THE ADVOCATE 677
VOL. 79 PART 5 SEPTEMBER 2021
THE ARTICLING STUDENT
WITH THE CORNER OFFICE
By Dirk Van Ommen
Graduating from law school is a milestone that students will
never forget. You’re finished school once and for all and are
about to embark on the next stage of your highly anticipated
long and illustrious career. As my graduation date
approached, I found myself formulating a mental image of what articling
would look like. I assume this is common among students. Some may be
fearful, others excited, and most likely have no idea what to expect. I
naively imagined a romanticized version of this past year that involved living
downtown, going for dinner and drinks after work, and sporting the
Vancouver lifestyle that young professionals crave. Needless to say, this did
not materialize. Fast-forward 15 months and you’ll find me living in my parents’
house at age 27 with my bedroom doubling as my office—a stark contrast
to what I envisioned.
Some lawyers may feel sorry for articling students because we’re missing
out on the traditional articling experience. I admit, our situation doesn’t
seem ideal. Frequently I am reminded of the importance of building connections
with people in the office and how it’s “just not the same” over
Zoom. I appreciate the empathy, but I don’t ask for your sympathy. While
we may have missed out on some aspects, we’ve become well versed in others.
Personally, I think our situation is rather exciting. An optimist would
say that we are pioneers of a new era of articling: the first class of students
to complete articles almost entirely from home. Alternatively, and perhaps
more realistically, we are guinea pigs of a mandated reality. In any event,
while there is no replacing in-person mentorship, lawyers and articling students
can also be productive from home.
I don’t claim that this past year was great. It was an extremely challenging
year for many. I choose not to complain because, relatively speaking,
I’ve been fortunate. For me, the most difficult moment was cancelling a
graduation trip to Italy that my girlfriend and I planned. Perspective. I’m
also not suggesting that working from home is better than working in the
office. There are many benefits to working in the office. However, this
requires a critical threshold of people to materialize. In the current state, it’s