Your Career Path with MB

You must first be eligible, according to the recruiting agreement. This means for most students that they are entering their 4th semester in law when they apply. That said, many students choose to wait until the following year to apply. Why? Often because their law program is 3.5 or 4 years in length, because they plan to do a master’s degree, or because they hope to be better prepared the following year.

In fact, most students see their academic results improve during their studies and this gives them more confidence when applying. It goes without saying that an additional year of experience, both in law school and “in life”, can be positive both on your resume and during interviews.

The more you have studied, volunteered or accumulated summer, internship or part-time experiences, the more you will have met and questioned lawyers who practice in different fields and sectors of activity, the better you will be equipped to present your aspirations during the course.

You may be ready in your second year! Several students are and find their articling position in second year. Obviously, if your first attempt is unsuccessful, you will have the opportunity to try again the following year.

In short, there is no better time that suits everyone – there is only yours. Please feel free to ask us directly if you would like to discuss your situation.

Most employers will say the same thing: there is no pre-established minimum threshold to determine which students we interview. The reason is simple: applications are generally compared with each other, as a whole. As there will usually always be room for candidates with spectacular academic records, if the rest of their application is impeccable.

What about flawless applications with “average” or below average grades? Several factors will influence the outcome. Generally, we would look for a clear indication that the applicant has the qualities required to practice in our team. For example, experience in writing, pleading and legal analysis, sometimes validates by a letter from a former employer. Then, we hope the student will have taken the trouble to meet with us during the year, whether as part of career day or another activity.

Another great question! The answer will depend on several factors. What is certain is that it won’t help you if a recruiter feels uncomfortable or feels pity when reading your application. If one chooses to present a particular situation in their letter of intent, it is because it really had an impact on their journey. You must not seem to be making excuses, because we know it is difficult to obtain excellent academic results in law and it will never be given to everyone.

It is risky to give universal examples, however if you could not follow your courses due to illness or could not devote yourself to your studies for some other reason, you can insert a very short statement, without dwelling on it. One strategy would be to plant a little seed during face-to-face meetings before the recruitment process officially start, when possible. To test the waters with recruiters. Always keep in mind the devil’s advocate could say to himself: everyone goes through hardships… Or even: what will this lawyer do later when facing difficulties?

We hope you can choose to practice in an office that have a modern and caring leadership, where difficult situations are approached without taboos. During a career, everyone will experience times when team support and benevolent leadership will mean a lot.

Are you comfortable discussing it during the interview? Did you acquire skills during these experiences? It’s a good idea to add color to your application by highlighting what you are passionate about and even (or especially!) what sets you apart. In our view, this goes hand in hand with the principle of authenticity at work. We hope you can present yourself as you are, 100% of the time. We believe that everyone excels more when their values ​​guide them. Your integrity will lead to the trust of your colleagues.

Still not sure? You may choose to leave certain experiences aside, for personal reasons, because your political allegiances have evolved, or you don’t want to draw attention to your “carré rouge” past, or you consider that an interest in an association does not add enough to your application. It’s OK too. This is your application.

You spent a lot of time getting your application perfect. Now is the time to do more and demonstrate that beyond your grades and past experiences, you are a future colleague. We will probe your genuine interest in our areas of practice. We will want to see if you use good judgment in complex situations, if you answer “easy” questions clearly, that is, about yourself, a subject that you are familiar with!

We strongly recommend that you participate in a few activities organized by your CDO to familiarize yourself with the process of the course aux stages, to practice meeting lawyers before the course, and to ask recruiters your preliminary questions.

Generally, we only welcome students at the time of their articling. This is how we have, for a really long time, succeeded in emphasizing individual development. Summers at Monette’s are usually a fairly quiet period during which lawyers take several weeks of vacation (!), so unless there are special projects for summer students, this does not offer, in our opinion, a sufficiently enriching experience for our new recruits.

We therefore suggest that you take advantage of your last summers as a student to diversify your experiences, to travel, take classes or even volunteer.

Absoutely! If you have read all the paragraphs of the agreement and are applying outside the blackout period, we will be happy to receive your application. Remember to attach all documents, including your letter of intent and your university transcripts.

We sometimes have additional positions to fill, so please let us know of your interest, clearly indicating when you would be available to start articling.

We were one of the first employers to adopt a hybrid telecommuting policy. This allows lawyers to work from home and the office as they please. Staff members work alternately, two to three days a week in the office. Obviously, we believe that meetings at the office promote development and creativity, and we can always count on our team of young (and not so young ) professionals to bring life in the office, to organize happy hours and lunchtime training, during which it is always pleasant to exchange ideas and discuss files.

We closely follow market evolution and our management committee, as well as all our partners, are sensitive to the well-being and the retention of our talents. This is why our teleworking policy includes a section on the Right to disconnect. We thus limit the flow of correspondence outside of office hours and hope to offer our entire team a better work-life balance.