Forty seven first-years obtain employment through the 1L recruit
In this year’s formal Toronto 1L Recruit, 47 1L students obtained summer positions. While U of T students continue to secure the largest number of positions in the recruit, there was a ten percent decrease in hires compared to 2020. U of T students secured 14 of the 47 total positions (30 percent, down from 42 percent in 2020). Of the successful U of T contenders, 11 were from the JD program and the remaining three were from the dual JD/MBA program.
Notably, 1L students from the Lincoln Alexander obtained positions during the school’s first year participating in the recruit, acquiring nine percent (four students) of the total available positions.
Twelve employers participated in the 1L Recruit this year—this number remains unchanged from last year. Of those participating, Aird & Berlis LLP and Sherrard Kuzz LLP hired the same amount of 1L students as last year. Dentons Canada LLP hired two less while Davies Ward Phillips & Vineberg LLP took on three fewer students. Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP was alone in increasing the amount of 1L students they hired, taking on two additional students this year.
Out of the 12 employers who participated in the 2021 Recruit, 10 responded to our inquiry. Of the three firms that did not provide their data, Borden Ladner Gervais LLP hired five students last year, while Deeth Williams Wall LLP and McCarthy Tétrault LLP did not participate in the 2020 Toronto 1L Recruit.
Editor’s Note: Zarek Taylor Grossman Hanrahan LLP responded after our physical publication date. We’ve revised the piece accordingly to include their numbers above.