Toronto Office: The articling experience in our Toronto office is divided into three rotations but is highly customizable. Working on various files with different lawyers, articling students can choose any one or more of the following three broad practice groups for their three rotations:
- Advocacy, including: Administrative; Class Actions; Commercial; Construction; Employment & Labour; Municipal, Planning & Environmental; and Securities Litigation
- Business Law, including: Cannabis; Competition; Franchise; Intellectual Property & Entertainment; Mergers & Acquisitions; Mining; Securities; and Tax
- Financial Services, including: Insurance; Lending & Finance; Real Estate & Development; and Restructuring & Insolvency
Vancouver Office: Articling students in our Vancouver office are free to take work from any lawyer, without a formal rotation structure. Our Vancouver office specializes in:
- Advocacy, including: Commercial; Employment; and Securities Litigation
- Business Law, including: Aboriginal; Cannabis; Mergers & Acquisitions; Mining; and Securities
- Financial Services, including: Lending & Finance; Real Estate & Development; and Restructuring & Insolvency
Calgary Office: Likewise, articling students in our Calgary office are free to take work from any lawyer, without a formal rotation structure. Our Calgary office specializes in:
- Advocacy, including: Administrative; Appellant; Commercial; and Employment & Labour
- Business Law, including: Aboriginal; Emerging Companies & Technology; Energy: Oil & Gas and Utilities; Energy: Renewable & Clean Technology; and Taxation
- Financial Services, including: Banking; Lending & Finance; Regulatory; and Restructuring & Insolvency
Mentorship
Articling students in all offices are assigned a principal and a Student Committee mentor. As with our summer student mentorship program, articling student mentors are generally from different practice groups. Articling students are generally assigned different mentors from when they were summer students. This is to help students build their networks broadly across the firm. Old mentors and mentees will often continue their relationships in an unofficial (but very important) capacity for years!
Articling student mentors and principals attend many of the social events that take place throughout the articling year, and articling principals participate in all articling student feedback sessions.
OUR PERSPECTIVE
Here’s what some of our articling students have been saying about our firm culture, the quality of their mentorship and their rich and varied work experiences at Cassels:
My student experience at Cassels has been amazing so far. I have had the opportunity to be mentored by very impressive and talented lawyers, who have been nothing but kind and welcoming. Just the other day, I went for coffee with my articling principal, who emphasized the importance of not only doing hard work, but also making personal connections at the firm. This speaks to the unique culture at Cassels. I chose Cassels because I knew that I would get exposed to a variety of different work during the non-rotational summer program. Some of my favourite work assignments have been: drafting agreements for a private M&A deal, reviewing recording contracts for the entertainment group, and conducting research on the new Cannabis Regulations.
– Thea Gaertner, Associate, Business Law Group (Articling Student 2020/2021), Toronto Office
I chose Cassels, because of the firm’s emphasis on providing students with meaningful work and ongoing mentorship. As a student, I am constantly encouraged to take the initiative on a wide range of tasks, from drafting legal documents to preparing client presentations. I am also surrounded by friendly and supportive lawyers, who are always willing to answer questions and offer feedback. At Cassels, I’m always learning something new and interesting!
– Grace Wu, Associate, Aboriginal Law Group (Articling Student 2020/2021), Vancouver Office
What stands out most to me about Cassels is the culture of mentorship within the firm. Through the formal mentorship program, I have been paired with lawyers at different stages in their careers who are excited to offer me support and advice. I have also had the benefit of building informal mentorship relationships with like-minded individuals who have taken a genuine interest in getting to know me as a person while also helping me learn and succeed in my career.
– Shannon Scrocchi, Associate, Business Law Group (Articling Student 2020/2021), Toronto Office
Our Perspective
Here’s what some of our lawyers have been saying about what mentorship has meant to them and how it is ingrained in our firm culture:
Mentorship is a key part of our culture at Cassels. We hire students to do real work for our lawyers and clients. We invest time in mentorship to ensure our students receive a balanced and rewarding experience. Our wellness and diversity programs help every student succeed. There is no one-size-fits-all approach to mentorship at our firm. Often students just need a sounding board to email or call anytime to overcome challenges on a file. I’ve also met with students to discuss their careers. At Cassels we’re a high-performing team of lawyers, students and staff and we’re in this together.
– Jeremy Barretto, Partner, Financial Services Group, Calgary Office
We believe that growth, success and longevity in this career is built around having a strong network of champions, and we are proactive in providing both the environment and the resources to build your personalized network. We understand the different objectives that are achieved by delivering formal and informal mentoring throughout your career, and we recognize that mentor relationships are mutually beneficial. The commitment and investment in your success that is embodied by the partners and associates at Cassels from day one provides the baseline for our programs. This is what truly sets us apart and allows us to foster these mentorship pairings into genuine and enduring relationships. Our formal mentor program provides structure and stability to guide you through the various stages of your career – it offers you a strategic pairing with targeted training based on the relevant stage of your development. The informal mentor relationships also evolve from this mind-set. We are looking to drive your growth, and people here are sincere in their willingness to help you achieve success.
– Jen Hansen, Partner, Business Law Group, Vancouver Office
Cassels excels in its commitment to student development. Through formal and informal mentorship programs, caring lawyers, and internal continuing legal education sessions, Cassels is devoted to cultivating homegrown talent and developing technically sound young lawyers. This is clearly evidenced by our high levels of retention; the number of senior partners at Cassels that summered and articled here 20-30 years ago and have never left is truly astonishing. I sincerely hope to be the next one added to that list.
– Noah Leszcz, Partner, Business Law Group, Toronto Office