Surviving Your Articles: An Articling Student’s Perspective

As a law student, you are constantly inundated with information about what to expect at the next stage of the process in the road to becoming a lawyer.  One of the more daunting aspects of the process for some law students is the prospect of commencing their articles with a law firm.  So we asked Kenneth Pimentel, our 2010-2011 articling student, to describe his articling experience at the firm:

“During the first weeks and months of articling at Daoust Vukovich, much of my focus was on making the transition from academia to practice, understanding the nature of the practice of law, and building on my repertoire of knowledge and skills.  However, this did not mean simply drafting memorandums in my office.  Much of my development, even during my early articling months, came from exposure: attending small claims court matters; attending real estate closings with other lawyers; speaking to minor motions in the Superior Court; and reviewing and drafting simple lease documents.

Since the start of my articles, I have developed greater confidence in the quality of my work and my ability to interact constructively with clients and other members of the profession.  As the level of confidence has increased, so too has the level of responsibility. I have increasingly taken on greater control over client files and have several of my own files. In addition, I have found that I have become much more involved not only in the research aspect of client matters, but also in the development of strategy for moving a client matter forward.  The progression has felt seamless and natural.

As I approach the end of my articles, I realize that the depth of exposure provided to me during my articling term has allowed me to develop my own style to the practice of law.  Aside from actual practice, an emphasis on professional development and the constant pursuit of practice excellence has been the hallmark of my experience so far.  I recognize that the learning will not stop at the completion of my articles and I look forward to continuing my learning experience as an associate at Daoust Vukovich.  It really is a great place to work.”

For more information on the DV articling program, please visit the Careers section of our webpage.