Articling at OWZW
A Brief Introduction
Where you article is a significant career decision and is easily one of the more difficult but important choices you’ll make this year.
Here is some information to help you decide why you want to consider OWZW for your articles and future career.
Student. Associate. Partner.
All partners were once students (hard to imagine at times) and many of our partners actually began and have spent their entire careers at OWZW. At OWZW we have created an environment that gives you the tools and the support to learn, grow, and succeed. Our focus is in making you a good lawyer and retaining people who want to succeed and be part of our team. We think of our students as future partners.
Diversity of Work.
Our partners and associates work with clients from a variety of backgrounds with a variety of legal issues. Our clients include individuals and entrepreneurs, large and small businesses, First Nations, government departments and agencies, crown corporations and credit union organizations. This means as a student, and then as an associate, you receive real opportunities to work on interesting files in a variety of different areas of law. We are active in many practice areas—such as aboriginal, commercial/corporate, credit union, debtor creditor, employment, family, litigation, real estate and wills and estates. We have developed practice groups within our firm to ensure our clients’ needs are addressed and all facets of legal expertise are utilized to ensure the best result for our clients. OWZW also provides articling students with the opportunity to engage in practical and hands-on work from the beginning of their articles. As a student at OWZW, you will have the opportunity to work on your own billable files with clear direction from senior associates and partners.
Stable & Reputable.
OWZW has been around since 1977 and our office occupies two floors in the Avord Tower Building in downtown Regina. We’re not the biggest firm in Saskatchewan, however, in our opinion this provides you with more opportunities to become involved in files in a “hands on” manner and see files through to the end. We currently have 16 lawyers at our firm who are able to provide you with support, advice and helpful precedents you need to succeed. We have an open door policy at OWZW and partners, associates and articling students interact on a first name basis.
Are we different?
We are similar in some respects to other law firms in Saskatchewan. We have support departments such as IT, HR and accounting. We staff the firm with excellent, friendly and knowledgeable paralegals and assistants. We also strive to establish a reputation of excellence and dependability among our lawyers. But then again we’re not quite the same either, we have an enviable balance between big firm amenities and small firm environment.
We live in our communities.
As a firm and as individuals we are actively involved in charities, business associations and community groups. This means your participation in community events will be supported and you may be asked if you would like to join in the firm’s community work and events. This provides an excellent opportunity to socialize with lawyers from the firm in a more informal setting as well as to get to meet people in the community of Regina.
A social life.
We know that all firms talk about this, but we actually encourage one. All firms work hard. We work hard, too. Once in a while it’s difficult to get us out from behind our desks. We do, however, know that informal get-togethers are integral and necessary parts of a healthy workplace, and this helps define our firm culture. Our social committee fosters an atmosphere of camaraderie within the firm and the partners also do their best to ensure we all, staff and lawyers, have an opportunity to take a break once in a while. Lawyers, students and staff connect in our lounge and over lunches. Lawyers try and meet twice a day for coffee breaks. We have potlucks, BBQs, Rider Pride days and the associates like to meet regularly for lunches and drinks. Fundamentally, our people support one another and enjoy spending time together. Also, every two years we have a lawyers retreat and we always have some great stories when we get back!
Benefits.
We are walking distance from both the Provincial Court and the Court of King’s Bench. We are a full service firm and try to expose our students to a broad spectrum of practice groups and the varying issues and tasks of each group. Our articling students receive a comprehensive compensation package including full medical and dental benefits, payment of bar admission course fees and supplies, payment of Regina and Canadian Bar Association fees and access to support staff. All articling students have their own office (with windows!) and are provided with a cell phone.
How to Apply
OWZW participates in the articling student recruitment and interview process administered annually (typically in May) by the U of S College of Law. Look for our articling position posting on the College of Law’s website. If OWZW sounds like the firm where you would like to build your career we encourage you to reply to our posting and send us your application.
