Written by: Ranzell Ortega What can I say about my life as a summer student when the summer is not done? I’ll give you an overview but so far it has been interesting, educational and so fun! I have been learning so much that sometimes it feels like school. Do not worry, I love learning and what I get to learn about is so cool. I complete many research memos with topics ranging from insurance to employment to estates. Once you start researching, it is like opening a floodgate. My reading and research skills have improved greatly. I read so much case law that it is all I dream about lately. I’m just kidding, I dream about other things as well. The law can be fun and creative, as you can probably tell. If I ever need help with my research, there are so many people that I can go see. I can talk to lawyers, articling students, and our very own librarian at Parlee. There are so many avenues for information that I can pursue. If you worked here, you would learn so much too! I have my own office with my name beside the door. I’ve never felt so cool and professional before. I talk to people in person, through email and on Teams. It is easy to bond when you can send memes. One of my friends from law school works at Parlee in Calgary, we talk over Teams every day. Although we are separated by several kilometres, we are still together in a way. Sometimes I get an email to deliver documents to the courthouse and to other law firms. I love walking outside and exploring downtown so I never have any concerns. During lunch time, I meet the articling students in the library to eat. The articling students at Parlee are some of the best people that you could meet. I have been so grateful for their friendship and guidance while I got used to a new position. If they participated in the Olympics for the event of “Best Group of Humans”, they would win the competition! Although winning may be hard since all the staff here is so lovely. Finding out that there are so many great people in the world has been a nice discovery. I’ve had the opportunity to organize events such as a game to play pickleball. The event was a smash and a good opportunity to bond for all. I went golfing for the first time with some of the lawyers that were kind enough to take me. We had a great time outside and I’m sure we still have a ball stuck somewhere in a tree. Sometimes I need a break from staring at my screen all day, so I make my way to the lawyer’s lounge for a snack. I will miss the fruit and chips when school in September takes me back. I’ve shadowed questionings, mediations, students at chambers and more. I cannot wait to see what my remaining weeks here have in store. I know that I have not given you a lot of detail about what I am up to day-to-day this summer. There would be so much to say and there is too much to cover. Overall, I hope that this poem has helped you to see, what the summer has been like for me at Parlee.