings; and conduct other general research.

Social & Charitable Events

We encourage our students to participate in all aspects of firm life, including social activities and student-specific activities. In the past, we have arranged both social and charitable activities, which include our annual summer party, golf tournament, annual holiday party, monthly “Third Thursday Gatherings”, specific student/principal events, Sun Run, and other various in-house and fundraising events throughout the year.

Mentoring

Students are paired with a partner who serves as their principal and an associate who serves as their mentor. They each help the student integrate into the firm environment and provide invaluable guidance and support throughout the articling term. The Professional Resources team and other firm members are also available to support students.

Feedback

During the articling term, students will undergo two formal evaluations.

Professional Development

Throughout articling, students continue their professional development with additional continuing legal education programs designed specifically for them. Students are invited to attend all firm-wide and practice-specific continuing legal education seminars. We also provide students with on-going training and seminars to develop their practical and legal skills using seminar formats specifically designed for students.

How To Apply

Summer Recruitment Dates

Application Deadline: Wednesday, August 28, 2024 at 11:59 pm PT or by the date set by your law school

Note: To be considered for OCIs, students are responsible for applying by the deadline date set by their law school

Intention to Call E-mails: Friday, September 27, 2024 at 8:00 am to Tuesday, October 1, 2024 at 8:00 pm PT

Interview Call Day: Wednesday, October 2, 2024 at 8:00 am PT

Interview Week: Monday, October 21 – Wednesday, October 23, 2024

Offer Day: Thursday, October 24, 2024 at 8:00 am PT

Please refer to the Vancouver Bar Association’s website for the application deadline and note that the application deadline may vary by law school. Students who wish to be considered for on-campus interviews must apply by the deadline date set by their law school. When participating in recruits, applications to our job postings can be submitted through the viDesktop portal.

2025 2L Summer Student Recruit

Miller Thomson invites second year law students to apply to our Vancouver summer law student program.

Applications will be accepted through the viDesktop portal, which will open on July 22, 2024 and close on August 28, 2024 or on the date set by your law school.

NOTE: The application deadline may vary by law school. Students who wish to be considered for on-campus interviews must apply by the deadline date set by their school.

When applying, second year law school applicants can submit their cover letter, resume, transcripts of law school, undergraduate and graduate school grades together with a list of anticipated upper year courses.

Interviews for summer positions will be conducted in accordance with the procedures and guidelines of the Vancouver Bar Association.

Miller Thomson will provide accommodations on request throughout the recruitment, selection and/or assessment process for applicants with disabilities. If you require accommodations, please inform Elisa Coelho at [email protected] of the nature of accommodations that you may require, to ensure your equal participation.

Applicants may address their materials to:

David Buxton-Forman
Director, Legal Talent
Miller Thomson LLP
700 West Georgia Street, Suite 2200
Vancouver, BC V7Y 1K8

Compensation

Summer students in our Vancouver office earn $80,000 per annum pro-rated for the duration of the summer term, less applicable withholdings and deductions.