"Law school is a pie-eating contest ..."

The Montreal Gazette published an article about the law schools in Quebec. It seems like the process there is pretty much the same as the process in Ontario.

First, beginning in February, there is a flood of student job applications at the top firms and a ruthless cull to determine who gets an interview and who gets a polite rejection.

Then there are the interviews themselves, which culminate in Call Day - Monday - when the lucky ones are told they have a job.

However, it seems like our articling terms differ.

Starting salaries exceeding $1,100 a week for the six-month stage, hefty signing bonuses, paid tuition for compulsory bar school, and lucrative summer jobs.

Articles on Ontario require a ten-month term(s). Finally, I like the conclusion of this article:

"Law school is a pie-eating contest - and the prize is more pie," [a recruiter] said. Twelve-hour days and 70-hour weeks are not uncommon for articling students. Firms want candidates with the endurance to handle the grind.

I would like to add that although 70-hour weeks/ 7 days a week may not be uncommon, there are articling positions that do not require such long hours. This article may represent one stream of law but there are other options out there. This article does not even mention government positions. Further, articling students in litigation often have spurts of long hours (all-nighters are not uncommon) but they may also work 40 hour weeks when it's slow.