Articling
At Burchell MacDougall LLP we strive to provide our articling clerks with a well-rounded articling experience. We expose articling clerks to as many different practice areas as possible during the course of the year.
We believe that at the end of the articling year, clerks should be fully prepared for the challenges associated with the practice of law.
Working with Your Principal
The firm acts as the principal and each clerk is assigned a supervising lawyer who will work with you so that you gain a well-rounded articling experience and have satisfied all of the necessary requirements. He or she will also have an “open door” to assist you with any difficulties you experience during the articling year.
Getting A Well-Rounded Experience
Articling at Burchell MacDougall LLP means that you will be exposed to many different aspects of the law. Burchell MacDougall LLP ensures that our articling clerks receive sufficient exposure to the areas of corporate/commercial law, real estate law, family law, criminal law, and civil litigation.
We encourage you to explore your particular areas of interest!
Evaluations and Constructive Feedback
Informal evaluations take place on a regular basis during the articling year. A formal evaluation of our clerks is conducted twice during the year, after approximately six months and at the conclusion of articles, as part of the requirements of the Nova Scotia Barristers’ Society.
Articling clerks are encouraged to seek out and accept work from any lawyer in any area of law which is of interest to the articling clerk. Consequently, the articling clerk must take some responsibility for monitoring his or her own work load to ensure that it is not excessive, and that articling objectives are being met. Your supervising lawyer will be there to assist you.
We’re Hiring!
Burchell MacDougall LLP has historically sought and hired students for two articling clerk positions. Typically, interviews for these positions take place at the law schools in January, or at our office in Truro. Clerks will article primarily in the Truro office, but flexible arrangements can sometimes be made.
Salary and Full Benefits
Burchell MacDougall LLP pays its articling clerks a salary which is competitive with firms of like size. In addition, the firm offers a very comprehensive benefits package to all employees. This package includes:
- Medical Health Benefits
- Dental Care
- Vision Care
- Long Term Disability
- Life Insurance
- Accidental Death & Dismemberment Insurance
Further, articling clerks are entitled to two weeks of vacation during the articling year. The firm pays the articling clerk while he or she is attending the Bar Admission course in Halifax. The firm pays for the cost of the Nova Scotia Bar Admissions Course.
Second Year Summer Position
A law student who accepts an articling position with the firm may have an option to work at the firm for up to twelve weeks in the summer preceding the articling year. Salary for summer employment will be commensurate with the salaries of the articling clerks employed with the firm at that time.
Achieving Balance and Taking Initiative
We strongly believe that a balance must be struck between the practice of law and work, and life outside the practice of law. We encourage our clerks and lawyers to be active in the community. We give our articling clerks an unusually high degree of individual responsibility, in the expectation that their practice skills will develop more rapidly.
We welcome your inquiries about articling with us! For more information, please contact:
Linda R. Hupman
lhupman@burchellmacdougall.com
Phone: (902) 895-1561
Kelly R. Mittelstadt
kmittelstadt@burchellmacdougall.com
Phone: (902) 895-1561