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Lerners Toronto
Guidance and support

Training

In addition to hands-on experience, our students benefit from a comprehensive orientation at the outset of their time with us, plus lectures and demonstrations by several members of the firm.

For example, workshop topics for our 2009-2010 articling students included:
• drafting and arguing motions
• privilege and confidentiality
• judgment debtor examinations
• class actions
• securities litigation and investment dealer negligence
• civil sexual assault claims
• oral advocacy

Students usually have a chance to attend one continuing legal education program during their employment. The students can select a program of interest to them (within reasonable parameters as to location and cost). The most commonly attended programs are half-day or one-day programs put on by the Ontario Bar Association or the Law Society of Upper Canada.


What types of law are practised in Toronto?

What kind of work do students handle?

Guidance and support

How are students evaluated?

What sort of student thrives at Lerners' Toronto office?

Balancing work and outside life

Money matters

Preparation for your career

What our students say

To reach our students

How do I apply?

Lawyer and staff support

Angela Smith, our student administrator, plays an important role in guiding our Toronto students. She helps ensure a balanced workload for each of them, provides precedents for documents that students are drafting, coaches them on the procedures for serving and filing documents, and generally offers invaluable administrative support. Our students look to Angela for guidance and support while they are "learning the ropes." They also have the help of a full-time legal assistant who aids them with typing and other administrative tasks.

The Executive Director of Human Resources and Administration for the Toronto office, Michelle Medel, is also a resource for students.  A very experienced law firm administrator, Michelle works extensively with the students and associates in the Toronto office, and is always available as a resource for the students.  As well, Sylvia Davis, the firm's Director of Associate and Student Development, is always available to help students with any concerns or questions.  A former articling student and litigator with the firm, Sylvia has been involved in the student program with the firm for many years.
 
Students have significant support from our lawyers, too. Each articling student is matched with both a senior and junior mentor. The junior mentor is a junior associate lawyer. The senior mentor, who is a partner or senior associate, also serves as the student's articling principal, fulfilling the principal's responsibilities as defined by the Law Society.

Mentors meet regularly with their students. They offer general support and are available to discuss topics ranging from litigation basics and practice management issues to career development. Each articling student's senior mentor also participates in his/her evaluations during articles.

As you can see, if you're a student at Lerners, there are many people looking out for you!

Library support

Our library is a great resource for our students. In addition to a collection of approximately 10,000 volumes, the library offers Westlaw, LexisNexis, Infomart, Factiva and Dialog, as well as several CD-ROM and web-based resources available to students at their desktop. The firm also maintains an electronic research library to provide easy access to firm precedents and other resources.
 
Our librarian provides thorough training to students when they join the firm, and is available to them on an ongoing basis to help them with their research assignments.