Want to article in criminal law? Here’s how two U of T students did it
For students wanting to work in criminal law, the path may seem ambiguous. Opportunities for 1L and 2L criminal law jobs are limited within the formal LSO process and students must often take summer positions that are not directly related to defence or Crown work.
The Criminal Law Students’ Association (CLSA) recently spoke to two 3L students who landed top-tier articling gigs in criminal law: Michael Shaffer (3L), who will be articling at the prominent defence firm Addario Law Group (Addario) and Abrahim Ahmed (3L), who will be articling at the prestigious Public Prosecution Service of Canada (PPSC).
In learning about their journeys, one thing becomes clear. The path to practicing criminal law may not always be clear-cut, but for those who want it, there is always a route to be found.
Interest in Criminal Law Prior to Law School
Neither Shaffer nor Ahmed had their eyes set on criminal law going into law school. “It wasn’t even on my radar,” says Shaffer, recounting how he gave away his criminal law textbook and copy of the Criminal Code after 1L.
Both enjoyed their first-year criminal law class with Professor Kent Roach, but their decisions to pursue criminal law were not cemented until later. For Ahmed , his interest was solidified through his experience as a part-time caseworker in the Criminal Law Division at U of T’s Downtown Legal Services (DLS) during his second year 2L. At this time, he also developed a keen interest in international law. One of his supervising lawyers at DLS recommended the PPSC, a federal agency that prosecutes cases drug offences, terrorism, criminal organizations, and money laundering.
“After looking into the type of work [the PPSC] did, I realized that federal prosecution allowed for both areas of practice, so it was a perfect fit for me,” says Ahmed.
Shaffer’s interest piqued during the summer of 2020, at the height of the pandemic with the uprising following the George Floyd tragedy, the subsequent Black Lives Matter protests, and the Defund the Police movement throughout the U.S. and Canada. Passionate about issues of racial profiling and injustice, Shaffer began to question the proper role of police and developed a keen interest in the criminal justice system.
“I have pretty strong views about inequality in the justice system and the role of prisons as a form of punishment,” Shaffer says. After learning that his values were echoed by many lawyers from the criminal defence bar, his interest in criminal defence work was solidified.
1L and 2L Summers
Neither student worked in criminal law during their 1L summer. Ahmed completed his summer as a research assistant for Professor Arnold Weinrib focusing on issues of property law, while Shaffer was placed with the Six Nations of the Grand River Justice Department through the Debwewin Program. Despite not being directly related to criminal law, Ahmed still found his 1L experience and the relationships he developed to be highly beneficial in seeking criminal law jobs.
“What really helped me land an interview at PPSC were my reference letters. Professor Weinrib, along with the lawyers at DLS, wrote me very kind reference letters,” says Ahmed.
Shaffer echoed similar sentiments, recounting that his work doing policy research with a Justice Department that aimed to build an independent Six Nations legal system gave him a lot of insight into criminal law. Shaffer, who is passionate about issues facing Indigenous individuals in the justice system such as over-incarceration, described his summer experience as the “perfect job” because it aligned with his interests and allowed him to do meaningful work.
Both students worked in criminal law during their 2L summers. Ahmed landed a 2L summer student position with PPSC through the formal recruit while Shaffer landed a position as a caseworker with the Criminal Division at DLS. However, DLS was not always Shaffer’s top choice.
“I did the 2L recruit and didn’t get a job out of it,” says Shaffer. “But looking back, I couldn’t have asked for a better experience. DLS should have been my top choice.”
Shaffer, who primarily applied for Bay Street firms during the 2L recruit, then participated in the articling recruit with a focus on criminal law, and landed a position with Addario, a distinguished defence firm in Toronto led by the legendary defence counsel, Frank Addario. Shaffer’s experience demonstrates that the 2L recruit is not the be-all-end-all.
“It’s important for students to know that things will work out in the end, even when they don’t seem like they will at the time,” says Shaffer.
Landing a Criminal Law Position
Although Crown interviews and defence firm interviews tend to be slightly different, both students said employers on both sides were primarily concerned with discerning a genuine interest in criminal law. Shaffer found the articling recruit experience less intimidating, as he could freely speak about the issues he cared about instead of “faking” an interest. Likewise, Ahmed’s interest in public-facing work was apparent through his volunteer experience with an immigration and refugee clinic and competing in the Jessup International Law Moot Competition of 2021.
There are a variety of ways to demonstrate a genuine interest in criminal law. Both students suggested taking upper-year criminal law courses (Evidence, Criminal Procedure, Crime and Punishment etc.), being familiar with recent developments and issues in criminal law, and drawing on past experiences that demonstrate an avid interest in the field. For Shaffer and Ahmed, their clinic experience at DLS was invaluable as it exposed each of them to criminal defence work and allowed them to make connections with their supervising lawyers. According to Ahmed, this type of clinic experience was very helpful for his Crown interviews as well.
“DLS exposes you to criminal law as a whole. It’s not just defence work, but public-service minded defence work, and that public service experience is highly valued in Crown offices too” says Ahmed.
Crown interviews are largely substantive and designed to test students’ knowledge and application of criminal law principles. Since these interviews vary from office to office, Ahmed found it helpful to speak to upper-year students who had gone through the process. In addition, he says that students should be familiar with the Crown Policy Manual and the role and obligations of a prosecutor.
To prepare for his PPSC interview which consisted of a hypothetical fact pattern given to students beforehand, Ahmed also read a practitioner’s handbook on relevant Charter issues from the fact pattern.
Future Plans
The CLSA asked both students if they had any future plans in the field of criminal law.
Ahmed said he aspires to stay at the Federal Crown and despite his interest in international law, his focus is on criminal law for now. “I would love to develop a practice in international law but it’s a limited field. My priority is to focus on criminal law and hopefully, it will bring some international opportunities in the future.”
Similarly, Shaffer is also taking an open-minded approach to his future as a defence lawyer. “I have no expectations, I want to do whatever feels right. But whatever I do, I’d like to focus on the issues that I’m passionate about. I think a practice area focused on these issues will make my job more meaningful.”
