What areas of law does the firm practice?

Gardiner Roberts is a mid-sized, full-service law firm offering a variety of practice groups including corporate/commercial, litigation, estates, financing, real estate, health and intellectual property. Students, whether in the summer or during articling, are provided an opportunity to work with lawyers in a number of different practices, gaining useful insights and practical experience, further developing their interests.

What sets Gardiner Roberts apart?

Gardiner Roberts’ lawyers are fully invested in each students’ learning experience. One of the greatest advantages of working here is the combination of a mid-sized firm, its collegial culture and the opportunity to gain real hands-on legal experience. The firm services a wide range of clients across a number of industries and students enjoy the opportunity to assume legitimate responsibility on multiple files.

What does Gardiner Roberts look for in a prospective student?

There is no exact formula or specific set of characteristics, as evidenced by the fact that, each year, student profiles vary considerably. We find that our students – and our lawyers – come from various academic, work and cultural backgrounds. As a general rule of thumb, students at Gardiner Roberts prove to be eager, open to learning and dedicated individuals.

What is the mentorship program at Gardiner Roberts like?

Mentorship is an integral part of the Gardiner Roberts experience – from the perspective of the student and amongst the lawyers involved. Each student is paired with a mentor during the summer term who will continue this mentorship through articling. Mentors routinely meet with their students on a regular basis while access to all of Gardiner Roberts’ lawyers provides students with invaluable levels of advice and additional insight. It is not uncommon for our students to have multiple mentor-like relationships at the firm.

How does the summer term compare to articling? Are there rotations?

The summer term is similar to articling as – in either situation – students gain access to a wide range of legal work and have the opportunity to focus on and discover more about the areas of law they find most interesting. There is a rotation system during articling, yet this does not happen during the shorter summer term. As a result, our summer students gain a general picture of the firm environment while  acclimatizing themselves to the overall firm culture. The articling rotation system ensures that each student is able to experience both litigation and corporate-focused assignments while still enjoying the flexibility to seek out work from any practice group they may choose.

How are students considered for work at Gardiner Roberts?

Students are assigned work in a number of ways. Typically, the student group is regularly emailed work assignments from lawyers or partners at the firm. These assignments range from research projects, drafting memorandums, attending court, assisting on corporate transactions and a variety of other tasks. Additionally, students are encouraged to network with associates and partners to receive files on a more specific, one-to-one basis as it may relate to their specific interests.