Recruiting and Hiring Articling Students

NEW RULES FOR RECRUITMENT OF ARTICLING STUDENTS

On June 25, 2009 the Benchers approved new rules for the recruitment of articling students. Only approved principals or their delegates may offer an articling position. Once an offer has been accepted, neither the offerer nor the student may withdraw from the agreement without the permission of the chief executive officer. Specific guidelines for recruitment for Winnipeg articling positions will be implemented for 2011-2012 articling positions. Please note the following:

Recruitment for Articling Positions for 2010-2011

Offers may be made at anytime.

Recruitment for Winnipeg Articling Positions for 2011-2012
Earliest Offer Date

Approved principals or their delegates may not make an offer of an articling position in Winnipeg for the 2011-2012 articling term until 4:00 p.m. on May 17, 2010. Offers made at 4:00 p.m. on May 17, 2010 must remain open to 4:00 p.m. on May 18, 2010 unless accepted by the student before that date and time. Offers made after May 17, 2010 must remain open for at least 24 hours, unless accepted by the student before the 24 hours have expired.

No Offers to First Year Students

Approved principals or their designates may make an offer of an articling position only to students who have, at a minimum, commenced their second year of law studies.

To review the new and amended rules go to www.lawsociety.mb.ca/code_and_rules/index_rules_pdf.htm.

The Law Society does not prescribe salaries for articling.

Articles

Articling students must successfully complete the Manitoba CPLED Program and 52 weeks of full-time articles with an approved principal. Articling students must complete the two components within 2 years from the start of either the CPLED Program or articles, whichever is started earlier.

During articles, articling students work under the supervision of a lawyer who have been approved by the Law Society to act as a principal.

To be admitted as an articling student, an applicant must submit the following:

• Application for Admission to the Manitoba CPLED Program and as an Articling Student

• Articling Agreement signed by the applicant and a lawyer who has been approved as a principal. The applicant is responsible for ensuring that the lawyer signing the Articles of Clerkship has been approved by the Law Society of Manitoba to act as a principal.

• Character Reference

• Original official transcripts submitted directly from all post-secondary institutions the applicant attended

• Certified Criminal Records Check from the RCMP Canadian Criminal Records Information Service, or documentation showing that it has been requested.

• The required fees

The Law Society will review all the submitted material and consider whether the applicant is eligible to enter articles.

The Law Society will consider requests for part-time or split articles on an individual basis.

Articling Principals

To become a principal, a lawyer must submit an Application to Act as a Principal to the Law Society. The application will be assessed based on the lawyer's insurance, discipline and complaints history. Except in special cases, the lawyer must have practised law for at least three years. The Law Society will consider whether the lawyer can provide adequate training to an articling student.

Principals are obligated to provide guidance, by instruction and example, to articling students on the practice of law and the practical application of ethical standards and rules of professional conduct.