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Who
We Are
McLean & Kerr LLP is a Toronto-based full service law
firm founded in 1921. Since the firm's inception we have earned a reputation
for timely and quality performance, value-added legal services and finding
practical and efficient solutions for our clients. We provide services
to a broadly based clientele ranging from independent entrepreneurs to
international corporations. Our clients include insurance companies,
commercial landlords, franchisors and franchisees, publicly traded and
non-publicly traded companies, partnerships, corporations and individuals.
We have sufficient size and
diversity to handle large and sophisticated cases and transactions, yet we are
small enough to respond quickly and flexibly to the changing requirements of
our clients.
We have developed four broad
range Practice Areas:
- Commercial Real Estate
& Leasing
- Corporate & Commercial
- Litigation
- Wills/Estates & Family
We provide experience and
specialized expertise within these areas including secured lending, securities
and corporate finance and commercial litigation, labour relations and
employment, and estate planning and administration. We encourage you to
view our full complement of practice areas for
more information.
Who
We Want
McLean & Kerr LLP is looking for articling students with good academic records. Emphasis is also placed on other factors such as enthusiasm, work experience and a desire to work on the sophisticated transactions and cases available to a "downtown Toronto" law firm in the less formal atmosphere of a mid-sized firm. We are looking for competent people that can interact with our clients in an effective manner.
The
McLean & Kerr LLP
Articling Experience
A student articling at McLean
& Kerr LLP
can expect to work 45-50 hours per week on average throughout the term.
There are two rotations
consisting of five months in each of our Litigation practice group and
Corporate-Commercial/Real Estate practice group. However, a student may
receive work in any of the practice areas within either group throughout the
term depending on the requirements of the lawyers and the objectives of the
student.
Work will involve legal
research, regulatory compliance, preparation of litigation materials,
attendance at motions court, the handling of Small Claims Court actions,
preparation of documentation for corporate and real estate transactions and
attendance at corporate and real estate closings.
Because
of our size, students can expect a more hands-on articling experience,
including direct contact with clients and the responsibility for carriage of a
file under the supervision of a senior lawyer.
Here
are some of the experiences that some of our articling students had while
articling with us:
"During
my litigation rotation, I appeared before the Toronto Computer Leasing Inquiry
on several occasions and questioned witnesses.
I was the only articling student to do so.
Some of my colleagues in larger firms did not even see the inside of a
court room during their litigation rotation, let alone a judicial
inquiry."
"As
an articling student at M&K, I really hit the ground running.
By my first month here I was junioring on high-profile matters that I
thereafter read about in the newspapers.
Although I am now a commercial litigator, one of the most memorable
experiences during my articles came in my corporate-commercial rotation.
A senior partner offered me the chance to assist one of his clients
with the purchase of a $2 million dollar industrial property.
I jumped at the opportunity and had many responsibilities, including
negotiating with experienced lawyers for the vendor and the
lender. That experience, although the highlight, was really
representative of the hands-on experience afforded to articling students and
associates at M&K."
"I
was in court on the third day of my articles.
From that point forward, it's never eased up and has been great!"
"I
was an integral part of a multi-million dollar commercial lending transaction
for an international client for a major Toronto hotel complex.
What a great experience for me just after starting with the firm."
"When
I interviewed for an articling position with M&K, I was told that members
of the firm, including the senior partners, had an open-door policy toward the
students. As a student, I
discovered that the open-door policy was not just a "line" fed to
prospective students, but was in fact practiced at the firm.
Partners always made time for me and I never felt intimidated or
uncomfortable to approach any one of them.
Even now as an associate at M&K, the partners are always happy to
meet and discuss a course of action or provide guidance on any matter."
Evaluation
McLean
& Kerr LLP
recognizes the importance of feedback and in addition to receiving comments on
the completion of assigned work, a formal evaluation is conducted at the
half-way point of the articling term. Articling
students meet with their principal to discuss the results of the evaluation.
Compensation
and Benefits
McLean
& Kerr LLP
articling students are paid a salary which is comparable to those paid by
other similar-sized downtown law firms. In
addition, the firm provides both healthcare and dental benefits.
Students
are entitled to two weeks paid vacation, which is included in the 10 month
articling term.
McLean
& Kerr LLP
pays the Licensing Process fees as well as the students' membership fees for the Law Society
of Upper Canada and the Canadian Bar
Association.
Hireback
McLean
& Kerr LLP
looks to its students as its future. Many
of our students have been hired back after the completion of the articling
term. Our recent hireback history is as
follows:
|
Year
|
Hired
back
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2007/2008
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1 of 2
|
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2006/2007
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1 of 2
|
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2005/2006
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2
of 2
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Library
Services
McLean
& Kerr LLP
is proud of its extensive collection of legal materials. The Library is an
integral part of the firm and houses approximately 8,500 volumes in two
locations; the main Library on the 28th floor and the satellite
library of materials on the 27th floor. The collection is comprised
of legal encyclopedias (including the Canadian Encyclopedic Digest and
Canadian Abridgment), treatises, law reports, statutes and regulations,
journals and reference materials. The
collection encompasses a wide range of practice areas including corporate and
commercial law, real estate, insurance, civil procedure, wills and trusts,
family law, labour law, and securities.
The
Librarian is available to assist all lawyers, students and staff with a wide
variety of research and reference requests for both print and electronic
media. Access to on-line research
databases such as Quicklaw and LexisNexis is provided to all members of the
firm in addition to many other web-based resources.
The firm is committed to maintaining a comprehensive and up-to-date
facility that meets the demands of today's fast-paced practice of law.
Continuing
Legal Education
McLean
& Kerr LLP
does not offer a formal in-house continuing legal education program, but
strongly encourages its students to attend programs and seminars that may interest the
student which are offered by the Law Society of Upper Canada, the Canadian Bar Association or
other recognized continuing legal education providers.
Upon approval, the firm will pay the registration fees for students to attend such
programs.
Applying
to McLean & Kerr LLP
McLean
& Kerr LLP
hires up to 2 articling students each year and strictly adheres to The Law Society
of Upper Canada's Articling Recruitment Procedures.
On
"Call Day", we generally contact 20 applicants for a first
interview. Offers of articling
positions are made after we meet with you for a second interview.
We
require a cover letter enclosing one copy of an up-to-date resume and one copy
of your law school transcripts. Undergraduate
transcripts and references are optional.
Official copies of transcripts are not required.
Please
mail or deliver only hard-copies of resumes and documents to:
McLean & Kerr LLP
130 Adelaide Street West
Suite 2800
Toronto, Ontario
M5H 3P5
Attention: Articling
Committee
Please
contact The Law Society of Upper Canada to confirm any deadlines and
requirements for the current recruiting session.
Summer
Students
McLean
& Kerr LLP
does not hire summer students.
Our
Students
If
you have any questions about the articling experience at McLean & Kerr LLP,
who better to talk to than the students who are currently working with us?
They would be happy to answer any questions you may have.
2008-
2009
Articling Students
Ariana Haalboom
ahaalboom@mcleankerr.com
Luciano
Balduzzi lbalduzzi@mcleankerr.com
We
are pleased to announce that the following students will be joining us for the
2009/2010 Articling term.
Talar Beylerian (Osgoode Hall)
Robert Jackson (University of Western Ontario)
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