About Students

Stieber Berlach is Toronto’s leading insurance defense law boutique and students are a critical part of our success.

We cultivate skills that help students become effective advocates, both inside and outside of the courtroom. Students at Stieber Berlach regularly appear before associate judges of the Superior Court of Justice. As a student at our firm, you will argue motions; draft and prepare pleadings, motion materials, mediation briefs, and pre-trial briefs; and conduct research related to complex actions and applications before the courts or various tribunals.

Compensation and Benefits

We pay our summer and articling students in line with similarly-sized boutique law firms in downtown Toronto. Our articling students receive paid vacation time, as well as dental and health benefits. Stieber Berlach also pays the licensing and examination fees for our articling students to become members of the Law Society of Ontario. Interested in becoming an articling or a summer student at Stieber Berlach LLP? Please forward your information to:

Murray Stieber

416.594.4675
Email: mstieber@sblegal.ca

• Articling Students

Following their last year of law school, Stieber Berlach’s summer students return to the firm to complete their articles. Over the course of the 10-month articling term, students gain progressive experience, culminating in their call to the bar, by which time they are equipped with the skills to join the profession and become effective litigators (often atStieber Berlach, as the firm hires back at a number of students as associates–see testimonials).

During the articling term, students routinely and independently draft correspondence with opposing counsel, carry motions–from drafting the initial Notice of Motion to arguing a said motion in court, and even carry small claims files of their own. Students also work with our lawyers in complex litigation matters, where they gain significant exposure to the diverse and challenging work that we do. Stieber Berlach’s student program transforms law students with an interest in litigation into effective advocates, ready to practice in today’s legal landscape.

• Summer Students

Stieber Berlach’s 2L Summer Student Program provides students with the comprehensive experience of working at the firm’s offices at the Richmond-Adelaide Centre, located at York and Adelaide Streets in the heart of downtown Toronto. As part of the program, summer students will shadow designated lawyers for the first few weeks of the summer and attend scheduled mediations, pre-trials, motions, and examinations for discovery alongside their mentor lawyers. Students will also learn to navigate Ontario’s court system, regularly corresponding with court staff and booking motions.

• Student Testimonials

Noah Eklove

“ Working as a student at Stieber Berlach was an incredibly rewarding and educational experience. With every assignment I received, the assigning lawyer took the time to clearly explain the nature of the file and the legal questions at issue. I worked closely with partners and associates who were generous with their time, which enabled me to get valuable feedback on my work and learn a great deal early in my legal career. Stieber Berlachoffers students the opportunity to work on meaningful assignments with the support and guidance necessary to succeed. As a summer student, I prepared motion materials, drafted pleadings, developed my research skills, attended examinations for discovery, and even had the chance to help prepare materials that were relied on before the Supreme Court of Canada.

Despite articling during the pandemic, it was still an incredible learning experience as the lawyers made every effort to ensure it was just as informative and engaging as the year prior. As an articling student, I gained significant civil litigation experience in a number of different practice areas. In addition to the work I did as a summer student, I also had the opportunity to draft materials for mediations and pre-trials, argue my own motions, develop advocacy skills and participate in strategic conversations with both clients and counsel.

The articling program provided me with the skills and experience to confidently manage my own files as a first-year associate. Although entering the legal profession can be daunting at times, students at Stieber Berlach are given the support and mentorship to ensure that the experience is extremely rewarding.”

Leigh Clark

“Working first as a summer student at Stieber Berlach before articling with the firm was a fantastic way to ease into the world of civil litigation. During those four months, I drafted motion materials attended discoveries and mediations with senior lawyers, drafted memos and pleadings, and was asked to do research for an appeal that was being heard at the Supreme Court.

The transition into articling wasn’t as steep because I’d worked a summer with the firm already. Throughout articling, the lawyers were supportive and always happy to ensure I was gaining exposure to all the areas of civil litigation that piqued my interest. One of the best parts of articling at Stieber Berlach is the breadth of the firm’s practice areas, which allowed me to gain experience in a variety of interesting and challenging areas of law – some I hadn’t even realized interested me! In addition to the work I did as a summer student, I also attended and argued motions, consulted experts, drafted materials for pre-trials and mediations, and took part in client calls and strategy discussions.

Stieber Berlach is a fantastic place to be a student and I feel very lucky to have had the opportunity to learn from excellent litigators in such a supportive and inclusive environment. The firm’s articling program allows you to get hands-on experiences and meaningful work from the outset, which provides ample opportunity for growth and learning so you can really take advantage of all that your articling term has to offer.”

Michael Connolly

“Articling at Stieber Berlach is an amazing experience for any student interested in civil litigation. I feel incredibly lucky to have had this opportunity and routinely draw from what I learned during articling in my day-to-day practice.

From the first week, students are brought on to assist with complex actions, including class actions, medical malpractice, insurance coverage, personal injury, construction, and professional negligence. In addition to gaining proficiency with the Rules of civil procedure, students get to hone their research skills, develop advocacy skills through the drafting of court materials and regular court attendances, as well as learn about case management and litigation strategy. You will also have opportunities to observe experienced counsel conduct examinations for discovery, mediations, dispositive motions, and appeals.

Stieber Berlach is a great place to grow as a litigator. The firm maintains an excellent reputation amongst the bar and with clients. All of the lawyers and staff are incredibly supportive of students, and ensure that students are welcomed, valued, included, mentored, and challenged to be their best.”

Christian Breukelman

“It is hard to overstate how formative one’s time as a student is to their career as a litigator. I feel fortunate to have had the opportunity to article at Stieber Berlach. As a student, I was given real responsibilities, asked to interact directly with both counsel and clients, and quickly became an essential part of the team on every file I worked on.

Students at Stieber Berlach are given the opportunity to prepare pleadings and motion materials, attend examinations for discovery, and even argue their own motions. In my own experience, I was assigned interesting, challenging, and meaningful work from the get-go and quickly found myself to be a regular in court. During my time as a student, I brought my own motions from scratch and argued them, handled my own small claims matters, and even assisted with two trials.

While there is always a learning curve, the lawyers at Stieber Berlach take mentorship seriously and are always happy to provide their guidance and assistance. By the time I was called to the bar, I felt confident, ready to take on my own files, and fully integrated into the firm. I would highly recommend articling at Stieber Berlach to anybody interested in pursuing a career in litigation.”

Nabil Mahmood

“I started at Stieber Berlach as a summer student following the 2L recruits. From the moment I started at the firm, I have been exposed to some of the most interesting litigation experiences: During my 2L summer, I attended a trial in another city, joined colleagues at a two-week arbitration surrounding a procurement dispute, and had the opportunity to contribute to a factum on a matter headed to the Supreme Court.

During articling, I started appearing for routine motions and began carrying my own small claims files. I also had the opportunity to assist on actions covered extensively in the news: class actions involving long-term care homes and the outbreak of COVID-19, fatal motor vehicle accidents involving high-profile individuals, and multi-million dollar fire loss claims. Summering and articling at Stieber Berlach prepared me for my practice as an associate, while regularly exposing me to some of the most important litigation matters before the courts.”