Student Program: Toronto
What Our Students Say About Us
"The positive and supportive environment at Torys is what really stands out for me. The lawyers I worked with were genuinely interested in helping me develop my legal skills. They always took the time to explain the big picture of the file that I was working on, and I was comfortable approaching them with questions. I felt like my work was valued, and was able to share in the sense of accomplishment when a transaction that I worked on had closed."
Sophie Courtois (McGill), 2011 Summer Student
"Summer students at Torys enjoy an exceptional level of respect and appreciation. Students are treated as members of the team from their very first day. They are given significant responsibility regardless of practice area. Even the most senior lawyers seek to involve students and are willing to invest the time and effort necessary to ensure that students are successful. As a result, Torys has created a working environment that is both challenging and enjoyable. The inclusive atmosphere at Torys extends to the numerous social events, which are a highlight of the summer."
Jonathan Roth (Toronto), 2011 Summer Student
"My summer experience with the firm has confirmed my impression during interviews that Torys is a great place to work. I entered the summer with a strong interest in corporate law and I have had the opportunity to work on several interesting deals in different areas of corporate practice. The partners and associates that I have worked with have been very generous with their time explaining the background of the deal and always being available for questions. They have also given me a level of responsibility that has exceeded my expectations and always made me feel like I was a valuable contributor to the team.
I believe that TEAM is an excellent way to describe the firm. There is a tremendous amount of support at Torys from the student department to your mentors and workload coordinators all the way up to the Chair. Everyone is approachable and willing to take the time to help you with an assignment or get to know you at Lawyers Lunch or Friday Bar. I believe that this informal camaraderie helps set the tone for an enjoyable work atmosphere that places an emphasis on working hard and doing good work rather than putting in face time. I have really enjoyed my experience with Torys and look forward to returning to the firm. "
Rob Shaw (Osgoode), 2011 Summer Student
"A lot of hard work, planning and even some nerves go into securing a summer position at Torys. Now, near the end of my summer, I can safely say it was all worth it. My summer at Torys has truly been a wonderful and eye-opening experience. I've had the opportunity to work with leading practitioners, a great support staff and have been involved with a number of high-profile, interesting and complex transactions. As well, the summer was filled with terrific social outings including a Jays game, summer parties and a wine tour in Niagara-on-the-Lake. In all, I’ve had an exceptional time at Torys and am looking forward to my future with the firm."
Jacob Weinstock (Osgoode), 2011 Summer Student
"From Day 1, students at Torys are made to feel like the future of the firm. This translates to so many valuable learning opportunities, as the people around you are committed to your understanding, your skill development, and that you have an amazing summer experience. I had so many questions I wanted answered, from "how does that work?", to "what does that acronym stand for?", to “can I go to court and watch that appeal?”. So many people were eager to provide an answer, and often, an answer peppered with a great story: of how the case ended up at this point, or of a time when something didn’t work, or a trick to keep your shaking legs under control when speaking in court.
I felt that my contributions, even when modest, were valued as an important component of a much bigger picture. I appreciated that seasoned lawyers would take the time to explain the complicated jigsaw puzzle comprising that big picture, providing context for a discrete task. By seeing how all the pieces came together, I started to better understand the business of law.
The calibre of the relationships that I’ve made over the summer truly surpassed my expectations. After only a few short months, I have inspiring mentors that happily share their knowledge, great connections with associates that I enjoy working for time and time again, and fantastic friends in my summer class. I know these relationships will inform the trajectory of my legal career and I am grateful for the supportive atmosphere that Torys provides, which fosters and enables this."
Katie Szilagyi (Ottawa), 2011 Summer Student
"For me, the biggest advantage of the Torys summer program is that it gives students the opportunity to gain experience in a broad variety of practice areas. Throughout the summer I worked on assignments in bank regulation, pensions, procurement, real estate, mergers and acquisitions, and various litigation matters. I was consistently given a high level of responsibility, and the files I worked on were always very interesting and challenging.
Another great aspect of the summer program at Torys is the firm culture. Students at Torys are treated as valued team members, and regularly interact with senior associates and partners both at the office and at the firm's numerous social events. Summer students get to know one another through many fun, well-organized group activities, and the weekly lawyer’s lunch provides an informal setting for students to engage with each other and with senior lawyers. Overall, I had an excellent summer experience at Torys and I look forward to returning next year for articling."
Andrew Pfleiderer (Toronto), 2011 Summer Student
"The summer program at Torys was a great start to my legal career. I got a chance to work with lawyers from a variety of practice groups including corporate, pensions and employment, intellectual property, infrastructure and energy, and litigation, which broadened my horizons and opened my eyes to the types of work I never considered being involved in. I was also very impressed with the mentorship I received from the lawyers who took time out of their busy days to not only explain the big picture on every work assignment and make themselves available for questions, but also to mentor and teach me and offer advice, feedback and encouragement.
When taking a break from work, I had a great time with a very cohesive group of summer students. We celebrated all summer birthdays with a cake, organized our own after-work events and enjoyed firm-sponsored activities such as volleyball, a Blue Jays game and wine tasting in Niagara-on-the-Lake. My summer was a great experience and I am looking forward to coming back to the firm next year!"
Vitali Berditchevski (Western), 2011 Summer Student
"Torys is an exciting and rewarding place to begin a legal career. The work environment is extremely collegial and energetic, and as a student, you are given significant responsibility at an early stage. The lawyers and support staff are extremely approachable and supportive, and I felt comfortable at the firm from the very first day. The flexible workload coordination system allowed me to customize my summer experience, and I was able to gain exposure to a wide range of practice areas, including mergers and acquisitions, securities, and intellectual property. Also, I was able to spend six weeks on secondment at a client of the firm. This was a fantastic opportunity to meet people in the business community and learn more about how a legal department at a large corporation operates."
Sean Adair (Toronto), 2011 Summer Student
"The summer experience at Torys has been a fantastic one. The firm prides itself on having a tremendous group of people doing strong work, and I feel very fortunate to have had the chance to witness this first hand. As a summer student, I have had the opportunity to play an active role in files, working with both associates and partners who made a concentrated effort to involve me within deals and were truly committed to ensuring that I had a valuable learning experience. Beyond giving fulfilling work, Torys is committed to giving students a balanced summer. Over my time here, I have attended numerous social activities enabling me to get to know the firm and my fellow summer students and allowing me to develop solid relationships. This summer has been great and I am eager to continue my legal career at Torys in the near future."
Matthew Kuchinsky (Queen's), 2011 Summer Student
"I cannot say enough good things about my summer experience at Torys. I have had the opportunity to work with both associates and partners on a wide variety of corporate transactions, from securities offerings to lending deals. Each lawyer I have worked with has taken the time to explain the broader purposes of the transaction, which has made it easier to understand how my involvement in the process fits in. I feel that I have been able to learn a great deal here in only a few short weeks and I am very excited to learn even more when I return for articling.
Beyond the tremendous work exposure I have received, the social culture at the firm has made it a pleasure to come to the office for work each morning. All of the lawyers and support staff have gone out of the way to make our adjustment to the firm as easy as possible and it seems as though we have an exciting social activity every week whether it be wine tasting in Niagara, mentor lunches or a night out at a Blue Jays game. Looking back on my experience this summer, I am certain I made the right decision in choosing to work at Torys and I couldn’t think of a better place to begin my legal career."
Jonah Goldberg (Queen's), 2011 Summer Student
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