DGW and Aboriginal Law Through the Eyes of an Articling Student: From My First Real Job to Articling During a Pandemic
by Lorenzo Rose
DGW Law gave me my first opportunity in the legal industry when they hired me as a law co-op student in the summer of 2018. I then returned to DGW for another work term as a law student before starting as an articled student in September 2020. Of course, the ongoing pandemic impacted my experience as an articled student, as it has impacted all aspects of life for the last 14 months. Fortunately for me, the team at DGW made certain that I missed no opportunities to gain experience and mentorship. As I look back on my articles, I am grateful for the relationships I made, the skills I improved, and the exciting work I was able to be a part of. I look forward to continuing to build on this experience when I return to DGW as an associate in fall 2021.
Before I began my first co-op term with DGW in 2017, I had never worked in an office before, let alone a leading Aboriginal law firm. The learning curve was steep, but after I figured out how to work the office copier, I was able to relax and begin to appreciate the collegial atmosphere at DGW and the meaningful and interesting work that the lawyers and staff engaged with daily.
After my experiences as a co-op student, DGW was my first choice for an articling position. When I returned for a second work term in 2019, I was able to engage in truly ground-breaking legal work, and appreciated the opportunity to apply my training in law and history to real-world issues. I returned to the University of Victoria after that term impatient to complete my legal studies so that I could get back to DGW and begin my articles.
Then the world shut down. I wrote my Spring 2020 exams virtually, and completed my last summer semester entirely from home. While at first it seemed certain that everything would be back to normal by September, as we all know, that was not to be. I began my articles with the world still in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. Video meetings, hand sanitizer, and working from home were and are the order of the day. While I miss the hustle-and-bustle of physically being in the office with the entire team, I appreciate DGW’s commitment to the safety of our team and clients.
Despite the impacts of the pandemic, my experience as an articling student was outstanding. I continued to do meaningful work on large, complex files, while also gaining experience responding to a variety of client needs. Although we were forced to be apart, the team at DGW remained linked (albeit virtually) and I felt the same sense of camaraderie that had existed when I first started at DGW. The DGW team, and particularly my principal Christopher Devlin, went out of their way to ensure I had excellent supervision and mentorship opportunities. Nearly nine months into my articles, I feel more confident and capable than I could have imagined at this time last year.
Through my various experiences at DGW over the last four years, I have grown as a person and a professional. I am deeply grateful for the opportunities and support that DGW has given me, and look forward to continuing my development when I return as an associate in September.