Articling

Because of the depth of our practice areas BOYNECLARKE LLP is able to offer our articled clerks real exposure to many areas of law. Rather than assigning our clerks to a six month rotation in litigation and a six month rotation in corporate law, our clerks are assigned to multiple rotations through our various practice groups.

Depending on the size of the practice team, they are either assigned to the practice team as a whole, or to individual or pairs of lawyers. We try to make the individual rotations as interesting and diverse as possible. For example, in their Criminal Law rotation, our clerks are seconded to the Provincial or Federal Crown for a week to see how the “other side” does things.

We also like to think of BOYNECLARKE LLP as a “great place to work”. Although we are serious about the business of law, we also know it is important to maintain a collegial atmosphere in the office and have the occasional beer with colleagues on a Friday afternoon. We encourage our students and articled clerks to become involved in all of our social and recreational opportunities (of which there are many!).

BOYNECLARKE LLP Associate Jacqueline Ruck wrote about her experiences as a Clerk for Canadian Lawyer Magazine in October 2013.

The article, ”Articling is a marathon, not a sprint” has been published and can be viewed here!

BOYNECLARKE LLP typically hires 4-5 clerks as part of our hiring process which takes place during January/February of a student’s second year of law school, and we anticipate filling 4-5 articled clerk positions through this process for the 2019-2020 year. We do not hire first-year students.

When a student is offered a position at the end of the 2nd year interview process this offer is for an articling position, which usually starts on the 1st of June following the student’s graduation from law school. As is typical in the market, we also give the student the option of working with us during the summer between the student’s second and third year of law school.  Unique to BOYNECLARKE LLP, however, is our Summer Student Program.

BOYNECLARKE LLP participates in the annual on-campus interviews at Dalhousie Schulich School of Law (January 2018) and welcomes applications from all other law schools both in Canada and abroad.

Your application should contain a cover letter, resume, a list of references of which at least two should be from individuals to whom you were a direct report, your undergraduate transcript and a copy of your unofficial law school transcript to date.

Inquiries and/or applications may be directed to:

Diane C. Norris
Executive Director

BOYNECLARKE LLP
P.O. Box 876, Dartmouth Main
Halifax Regional Municipality, NS B2Y 3Z5

T: 902.469.9500
F: 902.463.7500
Email: dnorris@boyneclarke.ca

DALHOUSIE SCHULICH SCHOOL OF LAW APPLICANTS

We are looking forward to participating again in the annual on-campus interviews at Dalhousie Schulich School of Law to be held in January 2018. Dalhousie students who would like to have a first interview with BOYNECLARKE LLP should submit their application to the Career Development Office (CDO). Please contact the Career Development Office (CDO) directly to confirm the application deadline.

NON-DALHOUSIE SCHULICH SCHOOL OF LAW APPLICANTS, INCLUDING OUT-OF-PROVINCE APPLICANTS

We are now accepting applications for 2019/2020 Articled Clerks. The application process is as follows:

• Application deadline – Thursday, November 14, 2017, applications are to be submitted by email to Diane Norris, Executive Director (dnorris@boyneclarke.ca).
• First interviews will take place on December 20, 2017 and December 21, 2017.
• Second interviews for successful candidates will take place on January 31, 2018.
• Job offers will be made on Friday, February 2, 2018.

Required Application Materials

• Resume
• Cover Letter
• Law school transcripts
• Undergraduate transcripts
• Graduate transcripts
• Letters of reference or List of references

BOYNECLARKE LLP is pleased to introduce our current articled clerks and summer students:

Articled Clerks June 1, 2017 to May 31, 2018 (summer placements for 2016 shown in brackets):

• Alexandria Barnes (Leukemia & Lymphoma Society)
• Katherine Barnstead (Brian Injury Association of Nova Scotia – January 2017)
• Lisa Delaney (Legal Information Society of Nova Scotia)
• John Snow (Phoenix Youth)

Articled Clerks June 1, 2018 to May 31, 2019 (summer placements for 2017 shown in brackets):

• Jimmy Bray (WWF Canada)
• Glory Kabila (IWK Foundation)
• Meaghan Kells (The Salvation Army ARIS Program)
• Jessica Rose (Elizabeth Fry Society)

Our Articling Committee is made up of a diverse group of senior partners and young associates. In addition to Marc LeClair, Committee Chair, members of the Committee include Allen C. Campbell, Lauren M. Randall, Tracy S. Smith, Debi I. Conrad and Stephen M. Campbell. Committee members and their bios can be seen at the bottom of this page.

Articled clerks at BOYNECLARKE LLP are paid a competitive salary. In addition, our current clerks enjoy the following benefits:

• Two-weeks paid vacation;
• Payment of all articling and Bar Admission Course fees, including all materials and payments related to the bar exam;
• One week paid “study week” prior to Bar Exam;
• Health coverage (no Dental);
• Parking;
• A lifestyle allowance of $500. This can be used towards a fitness membership or a similar program of the clerk’s choice.

The BOYNECLARKE LLP summer student program is unique among law firms in the region. Instead of working in the law firm for the entire summer, our students have the opportunity to be paid by us, at a salary competitive with other large firms in HRM, but the student will actually work for a non-profit organization in the area.

How does this happen you might ask? The organizations submit proposals to the firm and these proposals are vetted to ensure the work offered is appropriate for the students and meets the goals of the program. The students are then provided with a list of approved organizations to choose from. We know that many students are already keenly involved in the community, therefore, there is also always the opportunity for a student to bring a proposal to us for an organization they are already involved in and who would benefit from our support.

The BOYNECLARKE LLP Summer Student program has been running for a number of years and has proven to be an extraordinary success. Our students develop not only a strong sense of community and “ giving back” which is essential to a career as a lawyer, but they are also given an early opportunity to network and become a part of their larger community.

Additionally, the Summer Student Program was honoured in 2010 with a Gold Award at the Lexpert Zenith Awards in the category of “Pro Bono by Law School Student or Students”. In 2011, it was the Program that particularly impressed Atlantic Business Magazine’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Award judges, who chose BOYNECLARKE LLP as one of the Philanthropy / Community Outreach winners.

Past participating organizations include:

• Legal Information Society of Nova Scotia              
• Mental Health Foundation of Nova Scotia              
• Confederacy of Mainland Mi’kmaq                        
• Multicultural Association of Nova Scotia                
• Sport Nova Scotia                                                
• Phoenix Youth Programs                                      
• Eastern Front Theatre                                          
• The Duke of Edinburgh Awards                              
• Basketball Nova Scotia                                        
• The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society
• Halifax Refugee Clinic
• ReachAbility
• Brain Injury Association of Nova Scotia
• Halifax Association for Community Living
• Metro Community Housing Association
• Shelter Nova Scotia (formerly Saint Leonard’s Society of NS)
• Nova Scotia Nature Trust
• WWF – Canada
• ARISS (Salvation Army)