In the News Detail
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Good to Go
SOURCE
Canadian Lawyer Associates
AUTHOR
Patric Senson
DATE
October 28, 2008
Christine Kilby, a lawyer in the Litigation Group, and Michelle Gage, Director of Student and Associate Programs, talk about the importance of secondments and the difference in perspective one gets compared to working solely at a law firm.
Click here to read the article (page 21).
Excerpt
Christine Kilby, a first-year litigation associate with Ogilvy Renault LLP in Toronto, has been on two secondments. On her first, at General Motors Canada, Kilby spent the majority of her time researching files, dealing with human rights complaints, and even appearing in small claims court representing GM. In her second, Kilby worked for Toronto Community Housing, where she handled her own files, represented TCH in front of the Landlord and Tenant Board, and appeared in court for one case. As she puts it, "When you're in-house counsel you're dealing with everything, big and small."
This difference in perspective is appreciated by the law firms when the associates return. Michelle Gage, the director of student and associate programs at Ogilvy Renault, says one reason her firm supports secondments is it "opens [the associate's] eyes to the client's perspective," and that this, in general, "makes our lawyers better lawyers."
Other firms have more formal programs. At Ogilvy Renault, articling students have the chance to take two-month rotations to one of the firm's clients. That's how Kilby ended up at General Motors. With these types of secondments, typically the business manager or associate manager at the firm will approach an associate that he or she feels will fit well with the client.
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