Students

Tips & Advice

We understand that the route from application to in-firm interview to cocktail party can be long, hectic, and nerve-racking. How do you go through it without coming out the other end as a frazzled, nervous, and thinly-stretched applicant? Get prepared by reading our tips and advice section learn about what type of attire is appropriate at an in-firm interview, how to address your cover letter and how to get some great on-campus interview tips. It will let you know what it takes, and how to get it done.

Here's a list of our tips and advice articles:

Think Twice Before You Apply

By Deborah Glatter, Director of Professional Development and Student Programs

You may not be helping your career by coming to Bay Street. It's important to not get caught up in summer student interviews just because your classmates are doing it. Law students are by nature competitive, and I know it's hard to sit out the competition for these jobs. However, I suspect many students apply to Bay Street firms for the same reason people climb a mountain - because it's there. Before you spend a great deal of time and energy pursuing one of these positions, please consider the following.

There are superb lawyers and law firms outside of Toronto. I know, because my career did not begin in Toronto. I articled at a small firm in my home town (Windsor) and practised there for three years. My articles were better than anyone else's I knew, in Toronto or elsewhere. The lawyers were specialists in their respective fields, and well-regarded by the profession at large. They were caring and good teachers. They made sure that I received well-rounded articles.

As a practitioner, I had carriage of files earlier than my Toronto counterparts. When I moved to Toronto in my fourth year, I had a fair amount of trial experience under my belt while most of my Bay Street peers were still in motions court. I excelled in Toronto not because I was such a great lawyer, but because I had received great training and experience before I came here. We try to give our students at Cassels Brock a similar experience: hands-on experience and good mentorship.

If you don't article in Toronto, it doesn't mean that you're closing the door on Bay Street forever. At Cassels Brock, many of the lawyers in the firm did not start their careers here. We have lawyers from other provinces, lawyers who worked in boutique firms, in academics, as in-house counsel, and one who began his career as a criminal lawyer. One of the great things about law is that it is portable and multi-faceted. You can morph from one area to another whether in law or in geography. The key point is to get solid training and to excel at what you do, then the world will beat a path to your door.

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Your Application to Cassels Brock

Your application has two main parts: the cover letter and the resumé. The hardest thing to do well is your cover letter, so we'll spend a little time giving you a few letter writing fundamentals with the help of a 1921 textbook, "English Composition" (which proves that good writing never goes out of style!). Here's an excerpt from that text:

A business letter is written to ask for, or to give, definite information. The style, therefore, should be simple and clear-cut. It is imperative that business letters should be absolutely correct in details of form and expression; that they should be clear in the wording of the message to be conveyed; that they should be concise, so as to include every detail necessary to a full understanding of the message; that they should be courteous; and, finally, that they should indicate character, so as to be effective in securing the attention of the reader.

As trite as the advice sounds, it's very hard for students to get the cover letter right. Let's examine some of the common problems with the "five Cs".

1. Correct

Each year, we receive letters that begin "Dear Ms. Jackson" (Mary Jackson is the student director at Blake Cassels) or "Dear Mr. McGowan" (hopefully we don't have to point out why this is wrong!). In addition, letters are often plagued with spelling or grammatical errors, or references that appear to be about some other firm.

Bear in mind that you're studying to be lawyers, not secretaries. Secretarial work is a whole other skill set acquired with years of experience and training. Chances are you don't have that skill set. So you have to compensate by being extra diligent in double-checking your information, spelling, grammar, name and address. By the time you're finished this process, you'll be cross-eyed and in poor shape to proofread. In the best possible world, have someone else proofread your letter for you. If you can't find anyone to help you, at a minimum you should make sure that you don't edit your work the same day you create it. Get the letters and envelopes done, put them away for a day, and then review them with a fresh eye.

2. Clear

We know you're smart so there's no need to use big words in your letter to prove it. You may think that you have to use fancy language because that's the way lawyers talk and write. That's not the case; at least not at Cassels Brock. We work hard to make our communications clear. Our clients tend to be sophisticated business people who don't have the time or patience to decipher cumbersome, archaic communications. Our students and lawyers all receive training on how to write well. If you send a letter to us that's clearly written, you're one step closer to being our kind of lawyer!

Here's a bad example:

I have utilized and honed said skills in a variety of milieus.

Here's a good example:

I used the skills I learned at the Legal Aid Clinic in a number of other positions.

The general rule to use is: "Would you speak to your mother that way?" If you wouldn't utilize said skills to her, please don't use them in your letter to us.

3. Concise

There's no reason why your cover letter should be more than one page long. Don't use it to reiterate the contents of your resumé. Don't use it to describe yourself. Hopefully, after we read your resumé, we'll say: "This is a bright and dynamic individual." By the same token, it will sound egotistical if you describe yourself that way in the letter.

American law firms seem to like cover letters and resumés that are each one page long. We don't know of any Canadian law firm that demands resumés be restricted to one page. Maybe we're nosier here: we want to know what you do in your spare time! So restrict your cover letter to one page but don't feel as restricted with your resumé. By nature of their point form set-up and headings, resumés are a quick read, so if they're two pages, that's quite all right.

4. Courteous

Courtesy is good, as long as you don't go too far with it.

For example, don't write like this:

I have long admired Cassels Brock & Blackwell LLP. Cassels Brock is without a doubt one of the country's pre-eminent law firms. It would be an honour and a privilege to work at a firm of your renowned calibre.

We hope you'll agree that the above paragraph is a bit much. On the other hand, if you'd like to state a specific reason why you want to work at Cassels Brock, please do so (e.g. "I would like to practice widget law, and I note that you have a significant widget practice").

5. Character

As you read this, you're getting a glimpse about our personality. Your letter to us should give us a small glimpse of who you are. If you follow tip #2, you won't sound pompous. If you follow tip #4, you'll hit the appropriate tone.

There is no one sort of person we're looking for at Cassels Brock. The most important thing we can tell you is to be yourself.

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The On-Campus Interview (OCI)

The people with the real insight on how to handle a Cassels Brock OCI are the people who did it the best: our students. We asked both current and former students to share their insights with you. Here are some tips from our students on how to handle the OCIs.

Suhuyini Abudulai
Write brief notes about the firms you are interviewing with and review the notes between your interviews.

Philip Long
Practise, practise, practise. Have someone go through your resumé with you, line by line in an interview style, asking you to speak about your experiences. Speaking about yourself aloud will feel awkward, but it is better to get used to it in practice than to get flustered in an interview.

Michael Lungu
Be prepared to discuss the contents of your application. With all the pressure that OCIs bring, having a few developed ideas or stories in your back pocket will allow you to be relaxed and more confident going into the interview. I took a couple of hours the day before the OCIs to reflect on the activities I mentioned in my application. I found it was useful to refresh my memory about my experiences, particularly those that were several years in the past.

Michael Noonan
Be as prepared for each interview as you possibly can. Bring notes with you on each firm so you can refresh your memory about each firm before you interview with them. Also, take as many notes as you think you can manage.

Elizabeth Sinnott
Have something to eat and drink between interviews, if possible, to stay sharp.

Jessica Zagar
As soon as you finish an interview, write something about your interviewer or your discussions on the back of their business card. These will make your thank-you notes much more personal, and will be a good resource to help you refresh your memory for the November in-firm interviews.

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In-firm Interviews

Here are a few things you can expect at our in-firm interviews.

You can contact Leigh-Ann a few days before your interview (e-mail is the best) and she'll tell you who's interviewing you (the interviewers are always subject to change due to unexpected shifts in their schedules).
When you arrive at Cassels Brock, you'll be directed to the student reception area. Some of our articling students will be there to greet you. If you have any last minute questions about the firm, ask them.
It's important to keep your energy level up. As demanding as OCIs were, the November interviews are more demanding because they're two days in length. We'll have juices and snacks in the student reception area. Sandwiches will be brought in for lunch. Please don't be shy about helping yourself.
We keep a first aid kit in the student reception area. If those new shoes are giving you blisters, help yourself to a bandage. If Bay Street is turning your stomach, help yourself to an antacid.
After your interview, our articling students are available to take you on a tour, introduce you to more of our lawyers, and to answer any questions you might have.
If you feel you need more information about us in order to make an informed decision, don't hesitate to let us know and we'd be pleased to see you again at your convenience.

Here are some tips from our former articling students on how to handle your in-firm interviews.

Suhuyini Abudulai
Do background research on the lawyers who will be interviewing you. Check out their biographies online.
Sabrina Fiorellino
Ensure that you follow up with firms that you are interested in. The firms will see many students so it is a good idea to send an email or leave a phone message for the person or people who interviewed you letting them know you enjoyed the meeting and would like to return to the firm to meet more people. This may help the firm sort through applicants who are interested in working at the firm from those who are not.
Philip Long
Give yourself time and know your route. Interviews may go longer than you anticipate: you could be given the opportunity to continue speaking with more people or you could just get lost en route to your next interview. Ensure that you schedule sufficient time between interviews to allow you to get to the next one on time. Also, if you have time, eat something between interviews. You can't imagine how much energy a day of interviews takes!
Michael Noonan
Don't overextend yourself in terms of receptions. You should really limit yourself to two receptions a night if possible. You don't want to be rushed, and, if you're going to your third reception of the night, you're going to be exhausted for the next day of interviews.
Elizabeth Sinnott
If wearing heels, walk carefully on tile and hardwood floors! You wouldn't want to injure yourself in the midst of the in-firm process.
Jessica Zagar
Do not start a discussion about a current event or recent legal development if you don't know much about it. You are better off discussing your resumé and things that interest you rather than trying to impress your interviewers by dropping a headline you read in the newspaper. More than likely, they will know something about the topic and will realize very quickly if you don't.

For more tips on preparing for interviews, please read Deborah's article, 'About Interviews and Rabbits'.

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Schmooze Control

You are not alone if you hate cocktail parties. Even extroverts find it hard to introduce themselves to strangers. Realistically though, you are going to have to attend cocktail parties for business, social or political reasons long after you land a summer job or become a lawyer. Here are some tips to help you gain "schmooze control".

Dress Code

Business attire.

Arriving

If your interview schedule permits, arrive on time rather than fashionably late. This will give you an opportunity to speak to the recruiter or members of the student committee before they're swamped with other guests.

Your Objective

Don't take the easy route at a law firm cocktail party by finding your friends, relaxing and sharing a few laughs. This will not assist you in landing a job.

Force yourself to meet the lawyers and students at the law firm. Often it's as important, at least at Cassels Brock, to meet our articling students as it is to meet our lawyers. One industry war story goes as follows: a student guest starts chatting with a law firm articling student. The student guest then spots a lawyer he wants to talk to. He simply walks away from the articling student mid-sentence. Needless to say, the story spread throughout the firm and the student committee; the student guest was not offered a position as a result.

There certainly was a better way to handle it. The student guest could have asked the articling student to introduce him to the lawyer he wanted to meet. The articling student would then have nothing bad to say about the student guest. In fact, the articling student could say that the student guest was pretty savvy, had done his homework on whom he wanted to meet, and was smart enough to turn his chat with an articling student into an opportunity to target an introduction.

Demeanour

When introducing yourself to someone, smile, shake hands firmly and state your name clearly (even if you're wearing a name tag). Pause briefly between saying your first and last name. Even if you've met the person earlier that day, you should still state your name. You can safely assume that the person has spoken to at least a dozen other students over the course of the day and would appreciate a memory prompt such as, "Hi Sam. We met earlier today. I'm Perry Lee."

Keep your drink or food in your left hand. Your right hand should be available to shake hands.

Make sure that your purse or briefcase strap does not obscure your name tag and that you have placed the name tag in a spot where it is easy to read.

You may find it's easier to transition into a cocktail party by targeting someone close to your own age with a friendly smile as your first approach.

It's fine to keep your conversations to five minutes or less. You have a lot of people to meet. You can excuse yourself by saying you'd like to refresh your drink or go to the washroom. Or simply say, "It was a pleasure meeting you. Excuse me." If you're trying to meet people, researchers say that the food table is a better bet than the bar. Apparently, when we eat we release endorphins that relax us and make us more receptive to conversation.

Dos & Don'ts

Don't sip your drink when someone is talking to you. Give them your undivided attention.
Maintain eye contact and don't let your eyes wander to see who else is in the room.
Steer clear of issues like religion, money and personal crises.
Don't gossip.
Avoid off-colour jokes.
Stay on top of your game: restrict yourself to one alcoholic drink.
Don't ask general questions about the law firm. It suggests that you haven't done your research.

Departing

Don't apologize when it's time to go. The law firms all know that you have multiple commitments. It's not necessary to find the recruiter to say goodbye. If you've connected with anyone in particular at the firm, and there is a clear path available, say goodbye to that person (for example, the lawyer who conducted your OCI or your in-firm interview).

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