Articling
Welcome to Pallett Valo LLP
Choosing the law firm at which to article is one of the most important decisions a law student will ever make. The choices that we make in selecting our students are no less important to us. Since we hire and develop the best students and lawyers, year after year, we see you as our future. For this reason, we put tremendous resources into our summer and articling programs. Our approach is to hire second-year summer students with the expectation that they will ultimately join us as lawyers.
A Challenging and Stimulating Environment
Pallett Valo provides students with hands-on experience. They are given a high level of responsibility and will often work on a file from start to finish. We ensure that our students gain substantive experience and are given exposure to specialty areas such as Business, Commercial Litigation, Commercial Real Estate, Construction, Insolvency & Corporate Restructuring, Labour & Employment and Wills, Estates & Trusts. In these areas, our students will gain experience:
- Drafting transaction documents
- Attending court proceedings with senior counsel
- Participating in client meetings
Mentor Program
Each articling student is assigned to one of our associate lawyers who acts as an advisor and sounding board. The program creates the opportunity for the student and the mentor to meet regularly to discuss progress to date. We consider this program to be an important factor in assisting with a student’s career development.
Our Environment
We encourage our students to be involved with the firm in attending lunch and learn sessions, summer and holiday events, monthly lawyers' social get-togethers and other events. The firm provides students with a collegial atmosphere which encourages openness and collaboration.
Here’s what our past and current students have to say:
"As a summer student, I truly enjoyed my experience at Pallett Valo. The friendly and professional environment of the firm combined with the high quality of work that I was assigned made the experience very rewarding. Because of the size of the firm, I was often able to work directly with partners and senior associates, which accelerated the pace of my learning. Every single person that I worked with was willing to take the time to explain things and provide me with valuable feedback. I am very excited to be returning to Pallett Valo as an articling student."
Steven Pordage
B.A. (Hons.), University of Toronto (2009)
J.D. Candidate, Queen’s University Faculty of Law (2012)
My summer experience at Pallett Valo allowed me to gain practical hands-on experience in a collegial and professional environment. As a summer student you dive right into the thick of things, writing complex research memos, drafting pleadings and providing client service. In my second week, I was assigned a small claims file for which I was solely responsible. I was the main client contact and was in charge of communicating with opposing counsel, drafting pleadings and preparing documents, with guidance and supervision of course. It is a wonderful feeling to be entrusted with direct client service so early on. Aside from getting amazing quality of work, the firm has a strong open door policy, a great network of lawyers and partners to learn from, and the size of the firm gives you a great sense of community and belonging. After a rewarding summer, I cannot wait to be back for my articling term next year!
Summer Motiwala
B. Comm. University of Toronto (2008)
J.D. Candidate, University of Windsor (2012)
"My summer and articling experiences confirmed that Pallett Valo was the right choice for me. The small number of students and the flexibility of the program allow both the summer and articling experiences to be personalized to the student's interest. The mid-size nature of the firm also means that students are involved in big files and are assigned work that makes you feel like you are making an important contribution. The firm is committed to offering students an invaluable learning experience and preparing them for the practice of law. The atmosphere at Pallett Valo is friendly and collegial and students are always included in the professional and social events. Given my experience across a wide range of practice areas and the knowledgeable and friendly lawyers and staff, I am proud to have started my legal career at Pallett Valo"
Olivia Gismondi
B.A. (Hons.), University of Toronto (2006)
LL.B., University of Windsor (2010)
Called to the Ontario Bar, 2011
"As a summer student at Pallett Valo, I was instantly impressed with the amount of responsibility I was entrusted with. In each department, the lawyers’ willingness to assign the drafting of pleadings and facta to the students lifted my motivation as a newcomer to the legal profession. Senior counsel is approachable and encouraging, making for a firm environment like no other. Overall, summering at Pallett Valo provides students with a vibrant, hands-on learning experience."
Paul Guaragna
B.A., York University (2008)
J.D., University of Windsor (2011)
2010 Summer Student/2011-2012 Articling Student
"My summer experience at Pallett Valo was exciting, stimulating, and, most of all, fun. I worked on a variety of files, which afforded me the opportunity try different areas practice at Pallett Valo. The work was challenging and intellectually stimulating. But the highlight of my summer experience has been the people. Pallett Valo houses an amazing group of lawyers who are friendly, collegial, and supportive as I learn the ins and outs of practice. Each lawyer, whether a junior lawyer or a senior partner, provided detailed instructions and gave clear directions when assigning a project. Most of all, they showed tremendous patience and answered all of my questions. In short, I genuinely couldn’t have asked for a better summer experience after second year."
Asim Iqbal
B.B.A., University of Guelph (2006)
J.D., University of Toronto (2011)
2010 Summer Student/2011-2012 Articling Student
"The lawyers at Pallett Valo are knowledgeable, creative, supportive, collegial and always willing to provide mentorship to their students. This made my summer and articling experience at Pallett Valo rewarding on many levels. The continuous emphasis on practical legal training and practice management, as well as the importance placed on mentorship and feedback are just a few examples of Pallett Valo’s dedication to the success of their students and how they foster professional growth."
David Forgione
B.A. (Hons.), York University (2003)
M.A., York University (2004)
LL.B., University of Ottawa (2008)
Called to the Ontario Bar, 2009
Our Location
Mississauga is a cosmopolitan and vibrant city. It is recognized as Canada's 6th largest and fastest growing major city, with a population in excess of 700,000 residents representing cultures from around the world. The city is surrounded by quaint historic villages, bustling waterfront, and world-class art and theatre. For listings of what’s happening in the area, check on the following links:
Important Dates
Application Deadline for 2012 Summer Law Student positions:
February 10, 2012
Application Deadline for 2013-2014 Articling Positions: To be announced
Recruitment of Articling Students for the 2013-2014 term will be conducted in accordance with the LSUC Articling Recruitment Guidelines. Our expectation is that typically our summer students will be offered articling positions and that additional articling students will not be required.
Submission Requirements
Applications must include resume, cover letter, undergraduate and law school transcripts. For email submissions, PDF format is preferred.
Please submit your application to our Articling Committee:
Email - articling@pallettvalo.com
Confidential Fax - 905.897.0267
Mail - 90 Burnhamthorpe Road West, Suite 1600, Mississauga, ON, L5B 3C3
If you do not receive an email acknowledging receipt of your application, please email hferrigan@pallettvalo.com.
Thank you for your interest in Pallett Valo LLP.