Toronto

With more than 750 lawyers, BLG is one of Canada’s largest firms, serving diverse clients in many practice areas. Approximately 270 lawyers work in our Toronto office.

We typically hire between 15 and 18 first- and second-year summer students. We tend to hire our articling students from our summer program; however, we may recruit in any given year.

We want students who:

• have the potential to grow into associates and then partners
• have strong leadership and entrepreneurial skills in addition to academic achievements
• possess sound judgment and excellent oral and written communication skills
• have exciting, fulfilling interests outside their career ambitions

In short, we look for exceptional people.

For first-year candidates, we only conduct in-firm interviews.

We invite second-year candidates at all Ontario schools, McGill Law School and Dalhousie Law School to on-campus interviews; we then invite select candidates to in-firm interviews. For all other law schools, we review applications and invite eligible candidates to our Toronto office.

Prior to your in-firm interview, you’ll be matched with a host interviewer who will serve as your main point of contact during the interview process. Your host will greet you when you arrive at our offices and will be with you for your two interviews. You’ll also have an opportunity to speak with current students about their experiences at BLG.

Some candidates may be asked to meet with additional lawyers for a subsequent interview.

We were Canada’s first law firm to introduce game-based assessment in our recruitment process. This innovative recruitment tool gives us an objective way to help understand our candidate’s natural strengths and preferences, and helps us to remove bias and create a level playing field for all candidates. We also provide unconscious bias training to everyone involved in recruitment.

BLG Toronto recruits from law schools across Canada with the goal of building our firm over the long term. Regardless of where you have lived or where you went to school, if you want to establish your law career in Toronto, we want to hear from you.

Our students receive salary and benefits competitive with other large Toronto firms.

Summer students start mid-May for 15 weeks, which includes five days of vacation. Articling students start in August for 10 months, which includes 10 days of vacation.

Yes. Each summer student is assigned a mentor; each articling student is assigned a mentor in each of their four rotations, one of whom is the principal responsible for signing off on your articles. Every student is also assigned a junior associate to help you integrate and succeed at the firm. Many students also develop mentor relationships with other BLG legal professionals.

You’ll learn about the firm and its systems during an intensive orientation program lasting one week for summer students and two weeks for articling students.

As a summer student, you’ll also attend weekly seminars led by lawyers in a variety of practice areas who will highlight significant matters and provide tips for success.

Articling students also attend regular professional development training sessions to increase legal knowledge and improve important practice-related skills (i.e., preparing for trial, learning the art of the deal, drafting and practice management).

Our summer program provides students with direct and in-depth involvement in litigation or business law. The program is flexible to encourage students to explore more than one practice area in their chosen department.

Summer students undertake much the same work as articling students or junior associates: everything from research and client meetings to managing your own Small Claims Court matters and drafting contracts.

Articling students have four rotations, where they take on the same kind of work as junior associates. You will:

• attend meetings, discoveries and mediations
• draft memoranda, contracts and legal opinions
• conduct due diligence and research
• work on pro bono projects and cases
• manage your own Small Claims Court matters

You’ll receive assignments directly from lawyers, so we encourage you to seek out work based on your interests. By taking charge of your workload, you’ll develop your practice and time management skills. We’ll set you up with support systems and tools to help you along the way. 

Yes. BLG professionals volunteer regularly as pro bono counsel for people who could not access legal services otherwise. You’ll have the opportunity to work under the guidance of our lawyers on pro bono projects and cases in a variety of practice areas.

Summer students participate in two formal evaluations: mid-term and end-of-term. Articling students participate in a formal evaluation after each of the first three rotations. You’ll also receive informal feedback from your mentor and other lawyers during and after assignments.

Summer students can always rely on their mentors for guidance and support; articling students can turn to both their mentors and principals.

All students can go to associate mentors, the Directors of Professional Resources, and Student Committee members for advice and information at any time.

We have many resources, all which are available to our students: IT services, word processing, corporate and library services, a copy centre and facilities support. 

You’ll be invited to a wide variety of social events, some specifically for law students and their mentors and principals, such as luncheons, receptions, cooking classes and sporting events. Others events are firm-wide, such as our holiday parties.

Yes! Our workforce and clientele reflect the diverse community we operate in. We have established:

• a National Diversity and Inclusion Council
• diversity-related training sessions
• name pronunciation resources, including audio clips attached to BLG bios
• affinity groups to foster mutual support for religious, cultural and social communities within BLG
• monthly diversity bulletins for sharing information
• a diversity calendar highlighting cultural and religious observances
• programs to retain and advance our women professionals
• the gathering and review of statistics on retention, leadership and advancement of our professionals
• seminars and social events for our women professionals
• a room for quiet reflection and religious observance

We also support initiatives and organizations such as:

• the Law School Access Program at the University of Toronto
• Osgoode Hall Law School’s Diversity Week
• the Federation of Asian Canadian Lawyers
• the Black Law Students’ Association of Canada
• Pride at Work and Out on Bay Street events

We are signatories of:

• the Catalyst Accord
• the Justicia Projects of regional law societies of Québec, Ontario, Alberta and British Columbia
• the Canadian Law Firm Diversity and Inclusion Network