Week 1 Post 1

First Impressions:

At Amy, Appleby & Brennan there are several areas of law that are practiced. There is Contested Family Law, Commercial Corporate, Wills and Estates, Real Estate and Charities/Corporate- Not for Profit. There are no mission statements. The orientation up-to-date has been very exciting as the staff members are very welcoming. For my three-week placement I have each day set up with a new staff member, which I enjoy as I get to know each and everyone at the law firm. I was given one manual at reception and I find it very useful as it lays out each lawyer of the firm and what specific area of law they offer to clients. It also lays out which legal assistant is working under their specific lawyer so when a client calls it can make it easier to transfer the call to the correct person. The way we have learned formatting of documents in class is how my placement formats their documents. For example, for backsheets in Wills and Estates and Family law,  it is landscape, centered, with the date on the top of the page. I don't find much difference at the law firm from what I learned in my classes, therefore there are no surprises so far. My experience has been positive by the friendly environment i'm surrounded in and the comfortableness in the workplace.

On the first day of my placement, I started with General Office Procedures. I had met with Kate, one of the Legal Assistants at the law firm and she showed me around the firm and her daily routine. The people at the firm are very kind and welcoming. I was given a schedule prior to my placement which laid out what areas of law I would be going over throughout the duration of my three-week placement. I observed Kate's daily routine and how she prioritizes clients. The areas of law she mainly works on are Family Law and Wills and Estates. She was kind enough to show me how the lawyers of the firm prefer the layout of documents and how to file them afterward. I have to say, all the procedures we have learned in class are all being used in the process of my placement.

On Tuesday, I was scheduled to work on Corporate Law with Bonny, one of the Legal Assistants. She went over the Minute Book we worked on in class and how it differentiates from the Minute Books at their law firm. However, there were similarities, but it was very interesting when she showed me the old Minute Books their law firm kept from 1962, and how the Ministry signed it with a very unique seal and stamp. Bonny gave me very detailed and educational information on Commercial Corporate and how the law firm mainly deals with that side of Corporate Law. After lunch, I then sat down with Heidi, another Legal Assistant who works on Corporate Law. She looked over my Minute Book and was very pleased to see the Articles of Incorporation and By-laws were very similar to the ones she was working on that day. She had me sit at her desk and guided me through a legal software called Oncorp which is similar to Fast Company. From Oncorp, I was able to work on Corporate Profiles, Data Extracts and Articles of Amendment.

So far, I am enjoying my placement very much and the people are very friendly. Although it has only been three days, I am becoming more comfortable in the environment and my surroundings. I am eager to learn more at my placement and continue incorporating the skills and knowledge I have gained in the course of the program. I cannot wait to hear the journey of my other classmates, as I keep in touch with mine!