As a mid-sized full service law firm, our articling students have the opportunity to be exposed to all areas of practice in the firm. Although we may utilize a rotation to give students access to a broad and comprehensive articling experience, DSF maintains an informal component to the articling program. By allowing an informal component to the program, students are able to gain greater access to areas and practices of particular interest.

Many of the lawyers at DSF have also articled here. Our firm invests a tremendous amount of resources into the articling program as we look to our students as a key component of the firm’s continued growth. We endeavour to give our articling students the independence and the ability to make decisions that impact the matters in which they are involved. Lawyers are decision makers and we want to ensure that the necessary skills are learned from the beginning.

Our articling students gain court experience, as well as meet and communicate with clients, lawyers and representatives from outside the firm on the matter in which they are involved. Some of our articling student’s responsibilities include: Weekly attendance at examinations and motions, carriage of small claims court files, and writing articles for our quarterly newsletter. They also assist on motions, pre-trials, mediations, arbitrations, trials (preparing materials, negotiating with opposing parties, and attending), and conduct research.

DSF offers a salary competitive with other mid-sized Toronto firms, and pays the tuition of the bar admission course regardless of hire-back. Salary is not paid during the bar admission course.

Typically, DSF hires up to four summer law students. We accept applications from first and second year law students. Consistent with our commitment to developing and retaining talent, at DSF we often first look to the existing summer students to fill future articling positions.

The summer student experience is very similar to the articling experience. If a student demonstrates a willingness and ability to handle complex matters, as much responsibility as permitted will be given. Please review our outline of the articling experience for further details.

DSF complies with the guidelines of the Law Society of Ontario in the recruitment of articling students. The guidelines can be found at www.lsuc.on.ca.  Applications are due by July 6th and interviews will be conducted during the week of August 13th.

The deadline for submitting summer student applications is November 14th. We typically conduct interviews in December and January and try our best to accommodate out of town students.

Applications should include the following:

• cover letter
• resume
• copies of undergraduate and law school transcripts, as well as graduate transcripts if applicable
• a list of courses you are planning to take in your third year of law school

Reference letters are welcomed, but not required.