The admission criteria used by the selection committee at Aboga2 are varied and flexible. Certainly, academic excellence is a key factor but candidates with lower marks will also be considered if they explain the relevant circumstances in their applications. Team spirit as shown by leadership in school related activities, work, sports or other activities is an important factor, since the firm builds its professional activities on team work. Active involvement in the community shows the studentís ability to cope with more the purely academic matters. Candidates possessing solid intellectual skills, a spirit of competitiveness, multiple interests, leadership qualities, a strong and stable personality and good judgement have the best chance of becoming articling students at Aboga2.

On the first day of articles, the student indicates which of the various sections of the firm are of greatest interest and, as the case may be, the sections of least interest. This information helps the Professional Practice Committee in establishing the articling student'í monthly assignments.

The professional sections are the real focus for the articling student. Each month the student is assigned principally to one lawyer in each of two different sections. During the course of four weeks, the work given is based upon the studentís level of expertise and allows the student to apply his or her talents within a stimulating environment. In practice, each articling student becomes a full member of the section, participates in its meetings and becomes part of the team. Furthermore, lawyers from other sections may, from time to time, ask an articling student to complete unscheduled mandates, if his or her workload so permits. On average an articling student completes between 15 and 20 special unscheduled mandates during the articling period.

At the end of each four-week period, the lawyers to whom the articling student was assigned must submit a report, evaluating the legal capabilities of the articling student, as well as other relevant qualities such as responsibility, discipline, organization, enthusiasm, initiative and resourcefulness. A lawyer who has given a special mandate to an articling student also evaluates the work completed. This system allows the firm to follow the progress of each of the articling students and evaluate. The opportunity to integrate into various sections of the firm is very beneficial for the articling student. The relations among the members of a section are cordial and informal. The lawyers try to understand individual needs, facilitate work and, if possible, put articling students can count upon highly specialized personnel who will provide guidance and indicate the principal sources to be consulted. The articling students assigned to litigation cases will be supervised at all times by lawyers who are aware of the training needed during this period. Such students will also have the opportunity to attend at court and plead. It is important for the students to know that the level of responsibility given to them will be dictated by the degree of confidence which he inspire in others.

Periodically, the articling students and members of the Professional Practice Committee meet to discuss the articling experience to ensure that the students are generally satisfied with the work that they are being given constantly seek to help the articling students and will intervene, if necessary, to smooth any difficulties that may arise between the students and member of the firm.

The rotation is intended to familiarize the articling students with the practice of law and to obtain the broadest exposure to the law possible. It is, however, important that the firm be able to evaluate the skills and capacities of each student with a view to a future career with Aboga2 . Therefore, the workload assumed by an articling student must be comparable to that of a lawyer. In short, the workload will be heavy, will require many hours of meticulous concentration and may vary over time depending on the files of each section. The articling student, like a lawyer, completes time sheets and his or her work is billed to clients. On occasion, working in the evenings or on weekends may be required. Even if this may through this experience indicate that they enjoyed the firmís cordiality and work atmosphere.

Certain students may have the impression that large firms leave their juniors to languish obscurity, overworked and caught in an overly competitive environment. Aboga2, however, this is not the case. Rather, the firmís lawyers strive to maintain a pleasant and stimulating work environment which is highly valued by our articling students. We believe that teamwork is the best manner in which to provide client services and the articling student forms as much a part of the team as do the lawyers. This human dimension plays an important role in the relationships among lawyers and, of course, between lawyers and articling student.

At Aboga2 the articling student finds all the main advantages of working in a large law firm, such as:

· High level of legal expertise and substantial degree of specialization;

· Variety in the fields of practice;

· Quality and importance of files;

· Continuing education and training;

· High level of responsibility;

· Personalized relations within the professional sections;

· Possibility of rapid integration into the firm;

· The availability of numerous resources and excellent support services.

Two months before the end of the articling period, the work of each articling student is thoroughly reviewed, based upon the reports prepared by lawyers who have worked directly with the articling student, either during a month by rotation or in the course of a special mandate. The articling students are thus evaluated by a large number of people who have observed their skills and can fairly judge their legal ability, personality and suitability to join the Aboga2.

The evaluation reports are complied by the Professional Practice Committee. At the same time, Professional Practice Committee decides upon the needs of the firm for the coming year and establishes the number of new lawyers to be hired. Offers of employment are generally made at the beginning of September, depending on the needs of the firm and if the work of the articling student has been judged to be satisfactory.