Law Student Programs in Montreal

Summer Law Student Program

Our summer law program works in conjunction with our articling program, as students who accept an articling position with the Montréal office have the opportunity to work at the firm the summer preceding their articles. Our summer student program runs from the beginning of May to the end of July.

The summer program begins with an intensive week of orientation, training sessions and social events that provides students with the key skills required to transition from being a law student to working at a law firm. There is no formal rotation, providing students with the opportunity to gain experience in a variety of practice areas.

Students are valued members of the team and work directly with partners and associates on client matters.  They also receive additional guidance and support from their mentors, along with ongoing training, formal and informal feedback. Students are also invited and encouraged to participate in all aspects of firm life, and social activities are organized to help integrate the students into the fabric of the firm.

Articling Student Program

Our articling program is subject to the rules and requirements of the Barreau du Québec, and our hiring process is conducted in accordance with the Montréal law firm’s recruitment agreement, known as the “Entente de recrutement”. We offer two possible articling periods of six months each, one starting in January, the other starting in June. As previously mentioned, students who accept an articling position with the Montréal office, also have the opportunity to work at the firm the summer preceding their articles.

Like the summer student program, the articling program does not provide a formal rotation system. Rather, during your articling experience, we provide you with exposure to the areas of business law we practice, including corporate & commercial, banking and finance, litigation, real estate, restructuring, and tax law. We believe working on a broad range of matters will give you the opportunity to obtain a realistic view of the practice and help you discover early on what particular areas you want to focus on for future specialization.

Articling students work directly with partners and associates on client matters. They are encouraged to seek work from lawyers who practice in areas of interest to the student, and are given responsibility backed with guidance. Students are also invited to attend practice group meetings and in-house seminars.

Articling students are valued members of the team. They are provided with orientation training, ongoing professional development and training opportunities, formal and informal feedback. Each student is assigned a mentor, who meets with the student regularly, and who assists with integrating their mentee into the firm and obtaining meaningful professional opportunities.

Students are also invited and encouraged to participate in all aspects of firm life, including social events, inclusion and diversity initiatives, and community and pro bono programs.

Hiring Practices

McMillan is committed to open, honest and inclusive recruitment practices, equal opportunity without discrimination, and providing support in its recruitment processes to applicants with disabilities, including accommodation that takes into account an applicant’s accessibility needs. If you require accommodation at any time during the recruitment process or in order to successfully submit an application, please email us or contact us at 1.888.622.4624 and ask to be transferred to the National Director, Human Resources to submit your accommodation request.

To learn more about Inclusion & Diversity at McMillan, download our Inclusion and Diversity Brochure or visit our Inclusion & Diversity page.

How to Apply

Currently our Montreal office participates in the Course aux stages recruitment process for articling positions, as per the Montréal law firms’ Entente de recrutement. This recruit focuses mainly on students in their second or third year of law school. Students interested in participating should contact their law school’s Career Services Office for more information about the process and timing.

Students interested in an articling position should submit their application through the viRecruit Applicant Portal (found here: https://recruitcdn.viglobalcloud.com/). An application package should consist of a cover letter, resume, copies of official law school and post-secondary transcripts, and 2nd and 3rd year course lists. Letters of reference are not required. We will acknowledge receipt of your application by email.

Applications should be addressed to:

Jordana Loporcaro
Associate Director, Professional Resources
McMillan LLP
1000 Sherbrooke Street W., Suite 2700
Montréal, Québec, Canada
H3A 3G4
Email: [email protected]

Please note that we do not hire first year law students.

We endeavor to promptly reply to inquiries about our firm and our student programs during the application and interview period. We also appreciate receiving communications of a more general nature (such as thank-you messages); however, due to the volume of messages we receive during this period, we may not be able to acknowledge receipt or respond, as we give priority to answering specific questions raised by students. In all of our communications, we are mindful of the rules set forth in the Montréal law firm’s Entente de Recrutement.