Canadian Lawyer 4Students

54 AUGUST 2018 C A N A D I A N L a w y e r 4STUDENTS satisfy the needs of the modern law firm practice. Law is constant- ly transforming, as are the demands of the practice, and the firm should be ready to satisfy those changing needs. In the past, law firms would oen conduct informal interviews that were more like a friendly chat. While the interview is still an integral part of the hiring process, firm recruiters are realizing that focusing only on social connection could be a recipe for replicating sameness, says Lynn Iding, managing director, legal professional resources at McInnes Cooper LLP in Halifax. At her firm, inter- viewers are trained to recognize conscious and unconscious biases and ascertain certain skillsets, which helps ensure a broad spec- trum of experience is brought to the firm. e evolving needs of clients are also shaping recruitment and the type of talent firms want to attract. Iding says it's not enough to be just a good practising lawyer either. Clients are demanding that lawyers who serve them be well-rounded, good business and people managers and excel in client service. Diversity as a strength Diversity, a hot topic in the Canadian legal profession, is part of this equation. is includes ethnic diversity, gender diversity or diver- sity in professional backgrounds. It's more than merely ticking off a figurative box to show that a firm has unique hires — it's about tapping into the strengths and varied perspectives diversity brings. Diversity carries with it fresh perspectives, and fresh perspectives are strength. "I think it's pretty well established now that organizations and law firms are more profitable and are better able to serve their clients when they value difference; not just cultural difference but differ- ence of experience and perspective of life situations," Iding says. "We focus on the core competencies that we think you need in or- der to be a lawyer [during the recruiting process], but [we] look for those competencies in different ways." Nisha Anand, partner at Gilbert's LLP in Toronto, who also annu- ally co-chairs a diversity panel for the Canadian Bar Association IP Day, echoes this sentiment. She says that if firms want to be a true meritocracy, they cannot hire cookie-cutter versions of one type of lawyer; otherwise, they will miss out on great talent. Risling also thinks diversity has improved at the law school level and he's finding that the best candidates come from a multitude of cultural backgrounds. Finding suitable candidates from diverse backgrounds isn't difficult for his firm, he says. Firms situated in multicultural areas, such as Pallett Valo LLP in Mississauga, Ont., have an advantage when hiring diverse young talent. "For a long time, we've had a fairly equal balance between men and women [lawyers]," says Andy Balaura, partner at Pallett Valo, who adds that his firm supports candidates involved in cultural or- ganizations such as the South Asian Bar Association and the Italian and Greek ethnic associations. "Being in Mississauga, which is a di- verse community, I think our lawyers reflect that." Does law school prepare you? Getting an articling position or a job at a law firm for a young law- yer is a necessity — but it's one for which law schools don't prepare students. Lawyers generally agree that while law schools prepare students with the analytical skills and ways of thinking to excel as a lawyer, practical knowledge, such as learning what law firm recruiters are searching for as an ideal hire, are not taught. ere is a gap between learning how to secure that position and the thinking skills that law schools teach. Mentorship How could this gap be closed? While there is no one definitive an- swer or silver bullet, mentorship is one viable solution. Mentorship opportunities, both formally arranged and informal (popping into the offices of senior lawyers as needed), are offered to young lawyers and students to teach them the practical aspects of law. "e approach at our firm is to spend a little bit more time with our young lawyers, talking to them about various assignments, what their thoughts are in terms of the solutions that may exist," says Ris- ling. "I think it really boils down to a little bit more face time." When building strong connections with other lawyers at their firm, emerging lawyers have the opportunity to gain practical knowledge and implement those skills. ese opportunities also " LAWYERS GENERALLY AGREE THAT WHILE LAW SCHOOLS PREPARE STUDENTS WITH THE ANALYTICAL SKILLS AND WAYS OF THINKING TO EXCEL AS A LAWYER, PRACTICAL KNOWLEDGE, SUCH AS LEARNING WHAT LAW FIRM RECRUITERS ARE SEARCHING FOR AS AN IDEAL HIRE, ARE NOT TAUGHT."

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