Application process
Each year, the Calgary office hires approximately five or six students to do their articling at the firm. In selecting articling students, our criteria include:
- academic performance;
- the interview, as indicative of personal qualities and abilities;
- employment experience;
- interests and activities;
- references; and
- any other relevant factors, such as fluency in other languages and academic background.
Gowling WLG seeks students who thrive on challenges and the multi-faceted legal experiences of private practice. We regard the articling experience as an investment in a long-term relationship, and an exciting future, for the student with Gowling WLG.
We recruit according to the Law Society of Alberta guidelines.
Gowling WLG Calgary is an equal opportunity employer. That said, our firm is dedicated to providing equitable opportunities for employment and advancement, and to creating a more inclusive workplace for all our people, as we believe that diverse professional and administrative teams make better decisions. Applicants who are Indigenous, racialized BIPOC, members of the 2SLGBTQ+ community, and persons with a disability are encouraged to self-identify.
Successful applicants are selected based on individual merit and input from across the firm.
Student workload
We do not set students a target number of billable hours. While we expect our students to record their time and to carry a workload similar to that of our associates, the emphasis of our articling program is on learning and skills development. The annual budget for associates is 1750 docketed or billable hours.
Social programs
We recognize that the demands of the practice should be balanced with a lawyer's need for satisfaction and fulfillment in other areas. Firm activities include a Family Fun Day, children's and staff/professional holiday parties, participation in the K-100 Relay Race, golf tournament, and firm ("TGIF") get-togethers throughout the year.