We encourage students to step outside of their comfort zone and take on complex tasks, while providing support and guidance. At Farris, students routinely appear in court and chambers, attend client meetings and examinations, assist with transaction closings, and draft court documents and commercial agreements.

We don’t believe in strict rotations or micro-managing workflow. An important part of being a student is exploring different practice areas until you find an area you are truly passionate about and a group of people you love working with. Our self-directed approach gives students the freedom to pursue their interests and to guide their own course. We have over 50 practice areas and industries to explore.

“We hire students with a view to our firm’s future – so many Farris partners started as students at Farris and continued our careers here.  As a student I worked on everything from letters and memos to factums for the Court of Appeal; I attended client and witness preparation meetings; I attended two BC Supreme Court trials (during the second of which I became an associate and presented a portion of the closing argument on a Charter issue); and I had a Small Claims file of my own waiting on my chair on the day I arrived.  The specifics of the work available at any given time always differ, of course, but these are longstanding Farris traditions of active involvement and learning that we try hard to carry on.”

LUDMILA HERBST, K.C.

Partner

“Working with our summer and articling students is a core part of litigation at Farris. The ways they get involved are as varied as the cases we take on, but as a few examples: summer students might do the “deep dive” into a particular research issue that lead counsel will rely on at an upcoming hearing. An articling student recently took the lead on a residential tenancy file with me, meeting with witnesses, doing first drafts of affidavits, and splitting the oral argument with me as co-counsel in the hearing before the residential tenancy branch. In recent years, deploying a team of students to collectively review a large volume of documents was instrumental in Farris being able to effectively litigate a major constitutional challenge which was successful at the Supreme Court of Canada. Each of our students brings fresh perspectives and ideas to cases – and involving them fully as members of the team is as much to our benefit as theirs.”

KEVIN SMITH

Partner

SEE PRACTICE AREAS

We shape our students to be team players and future leaders. Students routinely junior on highly-complex commercial matters and litigation disputes for many of Canada’s leading public institutions and private companies. At the same time, we seek opportunities for students to run their own small claim files from beginning to end and to develop their advocacy and file management skills.

Our Director of Professional Development and Manager of Student Programs are here to support you from your first day of orientation to your Call to the Bar and beyond.

We pair each student with a Principal and an associate mentor who play an active role in our students’ professional development: they take students on one-on-one lunches, participate in the student review process and answer questions.

Students also have access to a series of legal skills workshops, a law library with two full-time librarians, an assistant, and a range of other resources to support them in their development.

Meaningful and constructive feedback is key to your professional development. Our lawyers take the time to provide ongoing, project-specific feedback to help our students build confidence and refine their skills.

We also provide our students with a formal review process. These evaluations provide students with a comprehensive assessment of their hard and soft skills as well as actionable advice on how to move forward in their professional development.

We recognize the value of our people and provide a competitive salary and benefits package in line with the big firm market in Vancouver.

ARTICLED STUDENTS

• Annual Salary:
  • Market competitive salary
• Vacation
  • Two weeks paid
• Health Coverage:
  • Medical, dental, life insurance, AD&D, extended health, and long-term disability coverage
• Tuition & Membership
  • Full salary during the Professional Legal Training Course (PLTC)
  • Articling enrollment and bar admission fees
  • Canadian Bar Association membership fee

SUMMER STUDENTS:

• Annual Salary:
  • Market competitive salary
• Vacation
  • 4% vacation pay
• Tuition & Membership
  • $6,500 tuition payment for students who return to article at the firm
  • Temporary articling enrollment fees

“Summering at Farris was a great way for me to be introduced to the legal practice and various areas of law, without feeling overwhelmed or intimidated. Right from the beginning, I was able to work with many encouraging lawyers and staff who were more than willing to get me involved in projects, while taking the time to explain the basics.

Coming into the summer without any legal work experience, I felt I was able to contribute to work right away. The flexibility of the summer program allowed me to dive into a variety of practice areas at the same time, which I felt gave me an enhanced introduction into the legal profession. Most importantly, I was always supported by a great group of mentors, and the other students.”

Dustin Deugau

2023 Summer Articled Student

“My summer at Farris was a wonderful experience. I had the autonomy to explore areas of interest, and lawyers were eager to integrate me into their work in meaningful ways. The lawyers and staff at Farris go out of their way to support and guide students in their professional development. If I ever had a question, was seeking work in an area of interest, or just wanted to chat, I felt comfortable approaching anyone at the firm, and their door was always open.”

Ian Meikle

2023 Summer Articled Student

“As a summer student at Farris, I had the chance to quickly get meaningfully involved on files across a broad range of practice areas. It has been extremely rewarding to learn from driven and passionate lawyers, through both formal and informal mentoring. As an example (and a highlight), a research task I received on my third day of work turned into penning numerous memos, helping draft affidavits and written submissions, and culminated in giving oral submissions at a hearing at the BC Supreme Court, all with the support of the lawyer running the file. I appreciated the collegial and collaborative environment at Farris between the summer student cohort, associates, and partners alike. I am already looking forward to returning for articles!”

Megan Walwyn

2023 Summer Articled Student

“My summer at Farris was all I wanted and more. There is so much informal mentorship – I have never felt so supported! Partners and associates alike are approachable and genuine, and everyone wants to help you succeed. I always felt like a valued part of the team on each file I worked and was given meaningful work. Perhaps most important of all, I felt that I was able to bring my full, authentic self to Farris. This, combined with the non-rotational structure, allowed me the confidence to challenge myself in new and interesting ways and explore areas of law I never knew existed, all while gaining practical, hands-on experience that will no doubt continue to benefit me.”

Sara Finnegan

2023 Summer Articled Student

“During my summer articles, Farris provided me an opportunity to seek meaningful work in the areas that interest me most.  With no set rotations, Farris provides you with an opportunity to take ownership of your career early on, and treats you like a lawyer from day one. With that responsibility comes a deep culture of mentorship and support. Associates and Partners provided me with constructive feedback and encouragement every step of the way, even while taking on tasks I didn’t know I was ready for. This process allowed me to develop my skills and confidence quickly, being ready to tackle more week after week. What made my summer at Farris truly special was being able to do all of this with a great group of summer students who genuinely care about each other’s success. Overall, my summer at Farris provided me with the right amount of independence, support, and feedback to help prepare me for the next steps in my legal career.”

Saylor Preston

2023 Summer Articled Student

“During my summer articles at Farris, I had the opportunity to engage in meaningful work on both the corporate and litigation sides of the firm. The firm’s non-rotational structure allowed me to work on everything from large real estate closings and estate planning to complex litigation files. One project that started with a discrete research memo turned into an active involvement in seven days of examinations for discovery with one of our senior partners. The supportive and collaborative environment that Farris fosters between students, associates and partners alike made my summer experience both fun and enriching.”

Vanessa Locke

2023 Summer Articled Student

We have little use for bureaucracy. Our firm is founded on relationships rather than committees. Our philosophy isn’t about billable targets for our students, associates or partners. Farris people are self-motivated, driven individuals who pursue excellence and satisfaction both at work and outside the office.

Student offices are typically located next to one another to encourage our students to get to know one another and collaborate on tasks.

These include:

• Farris has formed an official partnership with Access Pro Bono Society of BC to assume a steady stream of work from their various Roster Programs, including Wills & Estates, Family, Administrative, Civil and Charities/NPOs. Students are encouraged to participate in this partnership, and are supervised in this work by Senior Associates with specialized knowledge in the relevant areas.
• Outside the APB partnership, Farris Litigators and students routinely act in Small Claims Court trials on behalf of pro bono clients.

Farris & Lex Mundi make Global Impact

Farris is pleased to support the Lex Mundi Pro Bono Foundation. The Foundation has provided more than 800 social entrepreneurs with critical legal assistance in 75 countries. Through our longstanding and rewarding partnership with Lex Mundi we can all continue to work to strengthen the global pro bono culture and to improve lives and communities around the world, not just here at home. To hear a little bit about this global impact, check out this video! To learn more about the Lex Mundi Pro Bono Foundation’s work click here.

• We have partnered with the Canadian Centre for Diversity and Inclusion to broaden the educational, training and support resources available to our management, lawyers, students and staff, and to ensure we stay abreast of current developments.
• To ensure transparency in our operations, we are part of “Justice Bid”, an analytics company that gathers statistical data on diversity, promotion and attrition within the legal industry and publishes it for third parties to view.
• We recognize that unconscious bias can result in inequitable hiring practices, and have provided our recruit and interview team with external professional training to recognize and correct any such instances that may arise through the process.
• Our female partners regularly lead mentorship seminars and host evenings out for our female associates and students in order to provide them with the mentorship, leadership development, and resources they need to succeed in their practice.
• We offer competitive, flexible parental leave programs to ensure that our associates are empowered to be both great parents and great lawyers.
• We have a dedicated lawyer responsible for overseeing our diversity programs and initiatives. As part of their mandate, this lawyer monitors the attrition of diverse lawyers and the retention of our associates.

Lex Mundi and its member firms value diversity. We respect and embrace all people, including those of different ages, cultures, ethnicities, genders, nationalities, physical abilities, races, religious beliefs and sexual orientations. We value the experiences, knowledge and talents of all individuals in our firms and in our communities. We support and promote non-discriminatory practices that advance equal treatment of, and opportunity for, all people, and encourage meaningful participation by a broad cross-section of people in our firms and in our communities.

THEN: Senator Farris defends society outsiders, including a group of Chinese persons charged with gaming. He was sometimes called a ‘radical’ by his opponents, a description which apparently pleased him.

NOW: Farris lawyers provide pro bono services to AIDS-Free World, an international advocacy organization committed to assisting people affected by HIV and AIDS.

THEN: Evlyn Fenwick Farris founds the University Women’s Club of Vancouver and the Women’s Liberal Association

NOW: Farris partner, Rebecca Morse, plays a leading role in the Justicia Project, aimed at retaining and advancing women in private practice.

THEN: Elizabeth (Betty) Harrison becomes one of the first women partners in a Vancouver law firm.

NOW: Farris partners present at the Forum for Women Entrepreneurs in order to support women entrepreneurs at the key stages of business development.