Practice areas
Summer students at Gowling WLG Vancouver are able to work with lawyers and agents in all of our major practice areas: Advocacy, Business Law and Intellectual Property, each of which includes a number of specialty groups.
With a broad clientele of regional, national and multinational organizations, Gowling WLG Vancouver provides students with exposure to a wide variety of industries including Financial Services, Mining, Manufacturing, Technology and Life Sciences. We also have a strong focus on international practices including our China initiative and our U.S. initiative.
Over the summer, students discover the scope and intricacy of our various disciplines and are encouraged to seek work in particular areas of interest.
Gowling WLG Vancouver generally hires three summer students each year.
In Business Law, our practice includes:
- General corporate/commercial
- Tax
- Corporate finance
- Financial services
- Real estate
- Environmental law
In Litigation, our practice consists of:
- Commercial litigation
- Banking litigation
- Employment and labour law
- Insurance and professional liability
- Product liability
- Health law
- Class actions
And finally, our Intellectual Property practice covers areas such as:
- Patents
- Trademarks
- Copyright
- Technology
- Franchising
- Marketing/advertising law
Application process
The summer program at Gowling WLG Vancouver is generally limited to students who have completed their second year of law school. Each year, Gowling WLG Vancouver recruits according to the Vancouver Bar Association guidelines.
Gowling WLG Vancouver 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.
Law student interested in Gowling WLG Vancouver summer program are encouraged to submit their application package through the viportal. The Vancouver Bar Association sets the deadlines for articling student applications.
Applications are accepted only from second year students and hiring decisions are made in October for commencement of summer employment in early May.
On-campus interview
Gowling WLG Vancouver participates in on-campus interviews at University of British Columbia, University of Victoria and Thompson Rivers University.
Student workload
While we do not set a target number of hours for our students, they are generally expected to carry a workload similar to that of our associates. The annual budget for Gowling WLG Vancouver associates is 1750 billable hours (approx. 35/wk).
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Professional development
Gowling WLG provides a rewarding and educational summer work experience. We actively develop our students through educational programs that provide insight, evaluation and hands-on experience with various areas of the law. Our mentoring program, with junior or senior associates acting as summer student mentors, provide students with opportunities to work with – and learn from – our diverse and experienced professionals. Our students are also encouraged to define their own development, and to seek out and experience the work in which they are most interested.
In addition, the firm pays the fees for the Professional Legal Training Course ("PLTC") as well as call fees, and students receive their salary while attending PLTC. Our students are also encouraged to attend continuing legal education courses and other legal seminars at the firm's expense.
Compensation & benefits
Our commitment to our students includes a competitive salary, plus vacation pay. Gowling WLG also established a guideline for agile working. The goal is to ensure a balance between working in the office and working remotely. Moreover, summer students also receive $6,000 towards third-year tuition.
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. Associate and student activities are organized by an associate's social committee. Past events have included baseball games, beach days, pitch and putt and other casual get togethers.
Student directory
2023
University of British Columbia
Meagan Auger
Gabe George
David Hundal
Wynona Klemt
Nicole Sapieha
University of Western Ontario
John Perianayagam
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