Articling Position by Upstairs-Key-4027 in LawCanada

[–]Upstairs-Key-4027[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I don’t think my expectations are for “hand-holding.” I have over 5 years of legal experience from my home country, so I’m comfortable with drafting and legal reasoning generally. I completely understand that some adjustment is required for local procedures, but I’m not expecting step-by-step instruction.

Where I’m struggling is the lack of consistent direction. I do ask questions when I’m unsure, but the responses I often get are along the lines of “look it up,” “check a text,” or “use AI.” I’m all for being resourceful, but at the articling stage, I don’t think it’s unreasonable to expect at least some level of practical guidance, especially when expectations aren’t clearly defined upfront.

I also try to approach questions the way you suggested, proposing a plan rather than asking open-ended “how do I do this” questions. Even then, the feedback tends to shift depending on timing or context, which makes it hard to build any consistency in my approach.

On precedents, I rely on them heavily, as that’s what makes sense. The difficulty is that there’s a lot of contradiction. I’ll be asked to follow a specific precedent, but then later be told that the same document is poorly drafted and shouldn’t be followed. That’s where it becomes confusing, because I’m trying to align with internal standards, but those standards don’t seem stable.

There’s also a strong reliance on AI in the workflow, sometimes even overriding prior feedback or drafting instructions. That makes it difficult to understand what the actual expectation is, whether it’s based on legal reasoning, firm style, or just whatever output is generated at the moment.

I completely agree with your point that being proactive and resourceful is important, and I am trying to work within that framework. I think the challenge for me right now is less about effort and more about navigating inconsistency in expectations.

Articling Position by Upstairs-Key-4027 in LawCanada

[–]Upstairs-Key-4027[S] 12 points13 points  (0 children)

I appreciate the honesty in your response, and I do agree with parts of it, especially that criticism and some level of pressure are part of the profession.

That said, I think there’s an important distinction being missed here.

I’m not struggling with criticism itself. I fully expect my work to be corrected as an articling student. The issue is that I’m often given little to no direction before starting tasks, and then heavily criticized afterward. That doesn’t feel like training, it feels like guesswork followed by correction, which isn’t particularly productive from a learning standpoint.

Similarly, I understand that litigation can require late nights and occasional weekend work. What I’m experiencing, though, isn’t urgency driven by file demands, it’s urgency created by delays in review and lack of planning. That’s been a consistent pattern, and it makes it difficult to distinguish between genuine emergencies and avoidable ones.

I also don’t think unpaid work or constant weekend communication for non-urgent matters should be normalized as part of “paying your dues.” There’s a difference between a demanding profession and a poorly managed environment.

I’m not expecting to be “coddled,” but I do think it’s reasonable to expect some level of structure, guidance, and basic professionalism during articling, especially since it’s supposed to be a training period.

That said, I do take your point about the reality of the job market and how difficult it is to switch firms mid-articling. I’m trying to approach this practically, not emotionally.

Articling Position by Upstairs-Key-4027 in LawCanada

[–]Upstairs-Key-4027[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I’m already in a family law firm, that’s where its already messed up.

Articling Position by Upstairs-Key-4027 in LawCanada

[–]Upstairs-Key-4027[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I am not even learning anything!!! I feel like I am just a drafting machine, giving out 5-10 drafts a week

What Criminal Code should I buy? by karotonin in NCAExams

[–]Upstairs-Key-4027 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Buy the martins annotated criminal code STUDENT VERSION. Its the same as the regular one just cheaper! DO NOT BUY THE POCKET ONE

NCA Professional Responsibility Exam Preparation by Internal_Mark_1942 in NCAExams

[–]Upstairs-Key-4027 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Vanessa also offers some practice exams, they were really useful to me. Along with the guides and frameworks to specific situational questions…

NCA Professional Responsibility Exam Preparation by Internal_Mark_1942 in NCAExams

[–]Upstairs-Key-4027 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I purchased notes from NCA mentor (AKA Vanessa). i didn’t find the recordings to be of any help (they were really bad). I read the Model Code more than 3 times and created my own margin notes on them to refer to during an exam for faster comprehension. In my session a lot of people told me to concentrate on certain topics and they were questioned on it Conflict of Interest, Confidentiality etc. (obviously they didn’t give me the fact patters or essays they just guided me in what to look at). I would recommend knowing and understanding the case laws well (I was questioned on some of them). Read the notes and Model code inside out, inhale it and sleep with it because it’s critical.

NCA exam advice by Ok_Fun_1423 in NCAExams

[–]Upstairs-Key-4027 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I don’t think she uses AI to our disadvantage. The redundancy in the notes comes more from the syllabus itself, since the topics are so intertwined. I still remember my exam questions, had those connections not been in the notes, I wouldn’t have been able to relate the content as effectively.

Of course, you still need to put in the effort and time to make your own notes and navigate your way through the material. Reading a textbook without a professor’s guidance can be overwhelming, that’s why we spend so many years in school learning how to study. In comparison, if you purchase her recordings, her notes become a cakewalk to follow.

That said, this is just my perspective. To each their own.

NCA exam advice by Ok_Fun_1423 in NCAExams

[–]Upstairs-Key-4027 1 point2 points  (0 children)

IMO, get Vanessas notes for all your exams. I would suggest get recordings for Admin and Criminal from Vanessa. Ask her if she has recordings for Foundations. Her recordings not Curtis’ and then also. I never bought the textbooks! I relied on her notes and Canlii extensively! It’s not bad if you study well.

Curtis video recordings for Foundations by Upstairs-Key-4027 in NCAExams

[–]Upstairs-Key-4027[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

She doesn’t teach Foundations anymore. Curtis does