How Large Law Firms Recruit Law Students

Lawyer Kim Orr

This week we take a close look at the process of recruitment that dominates law school for second and third year students. Eager to find a position that will be a resume builder and begin paying off tuition debt, students compete in a process known as the “OCIs” (“On-Campus Interviews”), for either summer positions or articling jobs in big Bay Street firms. OCIs are a multi-stage process involving on-campus interviews, in-firm interviews, cocktails parties and dinners – and a lot of nail-biting waiting for a call-back. Our focus here is the 2L summer position OCI recruitment process, and we have recorded comments from a number of students who have just completed this months-long process – some got jobs, some did not. We also talk to Kim Orr, a two-year call and a lawyer with Paccioco and Mellow in Windsor, about her OCIs experience.

In other news: Malcolm Mercer (treasurer of the Law Society of Ontario) has published a column for SLAW magazine discussing sharp practice by lawyers; a recent article from The Tyee looks at Gladue Reports, access to justice, and the ways in which the Canadian justice system isn’t doing enough for Indigenous communities; and Julie has been featured on another podcast, “The Law School Show”, speaking with students about her work for the NSRLP, her experiences that have led to this point, and sharing some insights on the legal profession.

Related:

“The OCIs are broken” by Daniel Fish (Precedent JD)

Obiter Dicta (Osgoode student paper) OCI survey results from 2016

Howard Erlanger et al, Law Student Idealism and Job Choice: Some New Data on an Old Question 30 Law & Society Review 851 (1996)

David Raack, Law School and the Erosion of Student Idealism JOURNAL OF LEGAL EDUCATION 1991 March; 41(1): 121-134

Other News:

“Self-Represented Parties and Sharp Practice by Counsel – Should We Be Thinking Differently?” by Malcolm Mercer (Slaw)

NSRLP’s Summary Judgment Research Report

“Beyond Gladue: How the Justice System Is Still Failing Indigenous Offenders” (The Tyee)

Jumping Off the Ivory Tower is produced and hosted by Julie Macfarlane and Dayna Cornwall; production and editing by Brauntë Petric; Other News produced and hosted by Ali Tejani; promotion by Moya McAlister and Ali Tejani.