The firm generally hires one or two articling students each year. A significant part of the student's responsibilities involve criminal law. The student must appear in Provincial Court on a daily basis to deal with bail applications and remands for the criminal department, and conduct interviews in the Provincial Remand Centre. The articling student may also be asked to conduct trials in Small Claims Court. Students are required to have access to a vehicle, as they may be required to travel to Headingley Correctional Institute, Stony Mountain Penitentiary, the Manitoba Youth Centre, or city police stations to meet with clients.
In addition, the articling student will be given legal research and drafting assignments, generally for the criminal, labour and civil litigation lawyers. Where scheduling with other duties permits (and the firm will attempt to facilitate this), the student will also have opportunities to junior at a labour arbitration, labour board hearing, or civil trial. In order to provide well-rounded articles, we encourage our students to seek out opportunities in other areas of the law, including family, corporate and commercial, real estate, and wills and estates, particularly as these areas correspond to the CPLED course topics. The articling student's principal helps to oversee a well-rounded articling experience.
The firm has an extensive library that is managed by a librarian, as well as desktop access to many CD-ROM materials and online databases such as Quicklaw.
Myers has an informal and friendly office atmosphere. Lawyers and students are invited to attend a monthly luncheon intended for presentations on various topics, or for less formal discussions and learning amongst lawyers. Students are encouraged to spend time with the lawyers to discuss their work, as well as the CPLED course topics.
All of the lawyers at Myers Weinberg are members of the Canadian and Manitoba Bar Associations. Many current and past firm members are and have been actively involved in the MBA. Current and past members of the firm (Rocky Pollack, Garth Smorang and Jeff Harris) have served as past presidents of the MBA. Firm members have also served as past section chairs and mid-Winter Conference Committee members. Many of the lawyers at the firm are also involved in pro bono work, including through the Public Interest Law Centre. John Harvie is a past recipient of the Manitoba Bar Association's annual pro bono award. Myers Weinberg lawyers are represented in diverse groups such as the America Bar Association, College of American Trial Lawyers, International Society of Barristers and Canadian Association of Labour Lawyers. Several firm members are active with the Law Society of Manitoba. Garth Smorang is a past president of the Law Society. Hymie Weinstein and Rocky Pollack (previously with the firm) and Garth Smorang are life benchers.
The firm provides a competitive articling salary, along with full health and dental benefits. The firm also provides indoor parking for the articling student. All costs associated with the CPLED course are paid for by the firm. In addition, fees for continuing education programs the student wishes to attend will be paid for by the firm. The firm provides two weeks of paid vacation.
Many past articling students have been hired as associates after their call to the bar, but the firm cannot provide assurances in advance.