Articling: A Marathon Not A Sprint – What I’ve Learned During my Articling Term

  • June 13, 2021
  • Avechi Chimara

You’ve worked hard at obtaining your law degree! You made sure to do well in undergrad, you studied hard for the LSAT, and perhaps you even completed graduate school. Now, you have endured and successfully passed the bar examination. You have reached the final step in the lawyer licensing process—Articling. I should note that while I did not complete the LPP Program, it is an option available that you may wish to research and consider. Since I did not personally utilize this route, I will be focusing solely on the articling process.

I have always thrown myself deeply into everything I do. I enjoy connecting with people and immersing myself in my school and professional life. Law students have often been categorized as overachievers and type-A perfectionists who can be hard on themselves and sometimes pessimistic about their abilities.   

I have just completed my articles and I have begun reflecting on my articling term. I wish to share a few of my experiences and what I learned along the way.

Mental Health: You Only Have One Body, Take Good Care of It

Take care of yourself. Although it may feel like there is a never-ending stream of work to complete, and there probably is, it is important to take care of yourself physically, mentally, and spiritually. These are some things that have helped:

  1. Journaling: I journal when I am feeling overwhelmed or need to put thoughts down on paper. 
  2. Meditation: I’ve found daily mediation extremely helpful. I use the Headspace App and aim to do a 10-minute guided mediation when I wake up before I start my day. 
  3. Exercising: I also enjoy exercising, specifically participating in high-intensity interval training workouts, and I am a long time Insanity Workout fan. 

As my articling term progressed, I slowly stopped doing these activities. I felt that I had no time to work out or to meditate. But one thing I realized is that doing these activities makes me happy. When I feel happy and more fulfilled, I am more productive and produce better work. Remember that you can’t do your best work while running on empty. It’s important to prioritize things that make you feel good. The good work will flow after that.