We are always looking for fresh ideas and we encourage our female colleagues to take leadership roles in guiding the future of women at Torys and the firm as a whole. Learn more about the firm’s women leaders, networking activities, sponsorships and other initiatives.
Sheila has been at Torys since 1972 and was one of the first female lawyers at the firm. She is proud to have raised a family and developed a career in law, and also to have contributed to organizations such as Touching Tiny Lives, which helps children in Lesotho, and the Children’s Aid Foundation.
Laurie has been with Torys since 2010. She joined because of the people, the work, and the firm’s international perspective. She praises the fact that Torys encourages associates enjoy outside interests and broaden their horizons.
Rima praises the diverse and collaborative environment at Torys. She is involved in numerous diversity initiatives, including Women in Law@Torys (an initiative to recruit, retain and develop women lawyers at the firm), the Canadian Board Diversity Council and Special Olympics Ontario.
Cheryl describes herself as a leading life sciences lawyer who works in the United States, Canada and Israel. She also describes the strengths of women lawyers and shows how women lawyers can make time for their families, as well as their careers.
Karrin has been with Torys since 1993. She is immensely proud of the team of professionals at the firm who exhibit great passion for their work and for their clients. She enjoys mentoring young lawyers and sees curiosity as a key attribute of new lawyers joining the firm.
Internal and External Networking Opportunities
We provide both formal and informal avenues for our women to build relationships with each other.
Most friendships and mentorships develop informally through working on files or client teams, attending training programs or being introduced by colleagues. Formally, we foster these relationships through Women in Law@Torys by hosting female-only social events, workshops and speaker series throughout the year.
Some of the events we have hosted include the following:
Spirit of Barbra Schlifer Award
Torys is pleased to sponsor the Spirit of Barbra Schlifer Award. This award will recognize a woman who has made a demonstrable contribution to increased access to safety and justice for women.
Torys is proud to have provided longstanding support for the Barbra Schlifer Commemorative Clinic. Founded in 1985, The Schlifer Clinic is a counseling, legal, interpretation, information and referral service for women who are survivors of violence. It is named after Barbra Schlifer, who was tragically killed on the day of her call to the Bar of Ontario. The clinic works with individuals and community organizations, as well as medical, legal and criminal justice professionals, religious organizations and those concerned about violence against women.
Update: Leilani Farha, Executive Director of Canada Without Poverty and an international human rights lawyer, has been named the first Spirit of Barbra Schlifer Award recipient for her contributions to helping women live violence-free lives.
Our Women in Law@Torys initiative provides a structured network of support that reinforces the firm’s commitment to the success of its female lawyers, both professionally and personally.
In addition to their dynamic legal practices, the women at Torys are committed to their communities, their families, pro bono work and other external pursuits. Approximately one-third of our lawyers overall and half of our associates are women.
Gillian Dingle leads our Women in Law@Torys initiative, which focuses on the recruitment, retention and development of women lawyers at Torys.