Hiring
For the summer program, Miller Thomson’s Vancouver office hires three or four students in their second year of law school.
Our objective is to hire students who have the qualities that enable them to become associates and, eventually, partners. We look for candidates who have achieved academic distinction, are committed to professional excellence and are willing to take an active role in business development, community activities and firm promotion.
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 programme 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
To ensure our summer students are progressing, we conduct an informal evaluation over the summer (usually in June). We also encourage students to take ownership of their work and seek feedback from lawyers they are working with on a continuing 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.
Students and Junior Associates Available for You to Contact
Our current students are available to answer your questions. You can find their profile and contact information on the Our Students page. The following junior associates are available to answer any questions you may have about our summer student and articling programs.
Baljinder Bains
Thompson Rivers University
604.628.2882
bbains@millerthomson.com
Michelle Boatter
University of Victoria
604.628.2886
mboatter@millerthomson.com
Jason Fitzpatrick
University of Victoria
604.643.1254
jfitzpatrick@millerthomson.com
Michael Gargaro
University of British Columbia
604.628.2872
mgargaro@millerthomson.com
Michael Hanuman
Thompson Rivers University
604.628.2871
mhanuman@millerthomson.com
Taylor Lanthier
University of British Columbia
604.643.1237
tlanthier@millerthomson.com
Caitlin VanDuzer
University of Ottawa
604.643.1206
cvanduzer@millerthomson.com