Articling towards a call to the Bar of Quebec is already laden with challenges. The transition from the classroom to the courtroom is far from easy. What was theoretical is now part of daily life. It is a key step in a legal professional’s career, and a moment that I had been impatiently waiting for. Therefore, I proudly began my articling experience with Robinson Sheppard Shapiro, ready to make a difference for the clients, and for the firm. Never had I thought that my articling experience would be so unique and that the reality that I would have to face would be so different from what my predecessors had experienced.
COVID-19 compelled the whole legal community to reinvent their practice. While physical documents and in-person meetings had been the norm, virtual documents and Zoom meetings had to promptly become the new reality. Fortunately, I can cope relatively well with technology. This allowed me to attend callings of the roll for the Practice Chamber or the provisional roll in cases throughout the province without having to travel, which greatly facilitated my assignments.
However, remote work does require some adjustments. Our firm is fortunate in that we are assisted by a top-notch technical support team that is always there to help. They implemented a proactive approach and provided all the tools needed for our practice.
Despite these difficulties, I consider myself lucky that my career started in this very atypical period. The challenges that we faced contributed to a substantial modernization of the judicial process which, in my view, was propelled into a whole new era. I am very optimistic for the future, and I consider myself privileged to have the support from professionals at RSS, a dynamic and friendly team that pushes me to outdo myself each day, with increasingly complex and interesting assignments.
– Gabriel Gibeau, 2021 articling student