NCA Graduate Interview Series: Jacqueline Angelakis
Greetings, NCA candidates! Today, we continue our NCA graduate interview series featuring Jacqueline Angelakis, who successfully completed her NCA requirements through the Osgoode Common Law LL.M program and was recently called to the Ontario Bar!
Having completed the full qualification process, Jacqueline generously agreed to share her valuable insights and experiences with all of you...
Where did you attend Law School, and what type of program did you complete (e.g., 3yr LL.B, 2yr LL.B, etc.)?
I completed the two-year LLB program at the University of Birmingham Law School in the United Kingdom. Prior to this, I earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Western University in 2016, which allowed me to qualify for the two-year law school program available in the UK.
How many NCA Exams were you assigned?
I was assigned the Five core exams, contingent on successfully completing the LL.M program.
How did you complete the NCA process, and how long did it take you?
After graduating law school in June 2018, I began the one-year LLM in Canadian Common Law program at Osgoode Hall Law School in September 2018.
The program offered the option to overload courses, so I managed to complete it in two terms, graduating in June 2019. As my NCA Assessment only required me to pass five exams upon successful completion of the LLM program, the entire process took me approximately 9-10 months.
What are you doing now?
I am currently in my final month of Articling. The firm I work at primarily practices personal injury law, civil litigation, long term disability, real estate law, wills & estate planning, and business/corporate law. I am looking forward to being called to the Ontario Bar in June 2020 and continuing my journey as an associate at my current firm.
What is something crucial you learned through the NCA process?
There are two critical lessons I learned through the NCA process:
Networking is key! Introduce yourself to firms you are interested in, request tours, reach out to lawyers for coffee to learn more about their firms and daily activities. By doing so, lawyers and firms will already be familiar with you before you apply. Expanding your network can only benefit you in the long run.
Ensure you research and apply for available positions, such as articling positions, within the set deadlines. Many Canadian firms hire through a formal recruitment process. If you return to Canada with the hope of finding a job immediately, you might be surprised to discover that by summer, firms have already completed their recruitment or are wrapping up last-minute hiring.
In hindsight, would you do anything differently?
Absolutely not!
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