Now that I have your attention, here are some tips in case you find yourself in the position, or are searching for a gig outside of the OCI process.
1. Don’t Panic. When I went to the Career Development Office in September, I was told that maybe as many as 1 in 10 of U of T students don’t have an articling position lined up by the start of third year. Why does this happen? For any number of reasons, such as having hard luck, or deciding to pursue a public interest career. Regardless, the vast majority of students have articling lined-up by the time they graduate. Remember you’re at the best damn law school in the country, you’re brilliant, and you’ll do fine.
During the year, I spoke with students from other law schools who hadn’t figured out what they were doing for articling, or whether they wanted to article at all. Unsurprisingly, U o T’s uber-insular and competitive culture makes the impression that getting an articling position is a do or die imperative, when this is not true. We are an exception to the general legal market. Besides, you can be successful without articling, you can go straight into business, or as Dean Moran is fond of reminding us, you can go to Hollywood and become a screenwriter or producer for popular TV shows such as Dexter.
2. Don’t Check-Out. For many, 3L is the most redundant year of their lives. Not for those without an articling position. At the start of 3L, I had little experience in the specific field of law I wanted to practice in. So, I volunteered and my resume improved substantially. Keep padding that resume. Don’t get in a rut. Use your remaining time at law school wisely. Each time you get something substantial added to your resume, you can send an email out to those firms you’ve talked to with an update. Show them you’re a self-starter and a rising star who ought to be recruited before scouted out by a competitor.
3. Be Out, Loud, and Proud in the Labour Market. The most awkward thing about being a 3L without an articling position is this conversation:
Assuming Colleague: “3L eh? I guess you’ve checked out now? Awesome! Where are you articling?”
3L Without an Articling Position: “Actually… I’m still looking”.
Assuming Colleague: “Oh my god… I’m so sorry.”
3L Without an Articling Position: “Yeah, it’s alright. I don’t have cancer, but you’re still a jerk.”
I had this conversation so many times, without the comeback of course. Don’t let it get you down. Desperation and depression are not attractive qualities, and no one is going to hire you because they feel sorry for you.
4. Tell Everyone you are Looking. Tell your professors, mentors, family members, friends of friends, and everyone else. You’re no more than seven degrees of separation from a job.
5. Start a LinkedIn Account. So you want someone to see your resume, but you don’t want to actually forward it to them with a cold call? Start a LinkedIn account. People might look you up if they hear your name.
6. Attend CDO events. Yes, the info-lectures and meet and greets are artificial, but the CDO is not a cult, they’re here to help you. If you’re not sure whether you should go to an event, just go. In the least you can find out who is not hiring an articling student.
For me, attending the “Articling and Beyond” workshop held in the fall was helpful in that I found out who else was looking for an articling position in 3L. I felt more at ease knowing that I had clandestine allies throughout the student body. I also ran into some U of T alumni articling on Bay Street being proactive for the contingency that they might not get an offer to come back as an associate. All the more reason to find a good fit in the first place.
7. Be Yourself. Why did you want to be a lawyer? Why did you choose to come to U of T? There are likely good reasons for why you’re still looking for a job. Maybe it’s because you’re honest during interviews, decided not to sell-out, or maybe you actually haven’t found the right fit yet. What’s worse than not having an articling position? I would say, having one you hate, which is setting you up for a career you hate. Stick to your guns when the battle looks bleak. Read an inspirational biography or poem and rise to the challenge. You can do it!
As for me, I had an articling position lined up with a great firm in the summer of my second year. But, I turned it down because I really wanted to do something that the firm didn’t offer. After seven months of searching I found my dream job. I will be articling in a well respected union-side labour boutique in Vancouver with a QC as my principal. Afterwards, the plan is for me is to move in-house to be the lawyer for one his clients, a union of 20,000. So yes, it is possible to enter third year without a job lined up and to find a job that’s right for you.
