Meet Annie MacKinnon, 2023 Summer Student
Current Rotation: BL5
Annie is an incoming 3L at Queen’s university. Prior to law school, Annie did her undergrad at St. Francis Xavier University in Antigonish, Nova Scotia. Since arriving at Queen’s, she has been an active member of the law school community. Some notable experiences include her time mentoring and tutoring 1Ls, as well as her time at the Elder Law Clinic, where she got to provide pro bono legal services to some of Kingston’s most vulnerable population. Outside of law school, Annie enjoys trying new workout classes around the city and hanging out with family and friends.
Why did you choose to work at Goodmans?
Culture was the deciding factor. I knew that I wanted to do interesting corporate work at a great law firm, but the most important thing for me was that I liked the people I worked with, and that I was able to have fun while at work. Goodmans works hard to foster exactly the kind of community I was looking for. I could tell from our first meeting that the lawyers at the firm were good people who genuinely got along with each other, and that meant a lot to me.
What is your biggest tip for students going through the recruit?
Reach out! As the first person in my family to go to law school, I had no idea how to navigate the recruit going into my 1L summer. The most helpful thing that I did was reach out to upper years to ask them about their experiences. They were able to walk me through the technical aspects of the recruit, give me advice, and provide much needed support throughout the process. After speaking with enough people, I had a pretty good idea of what to expect going into the recruit. It was also really helpful to hear about different people’s experiences at different firms.
What does a typical day look like for you?
I usually come into work around 8:00, grab a coffee from Eddie’s, and then head up to my office. I like to get in early so that I can have a slow start to my day, and chip away at work before all of the lawyers get in. Other than that, my days definitely vary. We often have summer student meetings or activities to break up the day, and I always love getting to see my fellow summer students for an hour or two.
When we’re not in a meeting or at a CPD session, I am in my office working through my tasks. I’m in BL5, one of the firm’s corporate groups, so the vast majority of my work is for our corporate lawyers. I think one of the best parts of being a student is getting to touch a lot of different files at once. Because of that, I’ve had a pretty varied experience, both in terms of the work I’m doing and who I’m doing it with. Some of my tasks so far have included drafting different kinds of agreements, doing corporate research, organizing record books, and managing Closing Folders pages.
What has been your favourite social event so far?
I have loved all of our social events, but I think that my favourite was participating in the annual Bay Street volleyball tournament. Even though we weren’t the best team out there, we had a blast!
To learn more about Annie's experience, please reach out to amackinnon@goodmans.ca
