UBC Law Career Services Office presents: A 1L's Guide to Wine & Cheese

Written by Elise Everest, with special contributions from Graham Hardy, Melissa Tang, & Jessie Caryl.

If you’re like me, you hear the words “wine” and “cheese” and you think, “yum!” 

In law school, a “Wine & Cheese” reception is more than just 8-10 of your classmates looking for a sophisticated way to escape their law textbooks on a Saturday night.  For starters, Wine & Cheeses sponsored by the UBC Law Career Services Office (CSO) are often held on a weekday evening.

While both Saturday night and midweek Wine & Cheeses serve important networking functions, a CSO Wine & Cheese is an excellent opportunity for law students to connect with legal employers before applying to and interviewing with these same employers.  A Wine & Cheese is part career fair and part cocktail party, but all professionalism. It is designed to help you develop relationships with potential mentors and meet contacts that can provide you with information about the recruitment process.  If you have met a lawyer at a previous event, a Wine & Cheese might give you the opportunity to re-connect, or if you meet a lawyer at a Wine & Cheese, you may be encouraged to follow-up with them to learn more about their practice over lunch or coffee.

Employers attend these events with two goals in mind:

1) Employers want to attract future applicants who will fit in with the firm’s culture. For that purpose, firm representatives would like to meet, and hopefully impress, law students who are evaluating where they would like to kick-start their career.  It may sound odd, but after meeting with a number of employers, it becomes apparent that each organization has a distinct personality.  Firm representatives want to show you the personality of their firm.

2) Employers want to meet specific students, either those students who have recently applied to the employer, law students who have been recommended by the employer’s current summer or articling students, or other students in whom the employer has an interest (i.e. a supervising lawyer at LSLAP might mention to their firm’s lawyers who are attending the Wine & Cheese to watch for the lawyer’s student clinicians).

There are numerous CSO Wine & Cheese events throughout the year including a Vancouver Large Employer reception (on January 10, 2013), a Social Justice Forum (on January 31, 2013), a BC Small and Boutique Employer reception (on February 26, 2012), and the first of these events, a reception for Out-of-Province Employers on Wednesday, October 3, 2012 from 6pm to 8pm. 

What does a Wine & Cheese look like? Typically, they are held in a large hotel ballroom with tables for each firm spread throughout the room. Each firm will usually have 1-5 representatives who are eager to talk to law students. The representatives will be lawyers (partners and/or associates) and the firm’s student recruitment coordinator may also be present. There are complimentary appetizers available, as well as a cash bar. Business attire is expected (i.e. a suit, or if you are in first year, nice pants/skirt/shirt/dress will suffice). Nametags will be provided to the law students and the lawyers, and students will also receive a floor-plan of the room showing each firm’s location. 

As a first-year student attending the first Wine & Cheese event of the year, you may never have attended a professional networking event before. You may never even have talked to a lawyer before entering law school (much less 40-150 lawyers all in the same room at one time!). You probably have no idea what sort of information to seek from the firm representatives and you have yet to identify the qualities that will one day be important to you in a legal employer.  That’s okay! You are in good company, because many of your classmates will be feeling the same way. You can still ask great questions and be prepared to show interest in a firm by simply reading the firm’s website or relying on some help from your upper-year peers and the CSO.

Because a Wine & Cheese reception may be a new experience for you, you may be tempted to bring some moral support in the form of a friend or family member.  Maybe your significant other wants to go for a night “on-the-town” and you figure you might kill two birds with one stone.  Whatever the rationale, bringing a guest to a Wine & Cheese reception does not portray a professional image.  Ask yourself: If this was my first day on the job and I was to bring this person to meet my new co-workers, what would my new co-workers think of me?  However, it is a fabulous idea to team up with a small group of your classmates and navigate the floor-plan together.  That way you can take turns introducing each other to firm representatives and ensuring good conversation flow. 

Networking means socializing and (more specifically) making an effort to approach employer representatives.  The firm representatives are just like you and I – regular people – and people enjoy talking to other people who show an interest in them.   Firm representatives will not approach you while you idly chat with your fellow law students next to the food table (students have been known to perceive this as aggressive) so use the appetizer platter as it’s meant to be used – no, that’s not a free dinner – but as a means to take a quick break to regroup and direct your classmates to representatives you feel they may benefit from speaking to.  

Everyone approaches Wine & Cheeses differently. I (for one) love to meet new people. My friends tell me I’ll talk to anything with a face. Your style is probably not like mine, so don’t just listen to me.  Here are some perspectives from upper-year students regarding why it’s important to attend a Wine & Cheese reception and how to be a networking star:

The best thing about networking events is learning about legal practice areas you are probably not familiar with as a first-year.  For example, topics such as estates or intellectual property are only introduced in passing during your first-year property class.  Talking with a lawyer who practices in these areas can not only help you determine where your career might take you, but help you make course-selection decisions in your upper years.

In order to find out if a practice area is right for you, you cannot be afraid of asking too many questions. As a conversation starter, I like to ask lawyers the thing they like best about their jobs and what exciting legal issues they grapple with on a regular basis.  For example, I started off wanting to go into tax at a big law firm. Tax lawyers not being in high demand at these events, it was usually easy for me to get one or more all to myself for much more than the suggested five minutes. Sadly, I learned that the practice of tax law does not regularly involve arguments about whether the Estate tax or “death tax” will apply to the undead in the event of zombie apocalypse.  Nor do I need to be leery of any firm-sponsored Cayman Island scuba-trips a la Bendini, Lambert & Locke. Having the opportunity to talk to tax lawyers at these networking events has helped me determine that perhaps I am looking for a certain kind of excitement in my legal career that tax law cannot offer.

On the other hand, having positively dreaded criminal law since first year, I was initially unenthusiastic about networking with criminal lawyers. Yet, one of them turned out to be among the most memorable lawyers whom I have met. She impressed me by describing how, after articling, she started out on her own in an office-sharing arrangement with a cellular phone, the free database CanLII and client meetings in Tim Horton's, but went on to build her own very comfortable practice.

The secret to being a great networker is to be yourself without trying overly hard to impress anyone. I once made the mistake of trying to sound too knowledgeable about a practice area. Being told by a lawyer that he practised pensions and benefits law, I searched frantically for something intelligent to ask. Vaguely recollecting a newspaper article and several B.C. Supreme Court cases about a company involved in a series of issues relating to its employees' pensions, I quickly asked whether the lawyer had dealt with that company. Barely had the words escaped my lips than I realised that the lawyer could not answer the question without breaching his duty of confidentiality to the company (his client). He seemed very uncomfortable and I must confess that I monopolised his time for considerably fewer than five minutes!

---           Graham Hardy is an incoming 3L at UBC Law who approaches Wine & Cheese receptions with a clever sense of humour and an open mind.  Graham has an Honours B.A. in English from UBC. He will readily admit that prior to law school, he was more familiar with the power of the written word than the power of networking.

As you business grads will be happy to hear, many of the things you learned in business school are directly applicable to networking at legal events. Even if you don’t know it, you are already prepared to successfully Wine & Cheese the night away. Those suits you bought for your business presentations will be useful as you should always arrive looking polished and professional. In addition, you have likely already mastered the art of the firm handshake, which will come in hand-y (I couldn’t resist!). Another useful skill you probably picked up in business school is how to ask insightful questions (in this case, about the firm) which will help you to demonstrate an interest in the firm’s work.

Remember: networking is not solely about marketing yourself (you’ll hopefully have job interviews for that); networking is about creating relationships with people.  Try to find some common ground with the law firm representatives at these events. Many first-years feel like they have to showcase their understanding of substantive law for these representatives, but it is important to find a topic of conversation that makes you feel comfortable.  They will have had countless conversations with many new faces. Be the one to stand out from the crowd because you found a mutual interest, even if that mutual interest stems from your love of baseball rather than your mutual regard for Madam Chief Justice McLachlin. However, there is no need to monopolize the law firm rep’s time – talking their ear off can also make you stand out, and not in a positive way!

The differences between business networking and legal networking are few and far between, but there are a couple exceptions. Firstly, don’t bring business cards. A business card will not provide any new information about you and may actually have the opposite effect that you intended. Secondly, while business students have been known to be more aggressive with their networking compared to students from other faculties, this may or may not be a bad thing. Different firms have different personalities and at the end of the day, they are going to remember (and hire!) the students that they can see themselves working with. This is different from what I experienced during my business undergrad, where a certain type of networking was encouraged and emphasized. Whether you are an aggressive networker or a more relaxed networker, there is no one perfect style. Do what works for you and, most importantly, what makes you feel confident!

Good luck with your first year and the (many) Wine & Cheeses you will attend!

--   Melissa Tang is an incoming 3L who approaches Wine & Cheese receptions with confidence and a firm handshake. Melissa has a Bachelor of Commerce in Marketing from the Sauder School of Business at UBC, and spent this summer working as the External Relations Assistant at UBC Law.

I found it helped to do a bit of preparatory research. I made a quick spreadsheet a few days before each Wine & Cheese to outline the size and specialties of all the firms, and then looked it over before leaving for the event. Having a basic overview in mind helped me choose better questions to facilitate conversation, but it also helped me guide my interactions away from stock question and answer exchanges and on to something appropriate but lively. “Cocktail party” is definitely a more enjoyable networking atmosphere than “trade fair” and I liked when the firm representatives matched their demeanor to reflect a more sociable networking format. Ultimately, what I took away was a little bit more data on the employers, and a lot of appreciation for the professional connections I made.

---           Jessie Caryl is an incoming 2L at UBC Law who approaches Wine & Cheese receptions with a gift for intelligent conversation. Jessie has an M.A. in Art History from UBC.  Having a previous career as a writer and curator, Jessie regularly demonstrates her established communications skills at networking events.

In my view, a CSO Wine & Cheese is a classy reconnaissance mission.  It is simply a great opportunity to get a sense of different firms’ cultures by gathering general impressions of the lawyers you meet, and by extension, the firms they represent. You’re looking for intangible information you can’t pull off a website and won’t necessarily be able to write down, but which will be of enormous help when you’re applying for summer articles and have to make some serious career decisions. Nothing you do at a Wine and Cheese is going to land you a job. Nothing short of setting the place on fire is going to rule you out for a job. Relax.

When approaching lawyers, try to project your confident and professional side. You don’t need a good opening. You’re not trying to convince anyone to talk to you – the lawyers want to talk to you. Introduce yourself. Come prepared with a few questions, but let the conversation flow naturally. Demonstrate interest in the firm by asking a question that shows you’ve done a bit of reading on their website. If you ask lawyers to describe their firm’s culture, you will get the same answer every time: collegial, team-oriented, and respectful. Boilerplate, in other words. So I like to ask questions that nudge the lawyer into showing you what his or her firm’s culture is like. For example, ask him or her to describe something they like about a colleague or one of the firm’s current students.

Be a facilitator. When other students come to join the conversation, introduce them to the lawyer you’ve just met. Bring them into the conversation by briefly explaining what you were just talking about. The lawyer will sincerely appreciate it—they’re often just as awkward as we are—and that kind of interpersonal sensitivity makes a lasting impression. Introducing a newcomer can also be a graceful exit strategy.

Keep track of the people you genuinely enjoyed speaking with and send them an email the next day. Thank them for coming, remind them very briefly what you talked about (to help them remember you), and suggest you may be in touch again in the future. Follow up emails are not going to get you a job. They will, however, set you up with some useful sources of information.

Lastly, have fun! Remember: classy reconnaissance mission. How could that not be fun?

---           The above tips were provided by an incoming 2L who approaches Wine & Cheese receptions with poise and charisma. This student has an Honours B.A. and has previously worked in the hospitality industry.

The Out of Province Wine & Cheese reception in October 2012 will include law firms and government employers from Toronto and Calgary. Even if you have no interest in working in Toronto and Calgary, it is still a great reception to attend no matter where you hope to apply for future summering and articling opportunities. Any chance to talk with lawyers in good practice for future networking events – and whether lawyers work on Bay Street or Howe Street or in a one-lawyer town, lawyers are just regular people like you and I. However, it is important that first-year students attend the event with an inkling of curiosity about legal markets other than Vancouver, and a real desire to practice their networking skills.  See you at a Wine & Cheese (a midweek one, not a Saturday night one)!

ILSA

The students that comprise the Indigenous Law Students’ Association (“ILSA”) at UBC Law welcome you to the community! The academic and social environments which you are about to enter are marked by inclusivity for all students. Respect for diversity has made UBC Law a leader in Canadian legal education. We recognize the Musqueam Nation on whose unceded land our campus is located.

ILSA maintains a vital role at UBC Law. First, it provides a community for law students to come together and share in educational and social activities.  Second, it seeks to develop Indigenous awareness, both at UBC and in the community, through initiatives such as our speaker series events which offer topical themes and reputed guest speakers. Third, ILSA seeks to provide a forum for students who are interested in Aboriginal Law to share and gain knowledge about Aboriginal legal issues, both on practical and theoretical levels.

Through the s. 35 module in 1L Constitutional Law, you will quickly become aware that Aboriginal law is a specialized area, in which the legal issues permeate every facet of the law. UBC Law provides significant breadth and depth in Aboriginal law course offerings, which attract the brightest Indigenous students from across Canada.

Stepping into another exciting year with a large Indigenous student body, ILSA plans to host exceptional events including the ILSA welcoming booth at Clubs Day, the annual Refoos to Lose foosball tournament, the Springtime BBQ, the ILSA Golf Tournament and Banquet and speaker series lectures that offer edifying information, not to mention lunchtime edibles!
If you have any questions and/or wish to participate in ILSA, please contact the Executive at ilsa.ubc@gmail.com and visit us on our website at http://ubcindigenouslaw.com/.

Kinana'skomitina'wa'w!

Law Students’ Legal Advice Program

Hi, incoming 1Ls!

My name is Megan and I’m the Public Relations Director for the Law Students’ Legal Advice Program (LSLAP). LSLAP is a great program because it allows you to engage in real-life legal work while you are still a law student. Every year, our students draft legal documents, run trials, and attend hearings and tribunals. This might sound intimidating and perhaps even terrifying, but I promise that it’s a fantastic experience. LSLAP provides a lot of support to students, whether it’s from our two in-house supervising lawyers, supervising lawyers at clinics, or other students in the program. If you do feel overwhelmed, we will never ask you to do anything you don’t feel comfortable with! We’re always around to help you out with file management and any questions you may have.

Here’s a quick rundown of how LSLAP works. Students sign up online in early September and are assigned to one of our many clinics throughout the lower mainland. Each student is assigned to a clinic that runs every other week, for a total of 5 times per semester. However, we understand that law school can be busy, so it is up to the student to decide how many clinics they want to attend. Some students attend only a couple per semester, while some students love it so much that they go every week!

LSLAP clinics are two hours long. Students meet with each client for 30 minutes to do file intake. Afterwards, students make appointments with the supervising lawyers to discuss how we can help the client. Sometimes, we can only refer them to another organization or provide basic advice. Other times, we can go as far as representing the client at trial!

Here is an example of a typical file. I met with a client and took notes about his recent dismissal from his job. The client was unsure of his rights in the situation. After the clinic, I did some research on wrongful dismissal and employee rights. I thought that he might be entitled to severance pay. I took my research to the supervising lawyer and discussed the file with her. She suggested that I help the client make a complaint to the Employment Standards Board. I drafted the complaint, got it approved by the supervising lawyer, and submitted it. Later on, I also drafted submissions after the employment standards officer requested more evidence. I’ll be doing the hearing for the complaint in September!

If you want another reason to join LSLAP, how about a summer job after 1L? Every year, LSLAP hires about 14 students to be full-time summer employees. Employees are chosen in a job draw. Ballots for the job draw can be earned by attending at least 8 clinics, attending a distance clinic (e.g. Coquitlam, Surrey), or volunteering as clinic head. 1L summer law jobs are rare, so the LSLAP summer job is a great opportunity to get tons of legal experience, meet new people, make some money, and have a fun summer.

I hope to see you all at our lunch during Orientation Week! Come on out to learn more about LSLAP (and get a free lunch). If you have questions about anything, send me an email at pr@lslap.bc.ca.

CLA Summer Internship

 The following post was written by 2L Stephen Hedley who worked as a Legal Intern at the Yukon Conservation Society in Whitehorse this summer.

At the end of January I applied for a summer internship with Ottawa-based Canadian Lawyers Abroad, a charitable organization that places law students with non-profit organizations in the developing world and in Canada’s North. A few weeks and a Skype interview later, I was placed as a legal intern with the Yukon Conservation Society in Whitehorse, YT.

  

YCS is a non-profit environmental organization and its mandate is to pursue ecosystem well-being throughout the Yukon and beyond, recognizing that human well-being is ultimately dependent upon fully functioning healthy ecosystems.  YCS has an incredibly diverse range of projects on the go which include everything from campaigns aimed at local issues affecting Whitehorse residents to campaigns affecting all Yukoners and indeed all Canadians. The organization plays a big role in a number of community organizations/coalitions and also maintains an influential presence in territorial and national media.

As YCS’s Legal Intern I was given a lot of freedom and responsibility considering my fresh-out-of-1L status. Among other things, I conducted background research for potential legal arguments, liaised with territorial and federal government employees, wrote memos and reports for internal use and for use in the wider community, assessed legal opinions and did an analysis of the Yukon’s environmental legislation.

The CLA summer internship was an amazing complement to my first year of law school. It was a very powerful experience to take some of the law learned in the classroom and see it applied in the real world. I was genuinely surprised to see just how much I could contribute to my host organization after only one year of law school. More importantly, some of the people I met and worked with this summer had a profound impact on my view of the world and what I hope to accomplish with my law degree. What impressed me more than anything was the positivity that my coworkers brought to the job. They focused on the victories, on building community, on applying themselves to the promotion and development of renewable energy sources and better laws for Yukoners and Canadians, and on raising awareness and advocating for a truly sustainable future, environmentally and economically. It is amazing what five hard-working people in a little blue house in Whitehorse can accomplish.

Outside the office, my coworkers were amazing hosts. I had the opportunity to do several great hikes, paddle in the Yukon River, mountain bike some of the endless single-track trails around the city and attend a backyard BBQ, the likes of which I have never seen – picture a full-on concert with stage lighting, smoke machines and professional PA system on someone’s back porch while the audience is dressed in winter jackets and touques. I also managed a couple incredible road trips to Kluane National Park and Skagway, Alaska!

I am very grateful to have had the opportunity to participate in the CLA summer internship and would recommend the experience to anyone. It has left me feeling better prepared for second year and optimistic about what can be done with a law degree.

ABOUT CLA at UBC

The UBC chapter of CLA is a small group of law students that works at sending one or two interns abroad or to Canada’s North each year. We will be holding a number of meetings of interest throughout the year. We will also be holding events to help provide funding for those students selected as CLA interns.

If you have any questions about the club or the application process, please contact this year’s Co-President Malcolm Funt at malcomfunt@hotmail.com.

We will have a table at orientation week clubs day where you can sign up for the UBC chapter, meet current members and get more information. I encourage everyone to sign up!

CLA’s website provides information about available internships, the application process, as well as profiles of past interns and more.

Canadian Lawyers Abroad website: http://cla-ace.ca/

CBA/CB-eh?

When you start law school in September, you will be joining more than just an illustrious class; you will be joining a profession. This profession can be characterized in many ways. I’m sure most of you have heard the jokes by now.

 According to some legal scholars, the “legal profession” is simultaneously a trade organization,  corporate ideology, important cultural actor, and collection of individuals known both for their zealous pursuit of their clients’ interests and for their assertive individualism.  

The Canadian Bar Association (“CBA”) was formed in 1896 to represent and serve the interests of the legal profession in Canada.  Its motto is not “With great power comes great responsibility”, but it may as well be. The CBA promotes fair justice systems, facilitates effective law reform, champions equality in the legal profession, protects the independence of the judiciary and the bar, and is committed to the personal and professional development of its members.  Read: CBA = Justice League (with an underwear inside-the-pants policy).*

In addition to fulfilling its noble purpose by way of committees, working groups and special reports, the CBA co-ordinates fun and accessible opportunities for lawyers to engage with the public.  In Ottawa, to celebrate the 30th Anniversary of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, the CBA organized a flash mob featuring a choreographed dance to a re-mixed version of our national anthem. In Vancouver, for the first time in decades, “Lawyers with Pride” will march in a float specifically representing the diversity in the legal profession in Vancouver’s 34th Annual Pride Parade. 

Membership in the CBA is a career-long resource that you can start cultivating now – in your first year of law school! Student membership is only $20, and most of that fee contributes to career-related student programming sponsored by the CBA. Each province has its own branch and the BC branch is particularly active and collegial. Students interested in working in other provinces will find it helpful to connect to other provincial branches

Here are 5 reasons why you should join the Canadian Bar Association in September:

1.      Mentorship Program

What better way to expand your professional network than to meet a potential role model?  The CBA Mentorship Program pairs UBC Law students with a real-life lawyer for informal conversations and support. Mentors can offer valuable insight to unravel many mysteries faced by law students – from questions like “What courses should I take in my upper years?” to “Is this law firm a good fit for me?”  or “What does it mean, aside from rank, to be a partner at a law firm?” and even “So would an investment in golf lessons be a good idea?” Importantly, mentors can help you decipher the subtleties about how your law school interests translate to real-world practice. Sure, being a criminal defense lawyer looks great when Perry Mason does it, but is that what it’s really like?  If you are not sure what type of law you want to practice, being exposed to your mentor’s practice and sometimes even the practices of your mentor’s colleagues can inspire you. Mentors are encouraged to take their mentees to watch them in court and to bring them into the office, which gives students a better understanding of legal culture and the expectations of the profession.  You will receive more information about the Mentorship Program during 1L Orientation Week. The registration deadline is September 27, 2012.

2.      Sections

CBA sections are practice-focused groups that provide educational and networking opportunities for lawyers, judges, law teachers, and law students in BC and across Canada. With your CBA membership, students are invited to join up to 3 sections free of charge! Joining a section can pique your interest in a particular area of law, or keep you updated on developments in an area of law in which you have an interest, but cannot study in first year (environmental law, for example). Attend section meetings to hear distinguished keynote speakers discuss current cases, legislative reform and challenges facing practitioners today. Take advantage of this simple way to meet lawyers and expand your professional network. You’d be surprised at how willing these lawyers are to share their experience with you and assist you as you build your career.

3.      Communications

Besides receiving newsletters issued by the sections and circulating information via Section listservs, the CBA also publishes 3 renowned journals —Canadian Bar Review (frequently cited by the Supreme Court of Canada), Canadian Competition Law Review, and Canadian International Lawyer;  2 magazines – BarTalk and National; as well as newsletters on career-building and running your own practice. These resources are available to CBA members, and often feature articles specifically directed at lawyers and articling students. In the latest BarTalk, there were two features: one on a day in the life of an articling student, and one written by a BC Supreme Court Justice describing what the Court expects of an articling student.  Reading these publications can ease any anxieties about what to expect in the future, aid in your job search and career development, and keep you informed of current legal issues.

4.      Member Savings

If quenching your thirst for knowledge and providing valuable access to lawyers in Vancouver’s legal community is not exciting enough for you, the CBA also partners with local businesses to provide members with fantastic deals!

Die-hard Canucks fan? Discounted tickets! 

Ski-bunny? Discounted lift tickets at Whistler Blackcomb, Silver Star and Big White!

Tired of hostelling when you travel? Discounted accommodations at Starwood Hotels, including Westin, Sheraton, and W properties!

And many more!

5.      Hang with Nivi!

As someone who has benefitted immensely from CBA initiatives, Nivi Ramaswamy is keen to spread her love for the CBA! Meet Nivi - our CBA student representative and a 2L. The Canadian Bar Association representative promotes and organizes the CBA mentorship program and annual reception to the student body and serves on the CBA Membership Committee at monthly meetings.

As an aspiring intellectual property (IP) lawyer (a relatively niche area of legal practice), CBA helped Nivi find the perfect mentor last year who offered valuable insights and connected her to other IP practitioners! Further, the CBA sections have helped Nivi stay informed on current happenings in IP law, which in turn has helped her become nerdier (i.e. cooler!)

Nivi is an international student from India. In her former life (i.e. before law school), she worked as an environmental engineering consultant who also represented youth policy perspective on climate change & sustainable development at the United Nations. If you have any questions about the CBA, please contact Nivi at ubcmentorship@bccba.org.

*NB: It is not conclusive whether joining the CBA will provide you with super-powers; however, it may connect you with some every-day superheroes.

This post was co-written by Elise Everest and Nivi Ramaswamy, and edited by Acting Career Services Director Jenn Lau.

The Law Revue and the Guile Debate

Here's a post by recent alumnus Daniel Wood about two of the most light-hearted and certainly entertaining events of the year, the Guile Debate and the Law Revue. Your Orientation Assistant, Martina Zanetti, will be one of this year's Law Revue co-directors. Feel free to send her scripts and stop her in the halls for an impromptu audition.***

***There actually are no auditions. We take everyone.

When you enter into law school, you may feel a need to project an image of yourself as only professional and respectful; PUMP YOUR BREAKS. That thinking is pure unfiltered nonsense. The more you meet lawyers, the more you'll discover how delightfully whimsical and witty some of them can be. They're regular folks, you know.  Also, it’s important to maintain a light heart when you're in a profession known for dealing with heavy, soul-crushing stress and due diligence. The best places at UBC Law to flex your whimsical and sometimes crude muscles, and to keep your heart a featherweight, are The Robert H. Guile QC Memorial Debate and the UBC Law Revue.

Guile Debate: You are given a resolution (ex. "the ends justify the means") which you are argue pro or con for, but you have to make it funny or otherwise you fail.  There are two rounds; the tryouts and the finals. The tryouts happen in November and are for everyone who wants to participate.  They’re judged by UBC Law professors and representatives from the sponsoring firm, and are not very restrictive on how much you have to be on topic or what the realms of decency are. If you are one of the four hilarious individuals to make it to the finals in January, you have to settle down a slight bit and stay focused on the resolution (while still emphasizing humour, of course). The finals are judged by real life Provincial Court and Supreme Court judges, which could be your first exciting taste of their menacing and disapproving glares. An added bonus is that on top of all the glory, admiration and love you receive for being a finalist, you also get paid.  A cool 500 bones go to each member of the winning duo, and a less cool $250 to the runners-up. If you find yourself hesitant to sign up because you’re a first year and don’t really know anything up the law or law school, don’t be, 1Ls have had great success in the past.

Here is the 2012 Guile Debate Final in its entirety. 



Taylor Clarke and Camille Israel mourn the poor salmon run in a song and dance number at the 2012 Law Revue



Law Revue: A combination of live skit shows, videos and musical performances complete with whacky costumes and dirty dancing. Sometimes 1Ls are reluctant to participate in the Law Revue because it happens in March when anxiety about finals begins to sink in. But abandoning the Law Revue is far too drastic of a measure. Give up exercise, sleep and eating before you give up the Law Revue. Being a part of the show was the most fun I had every year that I was in law school and it’s not a huge commitment to be involved in it. It’s only a weekend of rehearsals in the morning and two of nights of shows done the following Monday and Tuesday.  Not to mention, sketch-writing is the highest form of procrastination.  So, in addition to having roles for theatrical types, the Law Revue always has jobs for writers and film producers, as well as all the unsung heroes such as costume designers, stage hands, bartenders and  door-money-taking-folk for whom the show couldn’t go on without. The Law Revue is a party onstage (and especially backstage). It’s a great opportunity to be creative, make new friends, get attention, and to see your professors, who often are guest stars, in a whole new light.

L-R: Career Services Director Jenn Lau, Career Services Public Interest Coordinator Tracy Wachmann, Criminal Law Professor Nikos Harris, Assistant Dean Kaila Mikkelson, Acting Assistant Dean Pam Cyr, and Tax Professor David Duff in the 2011 Law Revue.

Here is a short video I wrote/starred in, which features a cameo appearance from your very own orientation leader.  (SNAILS = Students not actually in law).

Just because you're beginning law school doesn't mean that all your non-professional aspirations have to die.  I highly recommend one or both of these staples of UBC Law to anyone who likes to perform or who likes being a part of creating something.  I also recommend participating in these events for anyone who is willing to go on a process of self-discovery.  I’ve witnessed people not only do things that they never thought they would, but also learn that they love doing those things.

LSLAP v. PBSC: A Guide

You are probably thinking: what are LSLAP and PBSC, and why are there so many acronyms in law school? Don’t worry, by the end of Orientation Week, you will be well acquainted with both of these programs, and may be wondering which one to choose. To make your decision a little easier, the LSLAP Exec and PBSC Coordinators have gotten together to give you a rundown.

Both programs allow law students to gain practical legal experience under the supervision of a lawyer, and benefit the community by increasing access to justice. Each one provides valuable networking opportunities with real lawyers, and both are well-known and respected in the legal community. 

Pro Bono Students Canada (PBSC)

PBSC is a student-run, national organization with chapters in every law school in Canada. We match volunteer law students with non-profit organizations in the community to provide legal research, writing, public legal education, and client interviewing. Our projects and organization vary widely, from sport law, to business law, to environmental law, to women’s rights and more.

Pros:
1) Very manageable time commitment (3-5 hours/week, no time during exam months).
2) Opportunity to gain in-depth knowledge and experience in specific areas of law.
3) Wide range of practical experiences available (research, drafting, client intake etc.) in diverse legal settings.

Cons:
1) Must submit a resume and application form to apply.
2) Volunteers do not give legal advice or represent clients.
3) Most projects are done remotely and students may feel like they aren’t really “hands on”.

Law Students Legal Advice Program (LSLAP)
LSLAP is a student run legal aid clinic that provides free legal advice and advocacy to low-income individuals, under the supervision of experienced supervising lawyers. Volunteers attend legal clinics throughout Vancouver and then have the opportunity to represent clients from start to finish, with issues ranging from wills, to immigration, to criminal law.

Pros:
1) Regular client contact and the opportunity to represent clients in court.
2) Paid summer positions for clinicians are available.
3) No application form required, just sign up online.

Cons:
1) Clinicians required to travel to a clinic (locations in and around Vancouver) once a week.
2) Some files can be time-consuming (though the overall time commitment is flexible and up to the student) 
3) Taking on real legal issues can be daunting.

LSLAP and PBSC sound so awesome! Can I do both?
Some students choose to do both LSLAP and PBSC, but we recommend sticking with one. It is easy to overextend yourself in first year and many students that sign up for both end up dropping one. You will be exposed to a ton of clubs, programs, and volunteer opportunities in first week, so make sure you think about your interests in advance, prioritize, and choose wisely. Oh, and don’t forget to leave some time for school work and having FUN! 

This year, PBSC and LSLAP have worked together to ensure that all law students have as many opportunities to get involved with pro bono work as possible. PBSC has moved up their application deadline so that student who do not receive a position still have time to join LSLAP, and LSLAP will permit these students to sign up even if they miss the first LSLAP training session.

Both PBSC and LSLAP have offices right here in Allard Hall, and we would be more than happy to chat with you about the programs or law school in general. PBSC is in Room 138, and will be run by Kalie McCrystal and Claire Haaf this year. You can also shoot them an email at pbsc.ubc@gmail.com, or check out their website at www.pbsc.law.ubc.ca. Juliana and Ricky are heading up LSLAP this year, and are located in Room 133. Check them out online at www.lslap.bc.ca.

Enjoy the rest of your summer and we will see you in September!