In Their Own Words

"The highlight of my student experience at Aird & Berlis was our student group. Aird & Berlis has a way of pulling together students with diverse backgrounds, perspectives and talents, to create a really cohesive student group. Over my two summers and articling term with Aird & Berlis, I developed strong working relationships and enduring friendships with my peers. The team ethic among the students each year is reflective of Aird & Berlis' broader firm culture. As a first year student, I was immersed in transactions and worked directly with associates and partners as a true member of the team. While the partners and associates I worked with gave me a lot of responsibility, I knew I could always reach out and ask questions. The student program at Aird & Berlis gave me the skills and confidence that I needed to transition into my role as an associate."

"Articling has a steep learning curve, however with a firm like Aird & Berlis and its amazing resources the jump into becoming a young lawyer is made much easier. Aird & Berlis is a large firm with the friendly environment and exposure to work that you may only find at smaller firms. During my time at Aird & Berlis, I conducted research, helped draft transactional documents, met and interacted with clients on an almost daily basis, and was responsible for executing a closing alone. Throughout all of these experiences any questions I had, whether in relation to a legal topic or working the fax machine, the lawyers and staff were always available to help. My articling principal, mentor and certain lawyers I worked closely with became invaluable learning resources for both substantive law and life skills. I am certain that the skills and relationships I have developed at Aird & Berlis will remain valuable to me far into my legal career." 

“I have truly enjoyed my summers and articling experience at Aird & Berlis and always looked forward to what each day would bring. What laws I would be researching? What factum would I be drafting? What client would I be meeting? What hearing would I be attending? What presentation would I be preparing? What joke told by a fellow student (or lawyer) would have me laughing? During my time at the firm, I have had the opportunity to write articles in collaboration with experts, prepare pleadings for hearings, participate in closings, assist lawyers at hearings, among countless other experiences. My mentors have been an integral part of my learning experience and their advice and guidance will stay with me throughout my legal career.  I feel privileged to have spent my summers and articling term at Aird & Berlis and recommend the firm to any student looking to be challenged in a supportive, highly-professional environment.” 

"Each day at Aird & Berlis brings a new and exciting experience. Due to the flexible rotation program and my interest in corporate law, I was able to obtain work assignments from both the corporate commercial and corporate finance groups. My favourite experiences included being heavily involved in a large corporate closing and drafting a number of securities related documents. I also enjoyed conducting research and preparing a memorandum on corporate governance issues. Aside from my broad corporate exposure, I thoroughly enjoyed working in the litigation and municipal practice areas. Working with these groups allowed me to attend discoveries, draft documents in preparation for trial, complete legal research memoranda, review new legislation, write articles to be published, and attend pre-trial conferences. What I enjoy most about the firm is that students are genuinely encouraged to branch out and work for each practice group. Not only does this allow for a better working knowledge and understanding of each group’s function within the firm, but it demonstrates Aird & Berlis truly cares about its students and wants them to be well-rounded, knowledgeable, and comfortable with their decision regarding their future practice area." 

"I chose Aird & Berlis primarily for its collegial and friendly work environment.  I had a very rewarding summer experience at the firm. The partners and associates were welcoming and approachable. My mentors oversaw my transition into the firm’s culture, providing me with the confidence to succeed in my work. My summer experience also benefited from the relationship that I enjoyed with my student colleagues. The students were encouraged to work as a team which allowed for collaboration. Finally, I was impressed by the flexibility of the firm’s student program. The structure of the program allows students to explore different areas of practice. I took advantage of this to gain a broad exposure to the diverse opportunities offered at Aird & Berlis, a fundamental first step in my legal career."