Inclusion And Diversity Initiatives
At Cassels, we encourage a corporate culture that respects and celebrates the dignity, value and diversity of all. Our Inclusion and Diversity Committee runs various initiatives throughout the firm, including both social events that celebrate diversity and training programs that help create a more diverse and inclusive firm culture. Summer and articling students are supported in playing active roles in diversity and inclusion programming and initiatives within and outside the firm.
Affinity Group Mentorship
The Inclusion and Diversity Committee at Cassels has implemented a policy such that all firm members who share a common background or personal characteristic (and their allies or supporters) may form an affinity group to support, champion and mentor one another.
There are currently eleven active Affinity Groups at the firm; they are the:
- 2SLGBTQ+ Affinity Group
- Asian Affinity Group
- Black Affinity Group
- Caribbean Affinity Group
- Indigenous Reconciliation Group
- Jewish Affinity Group
- Mental Wellness Affinity Group
- Accessibility & Neurodiversity Affinity Group
- Parents of Young Families Affinity Group
- Ukrainian Affinity Group
- Women’s Affinity Group
Each of these groups meets regularly and all firm members are welcome to attend.
Summer and articling students are encouraged to get involved in our affinity groups as well as the firm’s broader diversity initiatives. They may also elect to have a mentor (in addition to their assigned mentors) from any of the affinity groups. You can read more about our inclusion and diversity initiatives here.
Social And Charitable Events
The time you spend at Cassels will be challenging and rewarding, resulting in invaluable learning experiences; but we don’t want you to spend all of your time working. We organize social and charitable events year-round so that students and lawyers can get to know each other in a relaxing environment. In the past, we’ve gone to the theatre, played video games at the arcade, cheered on the Raptors, participated in a bocce ball tournament and had a laugh or two at our own expense in a cooking competition.
We’ve also participated in charitable endeavours such as: the Annual Bay Street Charity Beach Volleyball Tournament; Aidsbeat; the Dodger; JDRF Ride to Defeat Diabetes; Give a Night; Power To Play; and Ronald McDonald House.
Contact
To learn more, connect with Samanthea Samuels, our Chief EDI Officer.
FAQ
Kim Bonnar, Chief Professional Resources Officer, answers your frequently asked questions on the Cassels student programs:
What kind of inclusion/diversity programs do you have at Cassels?
We have an Inclusion and Diversity Committee that runs various initiatives throughout the firm and throughout the year, including social events, like our international foods luncheon, and training events, like our firm-wide unconscious bias training. We also have eleven Affinity Groups – the 2SLGBTQ+ Affinity Group, the Asian Affinity Group, the Black Affinity Group, the Caribbean Affinity Group, the Indigenous Reconciliation Group, the Jewish Affinity Group, the Parents of Young Families Affinity Group, the Mental Wellness Affinity Group, the Neurodiversity and Accessibility Affinity Group, the Parents of Young Families Affinity Group, and the Women’s Affinity Group. You can read more about these groups here.
Students are encouraged to get involved with both our Affinity Groups and our broader inclusion and diversity initiatives at the firm. You can read more about our inclusion and diversity initiatives here. In addition to their assigned mentor, students may also request a mentor from any of our Affinity Groups.
What kind of pro bono work does Cassels do and what opportunities are there for students to get involved in pro bono files?
We are involved in various pro bono initiatives, including advocacy efforts for: the College of Early Childhood Educators; Boys and Girls Clubs of Canada; Classroom Champions; Law Help Ontario; RARE Theatre Company; and Special Olympics Canada. We also provide pro bono services to our Black-Owned Small Business Grant recipients. Students are encouraged to get involved in pro bono files during their summer and articling terms and most students take us up on the opportunity to do so.
What kind of social events do the students at Cassels participate in?
We offer all kinds of events for our students throughout the year, including charitable events such as Aidsbeat, Power To Play and the Dodger; team building events – LOB Bocce Ball Golf, Rock Climbing, and The Edible Story – a cooking challenge; sporting events such as the Raptors, the TFC, and the Vancouver Canadians; and eating events, including Assembly Chefs Hall, Kiin, and The National On 8th.