Montréal

Our Montréal office's work ranges from representing start-ups on their most important legal matters to supporting large, high-profile corporate and commercial transactions and litigation files for multi-national organizations. Clients turn to us to help with their complex, bet-the-company matters.

The Business Law Group in the Québec region has advised on the biggest and highest-profile deals in the province and nationally. It also has an extensive project finance practice, especially in the energy sector and with respect to Public Private Partnerships (PPP). We have unparalleled depth in our various specialty groups, including Environmental Law, Competition Law and Technology Law.

Our Litigation Group is a stand-alone group that doesn't serve simply as an adjunct to the firm's business law activities. We have the most diverse litigation practice in Québec — it ranges from large complex commercial files to medical negligence work for the CMPA, the firm's largest client. Students can get very good exposure on larger files, as we work in client-service teams made up of different lawyers from our different offices and practice groups.

Summer Program

Our Montréal summer program is offered to students who we hired for articles. The summer student experience is a formative stage in your legal career. We recognize the importance of this foundational experience and, as a result, we invest heavily in nurturing our student talent to ensure each student develops and grows to their potential. Through thoughtful mentoring, transparent feedback, high quality work assignments, meaningful pro bono and charitable opportunities as well as social and community building events, we support each student as they explore and discover their areas of interest and make strong team relationships with their peers and our lawyers.

Our summer program is designed to introduce you to the practice of law and to the firm's variety of practice areas.

As a summer student, you will have the opportunity to work with Canada's leading lawyers in business law, tax, litigation, real property and planning law, and labour and employment law.

Our summer program begins with orientation and training to introduce our students to the firm, learn about research and writing techniques and to provide our students with tips and strategies to help them maximize their summer experience at the firm. Additionally, we offer extensive legal education and professional development programs covering topics such as “The Student’s Role in Closings”,  “The Student’s Role in the Litigation Process” and “The Student’s Role in Due Diligence”. Our lawyers are frequently invited to speak to the students about their area of practice or topical cases or transactions.

Summer students are given a broad range of responsibilities, including attending meetings, hearings and other litigation processes, researching and drafting legal memos, preparing draft documents, due diligence and work relating to the closing of transactions, participating in the drafting of conference materials, articles for publication, and case summaries. It is important that you have a well-rounded experience.

In Montréal, we don't have a rotation program for summer students; this provides students with exposure to various areas of law. We encourage independence and initiative in our students and we believe that you should have direct contact with lawyers at all levels of the firm. Lawyers allocate work directly to students. Students are also given the opportunity to participate in external rotations with significant clients and regulatory bodies.

The Director of Student Programs and your mentor will be available to assist you throughout the summer and to offer professional guidance. They will ensure that you receive interesting and stimulating work.

In Montréal, summer positions are only available to students we have recruited for the Québec bar articles. Our articling students generally work with us for two summers prior to articling. Working as a summer student is a benefit of being recruited for your articles. Some of our students also work part-time during the school year.

Articling Program

The articling program is designed to maximize your exposure to all aspects of the practice of law and our law firm. It will provide you with the opportunity to experience our practice first-hand by attending client meetings, strategy sessions, hearings and trials. You will be encouraged to work independently on some matters, all the while having support and guidance.

Our informal approach enables you to work with many lawyers in each area of practice. At McCarthy Tétrault, there is a spirit of co-operation and mutual respect that promotes teamwork and encourages us to work together and develop important working relationships, within the Montréal office and within the firm. The Director, Professional Resources and the mentors work closely with our students to monitor workload and to ensure that students are getting a wide variety of work experience in each of their rotations.

Our rotation system is designed to be flexible and offers a variety of choices. Each student typically rotates through Business Law and Litigation. Also, we believe you should have direct contact with lawyers at all levels of the firm, so the lawyer responsible for the file allocates work directly to our articling students.

We offer a choice of two articling periods, one starting in January and another in June. Our Montréal office hires between fifteen and twenty articling students each year.

Feedback and Evaluations

In Montréal, our summer students work closely with lawyers and feedback occurs informally on a regular basis. Our summer students are formally evaluated at the end of the summer. We also encourage students to seek feedback after each mandate.

Our articling students receive a mid-articles evaluation as well as a final performance evaluation in accordance with the Barreau du Québecs requirements. You will be encouraged to discuss any aspect of your articles with the Director, Professional Resources, your mentor and other lawyers in the firm, to seek constructive feedback on your professional development and to tell us whether the firm is providing you with work consistent with your expectations.

We invest heavily in feedback in order to help you develop and succeed – it is one of our firm’s priorities. Our lawyers are trained to give you effective and constructive feedback. We will help you become comfortable in seeking feedback and in putting into practice the hints and tips that were given to you.

Social Activities and Community Involvement

In addition to the professional aspects of the summer and articling program, a variety of social events are planned throughout the year to round out your experience as a McCarthy Tétrault student. Regular social events are organized to provide an opportunity to meet and get to know other students and lawyers on an informal basis. Depending on your interests, you can join our running club or the firm's soccer team.

The legal training and practical experience of our lawyers enable them to make valuable contributions to the community. We regularly participate in conferences and teach law school courses, courses at bar school, and continuing legal education courses. McCarthy Tétrault also sponsors scholarships, competitive moots, and academic prizes.

There are many ways that our students get involved in the community. Some chose to participate in fundraising activities and others assist local organizations in Pro Bono files.

Compensation and Benefits

As a student at McCarthy Tétrault, you will receive a compensation package that is competitive with other large national law firms.

For articling students, in addition to receiving a competitive salary, you will receive a medical and dental package as well as one weeks' paid vacation (during the 6-month articling term). Your Bar School fees are covered by the firm and a salary is paid during the four-month prescribed study period. Articling and summer students also receive a wellness subsidy and technology subsidy. We encourage our students to attend continuing legal education courses and other seminars. All articling students are provided with a membership in the Canadian Bar Association for this purpose.

Application Process

At McCarthy Tétrault, we look for students who are genuinely interested in our practice and our clients, who can work in a team-based environment, who have a strong desire to learn, who are highly motivated, and who demonstrate initiative and judgment.

The skills and character traits needed to practice law at a high level do not come in uniform packages and our students and lawyers have diverse backgrounds, personalities and interests.

We pride ourselves on our professionalism, client focus, innovation and ability to work as a team. If you think you might enjoy working with us, please send us your application.

Applications

Your application should include a cover letter, a complete résumé, and copies of all official transcripts of law school, undergraduate and graduate grades (if applicable). Writing samples and reference letters are not required.

Applications can be submitted directly online through the ViDesktop Law Portal by the date set in the Entente de recruitment.

The firm is a party to the Entente de recruitment signed by most major law firms in Montréal, which sets the dates for interviews and offers. Applications for 2027 articling positions should be received by February 3, 2025. No interviews will take place prior to March 17, 2025. We do not recruit first-year students, not even for summer positions.

To apply in one of our Québec Region offices, you must qualify for articling according to the requirements of the Québec bar.

Recruitment Process

You may be wondering how the recruitment process works at McCarthy Tétrault’s Montréal office. First, we will acknowledge receipt of your ViDesktop Law Portal application by e-mail. Then the process will be as follows:

First interviews

Students will meet two lawyers in a sit-down interview. Our first interviews are generally twenty-five to thirty minutes long.

Second interviews

Our second interview consists of a longer interview with some of our partners. You will be assigned a "mentor” lawyer who will be your main contact and who will guide you throughout the process. You will also tour our office and meet lawyers, students and articling students in a more informal setting.

Dinners and activities

During the recruitment process, we will host dinners and organize events and personalized activities.

If you have any questions about our recruitment process, the student programs or the firm in general, please do not hesitate to contact Jean-Nicolas Bissonnette, Director, Professional Resources, at 514-397-5696 or by email: jnbissonnette@mccarthy.ca

Hints and Tips

We appreciate that the recruitment process can be a stressful time for students. To make sure the process goes as smoothly as possible, here are few tips:

Application process

• Preparation is key to a successful recruitment experience, so take the time to reflect about who you are and what you want.
• A cover letter should be concise (no more than one page) and indicate why you are applying to McCarthy Tétrault.
• Your cover letter should leave the reader thinking, "I want to learn more about this person."
• Gaps in a candidate's personal history may be puzzling and should be explained in your cover letter.
• Your résumé should allow the reader to determine what you have done and should highlight your education, extracurricular activities, leadership, work and community service.
• Don't forget to proofread! Lawyers tend to be very detail-conscious.

Interview process

• When interviewing you, we want to learn more about your skills and interests, and, most importantly, about who you are.
• During the interview, you should be prepared to answer questions about anything in your cover letter and résumé, about yourself and your career ambitions.
• Listen carefully to the questions, and don't be afraid to ask for clarification.
• Practice answering questions with a family member or a friend or participate in mock interviews.
• Try to be on top of everything that is in your control in order to help ease the stress of interviews.
• Get to the interview with a few minutes to spare and be prepared with questions for your interviewers.
• Breathe, relax, smile: and, most importantly, be yourself.

Contact Us

We look forward to hearing from you!

Suite MZ400
1000 De La Gauchetière Street West
Montréal QC H3B 0A2

Tel: +1 514-397-4100
Fax: +1 514-875-6246
Toll-Free: +1 877-244-7711