CRIMES, COURTS, AND COMMENTARY
Interviews, current events, recommendations, and more --
all geared to the criminal law student community.
all geared to the criminal law student community.
Yuliya Mykhaylychenko (CLSA Co-President)
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Anna Zhang (3L and CLSA Blog Editor) For students wanting to work in criminal law, the path may seem ambiguous. Opportunities for 1L and 2L criminal law jobs are limited within the formal LSO process and students must often take summer positions that are not directly related to defence or Crown work.
By Anna Zhang and Teodora Pasca On top of a pandemic and an already-hectic second semester, March marked the end of yet another summer job recruit season. While some students were preparing to dazzle firms on Bay Street with their charming personalities and impressive extracurriculars, the preparation for interviews with Crown offices and criminal defence firms looked a bit different.
The CLSA spoke with four students at U of T Law about their experiences navigating the criminal law recruit. Why criminal law? By Anna Zhang There is a well-known joke amongst students at the U of T Faculty of Law that everyone goes into law school wanting to become the next Amal Clooney, but everyone comes out of law school headed for Bay Street. All over the country, young law students fantasize over what a career on Bay Street promises: prestige, cutting-edge files, and of course, high pay. As a student facing substantial tuition debt and sky-rocketing rent, it’s difficult to imagine a better option. Why would anyone ever leave those benefits behind?
I spoke with five lawyers who excelled in law school, earned a position on Bay Street, and later abandoned the heart of the Financial District to practice criminal law. Each had their own reason for making the change. Some were always interested in criminal law; others wanted more opportunities to get on their feet. One lawyer made the switch after a Crown Attorney called him and said, “you have to try this, it’s the most fun you’ll ever have at a job!” Nevertheless, every lawyer’s reasons to enter criminal law seemed to center around two factors: greater litigation experience and a desire to help people. |
Want to contribute? Pitch an idea to CLSA Blog Editors Ben Elhav & Nik Khakhar at [email protected] & [email protected].
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