the daily snivel

Among other formal requirements, before she or he can be called to the bar as a member as a provincial law society, a graduating law student must work for ten months in a law firm (which would include courts and government ministries) gaining practical experience in procedure under a senior solicitor. It's known as a period of "articling." The position is, mercifully, paid, and may lead to subsequently being hired back as an associate. Applications for articles are generally made around the end of the second year of law school, and like most job searches, it's a stressful and uncertain time. Now, third year is a bit of a treat when you have your articles secured, because you know that as long as you don't completely screw things up, you have a job waiting for you. My sister, for example, is graduating this year and will be articling with the Crown Attorney's Office (the Canadian version of the DA) in Newmarket. Unfortunately, there are presently more law students in Ontario than there are available articling positions. I know quite a few people who are graduating this year who still don't have a position lined up after they complete their Bar Admissions Course in the summer. So all a law student can do is keep those grades up, have a damn good resume, and apply to many, many firms across the province and hope for the best. This, at least, is my strategy.

I sent out my first five applications today. So far I've applied to the Canadian Red Cross, the Ottawa Crown Attorney's Office, the Department of Justice, and two private firms specializing in areas of law I'm fascinated with (one deals in human rights, the other is a general practice firm including criminal and family law). I'm really happy with my cover letter and my resume, and my transcript is great since I have nothing lower than a "B" as yet. These are, of course, no guarantees. There's still the dreaded wait for the call, which is even more torturous than usual because there are specific dates set aside for calls and hiring decisions, so if you don't hear anything you can be fairly sure you're not going to. There is a round for Ottawa-based articles (the deadline for applying for which is May 14), and a round for other articles (such as in Toronto, with a deadline of July 16). I'm still working on many more applications, and I'll let you know as soon as I have any news. Expect something towards the end of May.

Meanwhile, I found a great article about on-line dating from a female perspective, which is chock full of realistic insights and handy tips on how not to be a creepy guy. Meet the Drunken Whore: http://drunkenwhore.blogspot.com/2004_03_01_drunkenwhore_archive.html

It's written by a fellow Ottawa inhabitant, who I found rather witty, though we've never crossed paths. Still, it is a great companion to my own misadventures in on-line dating.