Highest record of hires to-date with U of T Law retaining top spot
The 2022 Toronto 1L recruit was special. According to Ultra Vires recruit data spanning the last decade, the hiring rates on Bay Street for first-year law students has ranged between 40-60 students per year, averaging at about 52 students. This year, a whopping 82 1L students were hired. This represented a 57 percent increase from the decade-long average and an 82 percent increase from last year’s rate—a promising indicator for a booming Toronto legal market.
Similar to previous years, U of T Law ranked first in both the total number of students hired (27) as well as the proportion of students hired relative to its class size (13 percent). This represented an almost two-fold increase from last year’s seven percent. Osgoode Hall secured the second-most number of hires (24), representing eight percent of its class size. Queen’s Law (9) and Western Law (8) followed, at four percent. Students from Lincoln Alexander secured four positions, which amounted to three percent of its class.
16 law firms participated in this year’s recruit, marking an increase from 2021 and 2020, which only saw 12 firms. Across all participating firms, Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP hired the most, followed by Osler Hoskin & Harcourt LLP, Davies Ward Phillips & Vineberg LLP, and Aird & Berlis LLP.
Editor’s Note: We will update our spreadsheet online at ultravires.ca to reflect any further information provided from employers after the time of publication.
