January 7, 2009
 

 
Frequently Asked Questions
 
 
| Does Davies attend career days?
Yes.  We send lawyers who will answer your questions about the firm and our stage to all of the civil law faculties in Québec as well as to the University of Ottawa.
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| When is the stage application and interview period this year?
Davies is a member of the Entente on recruiting.  The dates set by the Entente vary slightly each year but generally the interviews take place during the first few weeks in March.

To learn more about key recruitment dates, click here.


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| Can I apply for a summer position as well as a stage?
When we make an offer to a candidate it is for a stage, but once hired you can work during the summer(s) before the stage if you wish.
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| How many stagiaires does Davies recruit each year?
We don’t have a hiring quota for stagiaires.  Our practice is to make stage offers to all those who meet our high standards, so the number of stagiaires we hire each year varies.
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| How long is the stage and when does it take place?
The stage is 6 months in accordance with Québec bar requirements, starting after successful completion of the bar exams.  Most stagiaires choose to start their stage in either late January or  May/June.

To learn more about our program, click here.


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| What is it like to work at Davies?
Davies is a dynamic environment to work in.  You will work with lawyers who have a passion for everything they do, including the law.  You will have an opportunity to become a member of transaction and litigation teams, working on some of the most challenging matters at the firm.
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| Is there a specific number of hours that students or stagiaires are required to work each week?
No.  Davies does not set billable and non-billable targets for its students, stagiaires or lawyers. This is one of the differentiating factors of our firm.  No one will be counting your hours or watching when you arrive and leave each day.

To learn more about our program, click here.


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| How is work assigned?
We believe that it is important for you to have a say in your work assignments and for you to work directly with the lawyer(s) involved on the file, so we do not have a “dispatcher” who hands out work to students.  Generally lawyers will contact you directly to ask for your help on a file, but if you are interested in working on a particular case or transaction, or with a particular lawyer, we encourage you to ask to join the team.  Your mentor will also help you find work on transactions and cases in your areas of interest. 

To learn more about our program, click here.


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| If I have a particular interest in a specific area of law, can I focus my work in that area?
Yes.  We do not have set rotations for students or stagiaires so you can focus on practice areas which are of interest to you.  We also recognize that many students will not yet know in which area they will want to practice, so we encourage you to try your hand at different practice areas during the summers and the stage.
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| Are social events mandatory?
No.  We have these events so that you can socialize with your fellow students and stagiaires and with the lawyers at the firm.  However we recognize it is important to maintain a good work-life balance.

To learn more about our program, click here.


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| What does Davies look for in a candidate?
What we look for in candidates is how they might contribute in their own unique way.  We look for people who are well-rounded and passionate about their interests and the law.  Our students, stagiaires and lawyers have diverse education and work backgrounds, and we do not expect our lawyers to fit into any one mold. We all take our work responsibilities seriously, but many of us are also actively involved in community service, have traveled extensively, or have significant personal achievements.

To learn more about our students and stagiaire, click here.


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| Will I be assigned a mentor?
After you have been at the firm for a few weeks, you select your own mentor from among the lawyers in the office.
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| How does the mentoring program work?
Your mentor is a valuable resource during your summers and stage and his or her aim is to help you set a path to success at Davies.  Your mentor will help you become integrated into the day-to-day activities of the firm.  Your mentor will give you guidance on your career, give you advice regarding your work on transactions and cases, and help you learn to manage your workload.  Your mentor will also be a great person to learn from, whether it be the about the law, our firm, our culture or our values.  Finally, your mentor is key in providing you with feedback throughout your time at Davies.

Many of our students and stagiaires also develop informal mentoring relationships with the lawyers in our firm.  Although not an official mentoring relationship, these mentors often provide valuable guidance about the practice of the law, at a high level and day-to-day transaction and case level,  and they are a great resource for learning about the firm.  To learn more about our mentoring program, please click here.


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| What is the work-life balance like at Davies?
We believe it is important for you to have a balance between your work, family, personal commitments and recreational activities.  As a student and stagiaire, it is also important that you have an opportunity to participate in social events so that you can get to know the lawyers in our firm better.  Practicing law is a service business, and there are times during a transaction or case when you will be working late hours with the team to meet a deadline, but we do want to make sure that you have time to have a life outside of work.

To learn more about our program, click here.


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| How many stagiaires were offered associate positions last year?
We offer associate positions to all stagiaires who we think will make good lawyers at Davies, so the number varies each year. 
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| When does a stagiaire find out if she or he has been hired back to Davies as an associate?
We tell our stagiaires in the 4th or 5th month of their stage if they will be hired back as associates.
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| How much will I be able to interact with the lawyers at the firm?
You will have ample opportunity to interact with our lawyers while working on transactions and cases and at our firm social events.  You will work directly with lawyers at all levels of seniority, giving you a chance to learn from their experience.  You will also be able to choose a lawyer as a mentor at the beginning of each summer and at the beginning of your stage.
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| On what basis are students and stagiaires evaluated at the firm?
We do not evaluate students, stagiaires or lawyers based on the number of hours they work, but rather on a range of attributes.  We look for a well-rounded person with a sense of responsibility, intelligence, initiative, sound judgement and a creative mind.  We look for team players who can be relied upon to do their best to serve our clients.  We don’t expect you to know everything there is to know about the law, but we do expect you to do the best work you can.
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| What type of work will I be doing as a student or stagiaire?
Your work will not differ greatly from what you will be doing as a young lawyer at Davies.  Stagiaires work on all types of client files and do all kinds of work, depending on their areas of interest and the needs of our clients.  For example, a stagiaire with an interest in litigation may draft and plead motions, meet with clients and help develop litigation strategies and arguments, while a stagiaire working on a transaction might work on drafting agreements, participate in negotiation sessions and attend client meetings.  As a stagiaire you are likely to have sole responsibility for some smaller matters, while working as part of a larger group on bigger transactions and cases.  Summer students also attend meetings and work as part of litigation or transaction teams, as well as doing research.
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| Will I have client interaction?
Yes, we believe it’s important for you to learn how to work with clients early in your career.  You will talk to clients on the phone resolving day-to-day issues and you will attend meetings as part of the team.
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| What opportunities are there for professional development?
We strongly believe in the value of professional development and it is a core part of our student and stage programs.  Each year, the Student Committee develops a curriculum that includes seminars and workshops on ethics and professionalism, law practice management, professional practice and skills development.  This curriculum follows an intensive one-to-two-week orientation program for those students and stagiaires who are new to the firm. 

Firm-wide and student-focused substantive and business skills programs are also held throughout the summer.  In addition to the student and stagiaire curriculum, stagiaires are encouraged to attend a number of our scheduled practice group meetings which focus on current legal issues. 

We also believe in ongoing education for our associates and lawyers.  To learn more about our Professional Development programs, click here. 


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| Do I need to be fluently bilingual to work at Davies?
No and Yes.  While our lawyers work in both official languages, some of our students speak or write only one language when they start. You will learn on the job, and we often provide English or French courses for those who need to improve their language skills.  You will also find that students and stagiaires help each other out, reviewing and correcting each other’s grammar and spelling errors, so you need not worry if your writing skills in your second language aren’t quite perfect.
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| What is your maternity and parental leave policy?
Lawyers can take maternity and/or parental leave for the maximum term provided for by law.  In addition, we have a Supplementary Maternity Benefits Plan, which applies to associates who have worked as a lawyer at Davies for at least a year.  Under the SMB Plan, the firm tops up employment insurance benefits so that a lawyer who is on maternity leave will receive 100% of her usual salary through a combination of employment insurance and the SMB Plan for the period set out in the Plan.
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