LAWPRO Student Magazine: What Do Law Firms Look For?

Law students – like all students – are prone to anxiety about their career prospects. High-profile news about the employment challenges faced by new grads in the U.S. and changes in the articling requirements for Ontario have combined to create a climate of worry.

But worrying about trends and generalizations can obscure the fact that the employment relationship is, in essence, an interpersonal relationship. Each successful employer/employee match happens because an individual firm takes a chance on an individual lawyer for reasons that are not only unique, but also personal, and sometimes instinctive.

We spoke with law firms across the province about their recruitment strategies, priorities, and philosophies. What emerged from that discussion was the realization that there is considerable variety in the factors that inspire a firm to make an offer to a particular candidate.

Considering the limitless variety of law school graduates, we figure that’s good news. Read the profiles that follow to see what some Ontario firms are looking for. Chances are, someone out there is looking for YOU.

This article is from the 2016 student issue of LAWPRO Magazine.

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