Overview

At Torys, we know that as part of the legal profession, we have a unique responsibility to the community. Our lawyers and staff are dedicated to serving the public interest, making positive change in our society and fostering community development however we can—from participating in community initiatives to maintaining a robust pro bono program.
Foundations We Support
Here are just a few of the community organizations we are proud to support.
Adopt a Family
|
Air Canada Foundation
|
Bikes for Tykes
|
Bust a Move Calgary, Alberta Cancer Foundation
|
Calgary Food Bank
|
Calgary Women's Shelter
|
Camp Oochigeas
|
Food Bank of New York City
|
Fort York Food Bank
|
Give a Day
|
Juvenile Diabetes
|
Movember
|
National Eating Disorders Association
|
North York General Hospital
|
Presbyterian Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital
|
Progressive Alternatives Society of Calgary
|
Ronald McDonald House
|
SickKids Foundation
|
Teen Legal Helpline |
Touching Tiny Lives |
United Way |
YWCA Toronto - Women of Distinction Awards |
Sinai Health Foundation |
Lawyers Feed the Hungry |
Special Olympics |
Hockey Helps the Homeless |
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Toronto |
Pro Bono
We provide pro bono legal services to a diverse breadth of organizations. Torys is proud to have worked with the following associations, among others:
MaRs Discover District's Soial Venture Connection (SVX)
|
Right to Play
|
LAWS (Laws Action Within Schools)
|
Canadian Civil Liberties Association
|
Human Rights First
|
Special Olympics Ontario
|
CARFAC (Canadians Artists' Representation/le Front des artistes canadiens) Ontario
|
Free the Children
|
Public International Law and Policy Group (PILPG)
|
International Senior Lawyers Project
|
National Music Centre
|
MS Society of Canada |
LGBTQ2S Initiatives
We are grateful for our long history of pro bono advocacy on behalf of the LGBT community.
Our longstanding commitment to provide representation to the LGBTQ2S community reaches as far back as 1995, when we represented the Canadian AIDS Society and the Coalition for Lesbian and Gay Rights in Ontario in R. v. Carmen M., in which the Ontario Court of Appeal found portions of the Criminal Code relating to the age for consent to be unconstitutional. In 1999, we supported the Canadian Lesbian & Gay Archives in a human rights complaint against a printer who refused to provide printing services to the archives. A more recent case, in 2004, involved our representation of the Foundation for Equal Families as an intervener before the Supreme Court of Canada in reference to the legality of the federal government’s proposed Civil Marriage Act, which defined marriage in gender-neutral terms and permitted same-sex marriage.
Through our practice we are constantly aiming to protect and advance the rights of the LGBTQ2S community.
Pro Bono Committee
From Our Lawyers: What Community Means To Us
In these videos, Cornell Wright and Andrew Gray express how community plays an integral part to their personal and professional lives.
- Cornell describes how important community is to Torys’ culture. He is a part of the LAWS program and the Canadian Merit Scholarship Foundation at the firm.
- Andrew expresses his thoughts on the value of the individual at Torys, as well as the importance of mentoring and community within and beyond the workplace.