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REGIONAL WRAP-UP ummertime and the livin' is easy for law students. For the five students hired by Boyne Clarke, the livin' is also benevolent. Each year for the last six years, the Dartmouth, N.S., law firm has hired five second-year law students to join the firm as articling clerks when they graduate. As part of the deal, they are also offered jobs as summer students and sent to work at a local charity, com- pliments of the firm. Unlike the courtroom, it is a win- win situation. "The organizations get support they might not otherwise get," says Diane Norris, Boyne Clarke's executive director. For the students, she adds, "it broadens their perspective. They become aware of com- munity issues they might not otherwise be aware of. It builds empathy." It also builds commit- ment to the community, something Boyne Clarke believes in very strongly. So do the students they hire. "I believe that it is a lawyer's duty to find a community cause, project, or organiza- tion to become involved in. If this involvement can start at the law student level, law students will enter the profession with a clear understanding of their abilities to impact upon their community," says Leah Tinkham Rim- mer, a lawyer with Boyne Clarke who spent her summer studentship work- ing with the Metro Community Hous- ing Association, which helps people who have experienced mental health difficulties. She's still involved with the organization today. Each year, Boyne Clarke contacts are paid by, Boyne Clarke. At the end of the summer, each student gives a presentation to the firm on the work they've done. In some cases, that work is legal in na- ture. Rimmer, for example, conducted research into disability advocacy in the area of mental health. In other cases, not so much. One student spent the summer helping a charity organize their annual golf tournament. But it's the giving that counts, not the gift. "It's all about who the firm is," says Norris. "Boyne Clarke is very communi- ATLANTIC CANADA For Rimmer, it was evidence that the firm was prepared to "put their money where their mouth is. Instead of simply stating the firm is dedicated to the community, Boyne Clarke actually had a tangible pro- gram in place which directly benefited a number of organi- zations," she notes. "It seemed to me that a firm that would dedicate resources to creating, developing, and running such a program would be a good fit for someone like me." Success, of course, breeds Leah Tinkham Rimmer Robert Miedema ty minded. . . . We feel it's useful for these people who will be clerking for us to have this experience in the community." The program, believed to be unique local community groups and asks if they'd like to submit a proposal for a summer student. Many do. Students then select their preferred organization and spend the summer with the group, though they remain employees of, and in Nova Scotia, and perhaps the country, may be fueled by altruism but it is shaped by reality. "It is a recruiting tool for us," says Norris. Indeed, it helps distinguish the firm in a competitive market. The summer program "didn't shape my deci- sion to apply here," says Robert Miede- ma, an associate with the firm since 2004, "but in terms of ranking Boyne Clarke number one, it played a big role. "It showed," he adds, "their commit- ment to community. It showed their commitment to something other than money — which was really attractive to me, coming out of school." success. This year the Nova Scotia firm will launch a new program — for all employees. It's called "volunteer days for staff." "The basic premise," says Norris, "is that we will provide each staff member with one paid day per year to work at an approved charity or com- munity organization." It's all part of the practice of law at Boyne Clarke. — DONALEE MOULTON donalee@quantumcommunications.ca CORRECTION In the March 2008 issue of Canadian Lawyer, it was stated in the article "Ca- nadian takes helm of global law firm," that Hugh Verrier trained at McGill University's law school. In fact, Mr. Ver- rier received his LLB from the Universi- ty of Ottawa in 1981. Canadian Lawyer apologizes for the error. www. C ANADIAN mag.com M AY 2008 13