What We Are Looking For
We are looking for a diverse group of future lawyers with different experiences, backgrounds, and strengths. That being said, there are a few key characteristics that all our students and lawyers share.
These ensure we consistently deliver top legal service within an environment where our people are set up for success!
Our Core Competencies
These competencies are what we are looking for in future Cassels lawyers! Students applying to Cassels should take the time to reflect on their experiences and identify examples of these competencies. Highlight examples of these competencies in both your application materials and throughout the interview process.
Team Orientation
Qualities
- Values team success over personal success
- Works effectively as a team member & adapts to different roles
- Builds strong relationships with colleagues, collaborates & communicates effectively
- Responds positively to feedback
Skills & Behaviours:
Respect for others, integrity, reliable, accountable, professionalism
Entrepreneurial Mindset
Qualities
- Willing to step outside comfort zone
- Demonstrates adaptability and resilience in the face of challenges
- Can operate with uncertainty
- Takes initiative in seeking out opportunities
- Thinks critically and looks for ways to develop or improve
Skills & Behaviours:
Proactive, resilient, adaptable, resourceful
Service Focus
Qualities
- Focuses on the need of clients/customers
- Looks for opportunities to surpass expectations
- Ability to balance competing demands
- Demonstrates strong organization and time management
Skills & Behaviours:
Detail oriented, organized, hardworking, responsive
Problem Solver
Qualities
- Identifies potential solutions
- Approaches challenges analytically
- Leverages resources and seeks appropriate guidance when needed
- Seeks continuous learning opportunities, academically
Skills & Behaviours:
Creative, sound judgement, strong communication skills (oral & written)
Your Application
Your application has four elements: the cover letter, resume, a copy of all post secondary transcripts and your upper year course list.
Cover Letter: Your cover letter should be clear, concise, accurate and free of grammatical and spelling errors. The tone of your cover letter should provide a bit of insight into who you are. There is no one sort of person we’re looking for at Cassels. The most important advice we can give you is to be authentic – give us a little insight into what makes you a unique candidate! And please keep it to one page.
Resume: Your resume should be structured as a series of headings and point-form (or bulleted) content and may be up to two pages in length. In addition to your educational qualifications and work experience, your resume should also indicate what you do in your spare time (your interests, extracurriculars, hobbies, etc.)
Throughout your cover letter and resume you should emphasize how your experiences connect with our competencies.
Transcript: You should submit copies of your official transcripts. We understand that often when you copy the official version, a safety feature will read “VOID” or “COPY” across the page. Don’t worry about this; please just ensure that your grades are legible.
Course List: Your intended upper year course list should be submitted in a bulleted list, organized by year (i.e. second year courses and third year course). This list should represent your honest intentions. We understand you do not have control over what courses are offered from year to year and you may not be able to take all the courses listed.
Key Contacts
If you are applying to our Toronto office, please address your application to:
If you are applying to our Vancouver office, please address your application to:
If you are applying to our Calgary office, please address your application to:
Submission Process
We accept summer student applications through the viLawPortal for each of our Toronto, Vancouver and Calgary offices. Please refer to that portal for the requirements and timelines for each jurisdiction’s application process. While the details and specific timing of the application process are different among cities, the overall process is generally the same.
Please note that we only participate in the second-year summer student recruitment process for each of our Toronto, Vancouver and Calgary offices. We recruit and hire when students are in the first semester of their second year of law school for the summer after they complete their second year. We abide by all rules established by the law society in each jurisdiction as well as any voluntary protocols established by the cities in which we recruit. As we aim to grow our firm through our summer student program, we don’t generally do a separate articling recruit.
We participate in On-Campus Interviews (OCIs) at many (but not all) law schools across the country. We do consider applications from candidates from schools in whose OCI process we do not participate. If we want to meet with a candidate from a school in whose OCI process we do not participate, we will invite the candidate in directly for an in-firm interview. Students should check with their law school to confirm whether we participate in their law school’s OCI process. We also participate in the NCA OCI Day in Toronto organized by the NCA Network.
The On-Campus Interview
The people with the real insight on how to handle a Cassels OCI are the people who did it best: our students. Here are some tips gleaned from their insights:
- Familiarize yourself with your own resume so that you are prepared to speak about your experiences in detail. Think about how your experience links to our competencies.
- Use the STAR method when answering questions:
Situation: Describe the scene and give relevant details.
Task: Describe your responsibilities
Action: Explain the steps you took in the situation
Result: Share what outcomes you achieved - Remember to eat. You will need to be “on” for several hours, so staying properly fueled – and hydrated – is essential.
- Project confidence, exude positivity and try to enjoy the experience as much as possible. You will make a great impression on every firm if you seem like you are genuinely happy to be there. Although the interview process can be nerve-wracking, focus on the fact that you’re meeting with bright, personable and interesting people who are excited to get to know you better.
- The allotted interview time will fly by, so do your best to quickly turn the interview into a friendly yet professional conversation. Do this by asking genuine questions that reflect the things that matter to you and show you are actively engaged in the conversation.
- Write down key conversation points on the back of the business card you received from your interviewer right after the interview. That way, you can refer to a specific conversation point when you draft your thank-you email that night.
- Make use of your breaks between interviews to re-energize and focus on (and prepare for) your next interview.
The In-firm Interview
After the OCIs, we invite students we are interested in for an in-firm interview (during the time frame prescribed in the jurisdiction). During these interviews, students have the opportunity to meet many more members of the firm and get a better idea of the people and work environment Cassels’ offers. We also invite all candidates out to dinner during this interview period so they can get to know us a little better outside the office as well. Here are a few things to keep in mind for our in-firm interviews:
- We will send you a confirmation email a few days before your interview to let you know who will be interviewing you. Please note that your designated interviewer is subject to change. Don’t get thrown off if you meet someone unexpected – we know you can’t foresee the future and we don’t expect you to know anything about your new interviewer.
- You will be assigned a firm host – likely an articling student or first year associate. Your host will bring you around the firm, introduce you to people, and answer any questions you may have – please don’t be shy in making use of this resource.
- Our dinners are an important part of our interview process. We really hope you will be able to join us and get to know us a in a more relaxed setting. We also know how grueling the interview process is. Our dinners are full of delicious food and stimulating conversation, but they end at a very reasonable hour so that everyone can get a good night’s sleep and be their best selves the next day.
- We know you have important decisions to make during this process – please don’t hesitate to ask for the information you need to make an informed decision.
FAQ
Kim Bonnar, Chief Professional Resources Officer, answers your frequently asked questions on the Cassels student programs:
Can you offer some general student hiring/recruiting process tips?
First and foremost, candidates should be themselves. We aren’t looking to hire robots – we want candidates to show us what makes them uniquely qualified. So, don’t be shy – show us who you are!
What is Cassels looking for in student candidates?
We are looking for diverse candidates who can bring different strengths and experiences to our firm. Having said that, we want all of our students to have four core competencies: team orientation, entrepreneurial mindset, service focus, problem solver. How students have acquired and demonstrated these competencies varies a great deal. We want candidates to highlight these competencies when discussing their experiences.
If Cassels doesnt conduct OCIs at my law school, will I still be considered?
Yes, we do consider applications from candidates, even if we don’t participate in their schools’ OCI process. If we want to meet a candidate, we will invite them directly for an in-firm interview.
Does Cassels consider NCA candidates?
Yes, we do consider NCA candidates. We participate in the NCA OCI Day organized by the NCA Network.
Does Cassels participate in the articling recruit?
As we aim to grow our firm through our summer student program, we do not generally participate in the articling recruit; but, we will do so if we have a need.
If I need accommodation as part of the recruitment process, how can I request it?
We are committed to providing any necessary accommodations during the recruitment process. Please reach out to me.