WELCOME TO CLYDE & CO'S SUMMER AND ARTICLING PROGRAMS IN TORONTO
At Clyde & Co, our students benefit from the expertise and resources of a large firm but also a workplace environment and sense of collegiality typical of boutique firms. As a student in Clyde & Co’s Toronto office, you will be immersed in the practice of law from day one, working on matters for our international and domestic clients in insurance law, commercial litigation, construction disputes, and professional liability, among other areas of law.
SUMMER PROGRAM OVERVIEW
Clyde & Co’s summer program is designed to provide you with an enriching experience, immersing you in our busy Toronto office with exposure to our varied practice. As a Summer student, you'll have the opportunity to attend client meetings and court proceedings. You'll conduct research and and draft documents, working directly with partners and associates. Mentorship is important to us, and we ensure that you received guidance during the summer. Students are mentored throughout their time, and enjoy the are enjoy the collegial environment at Clyde & Co, whether during the workday, or at at social events held throughout the summer.
ARTICLING PROGRAM OVERVIEW
Our goal is to provide you with a realistic view of what it’s like to be a lawyer in our Toronto office and to provide the experiential training required by the Law Society of Ontario. This is achieved through meaningful work assignments, training and development programs, and legal practice observation opportunities.
During your articles, you will gain first-hand experience in dispute resolution and you will have the opportunity to collaborate with lawyers from our different offices across the globe on litigation cases. You will work on a variety of substantive projects for ongoing client matters including legal research, analysis and drafting, and in many cases attending client meetings, witness preparation, and Court hearings.
OUR EXPERTISE
The lawyers in the Toronto’s Office represent international clients, more particularly insurers involved in both damage insurance and casualty and specialty risks, in addition to major corporations, organizations and professional orders. Over the years, we have developed an expertise that allows us to go beyond the role of traditional services provider by anticipating the needs of our clients and assisting them in their professional development.
Our Practice areas include:
- Insurance Law, Reinsurance and Class Actions,
- Subrogation Claims,
- Insurance Policy Wording,
- Civil and Commercial Litigation,
- Alternative Dispute Resolution,
- Disciplinary Law and Professional Liability,
- Construction Law,
- D&O claims,
- Product Liability,
- Municipal and Government Liability,
- Risk Management,
- Cyber Risks,
- Regulatory Compliance;
DIVERSITY & INCLUSION
Openly discussing family aspirations, one’s participation in LGBTQ associations, mental health issues or religious beliefs, is difficult during recruitment events at law firms. At the very least, students trying to get recruited for an articling position will be cautious about bringing these matters up.
While diversity is making headway in the Canadian landscape and within large corporations, law firms are still slow at making progress on this front. Of course, commitment to diversity and inclusion varies considerably from one firm to another and it becomes hard to evaluate firms’ performance on diversity and inclusion. Unconscious bias can be prevalent in many firms, and this is often reflected in informal processes or situations.
Below are some tips of how you detect the real commitment to diversity and inclusion in the firm.
Obviously, discussion with lawyers and partners of the firm is the best way to discover the real commitment to diversity and inclusion. In fact, policies might be there, but the culture has to follow. Try to get a sense of this critical information by carefully analyzing the lawyers and partners manners. While these tips are relevant, nothing is better than intuition!
HERE ARE SOME TIPS
1. The presence of diversity and inclusion policies demonstrate a desire for change and openness. For example, the presence of a policy on maternity and paternity leave.
2. A firm demonstrating openness to a minority group will be more inclined to open up to others. Look for signs of cultural and ethnic diversity in a firm, which will generally be accompanied by greater openness for differences in gender, religion, sexual orientation, age and disability.
3. The composition and commitment of the management board is a valuable indicator. Gender balance on a board of directors is evidence of a diversified internal structure.
4. The promotional material and bios will communicate the level of diversity. For example, the firm’s brochures representing cultural diversity through the illustrations denote an opening to inclusion. Better yet, check out the firm’s bios.
5. A firm strongly competing for corporate clients will be more willing to demonstrate their commitment to diversity. Corporate clients are often more advanced in their diversity efforts and strongly encourage their suppliers of legal services to do the same. Increasingly, firms are reflective of the diversity of their key clients.
6. A firm involved in complementary activities on diversity and inclusion will have a greater propensity for heterogeneity. For example, conferences given by the firm on the subject or the participation in activities of different cultural communities show a concern for openness.
7. Most importantly, a working environment that demonstrates a willingness to bring together people of different backgrounds, experiences and perspectives, will be more predisposed to diversity and inclusion. Keep your ears open to get a sense of the different ways people think. Again check out the firm’s bios for clues of cognitive diversity.
Our Toronto office will recruit a limited number of summer and articling students and we are seeking candidates who meet our requirements and whose values align with those of our firm. After all, we are, in a way, recruiting our future colleagues.
Clyde & Co is participating in the Toronto Summer Recruitment Process for 2024 and the Toronto Articling Recruitment Process for the 2024-2025 Articling term.
Our application deadline for the Articling Student Program is Friday, June 30, 2023 at 5 PM, as per the Law Society of Ontario's guidelines.
Our application deadline for the Summer Student Program is Monday, July 24, 2023 at 5PM, as per the Law Society of Ontario's guidelines.
Apply Now