Top Employer: Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP

Recognized as one of Canada's Best Diversity Employers (2023):

By Kristina Leung and Stephanie Leung, Mediacorp Canada Inc. staff editors (Mar 6, 2023)

Here are some of the reasons why Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP was selected as one of Canada's Best Diversity Employers (2023):

Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt helps partners ensure that work is fairly allocated to both male and female associates through a gender work allocation report -- the report provides partners with an individualized summary of the number of hours associates spent on various files over the past year, as well as a gender breakdown of the associates in the partner's practice area, office, and across the firm
Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt created the Advancement of Women Lawyers program to help advance more women into partnership -- the program includes mentoring, coaching and training, with nearly half of all senior women associates in the first year of the program now admitted as partner
Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt established the Osler Diversity Scholarship Program for eligible second-year law students to diversify the pipeline -- applicants are asked to demonstrate their commitment to being a diversity leader within their law school, the legal profession or the broader non-law community

Members of Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt's Asia-Pacific Affinity Network and South Asian Network attend the Federation of Asian Canadian Lawyers in BC

I am one of the associate leads for the Osler Black Lawyers’ Network, formed in 2020 to support the Black community by fostering the recruitment, retention and career advancement of Black employees at Osler and by committing to community outreach and engagement with a focus on the law and legal practice. The group has provided me with a network of individuals who understand my unique journey and can help in mentoring and supporting career goals. One of the things I think was really special this year is that all of our members, from our offices across the country, had the opportunity to meet as a group in Toronto along with summer students and our three Avenue interns. The Avenue internship program is a new initiative for Black undergraduate students to experience what it’s like to work at a law firm, and one of the ways Osler and other Canadian firms are working to increase the pipeline of young Black lawyers entering the legal world. Abigail Omale, Associate, Employment and Labour

Highlights

Industry	Law firm
Major Canadian hiring locations	Vancouver BC, Montréal QC, Toronto ON, Calgary AB, Ottawa ON
Full-time employees in Canada	1,172
Management of diversity and inclusion initiatives	senior manager of diversity and inclusion oversees initiatives, maintains a national diversity committee who reports to partnership on D&I initiatives every quarter, regional diversity committees in Calgary, Montreal and Vancouver
Performance management and accountability	biennial demographic survey, partners are assessed on a balanced scorecard that includes participation in diversity and inclusion initiatives, mentorship and other activities, associates are expected to contribute an amount of non-billable hours to activities that include diversity and inclusion
Employee resource groups	legal professional resource group membership includes lawyers, law students and paraprofessionals: Asia-Pacific Affinity Network, Osler Black Lawyers Network, Osler Pride Network, Osler South Asian Network, Osler Women Lawyers Network
Noteworthy diversity strategies and policies	gender work allocation report to ensure fair work allocation to male and female associates (provides partners with individualized summary of hours associates spent on their files over the past year by gender, as well as the gender breakdown of associates in the partner's practice area, office, and across the firm), members can provide anonymous feedback on the firm's diversity and inclusion initiatives directly to the senior manager of diversity and inclusion, office hours with senior manager of diversity and inclusion where ideas or concerns can be raised
Recruitment initiatives	runs open houses for law students from equity groups in conjunction with legal professional resource groups, diversity committee and student programs, unconscious bias training to personnel involved in recruitment, interviews use standardized behavioural questions related to competencies
Retention and development programs	Advancement of Women Lawyers program to support women into leadership positions (includes mentoring, coaching and training), supports balance by providing options to practice part-time or pursue alternate track positions (to traditional partnership track), buddy program for associate lawyers on parental leave to assist in the transition back to work, in-house coaching program for all individuals on parental leave
Training and awareness initiatives	unconscious bias training for lawyers and staff, disrupting unconscious bias e-learning (required for people leaders and those who participate in recruitment or events), inclusive leadership, leadership and mental health in the workplace for lawyers, EDI and relevant topics within continuing professional development programs, bi-monthly Osler Belongs newsletter
Diversity highlights	participates in Avenue internship program for Black undergraduate students (plans to run the program in parallel with its summer student program so participants can benefit from the existing summer structure), Calgary office participates in Law Society of Alberta's Indigenous law student summer employment program, scholarships for diverse students at the University of Calgary, University of Alberta, Toronto Metropolitan University and Western University, committed $1.75-million to Black Future Lawyers program, corporate governance group reviews and analyzes diversity disclosure by TSX-listed companies in annual Diversity Disclosure Practices Report
Highlights from the past year	engaged a third-party diversity consultant to analyze the firm's workplace inclusion and diversity, whose findings will inform strategic goals

The Career Directory

Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP has been selected for The Career Directory, our guide to entry-level recruitment for recent college and university graduates.

Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP Toronto students

Highlights for New Grads

Industry	Law firm
Full-time employees in Canada	1,000 to 2,500
Major Canadian hiring locations	Vancouver BC, Montréal QC, Toronto ON, Calgary AB, Ottawa ON
Student opportunities	summer jobs, co-op opportunities
Training	subsidies for professional accreditation, orientation program, online training, in-house training, mentoring, in-house career planning services
Annual tuition maximum	employer pays up to $700 in tuition subsidies for job-related courses per year
Typical new grad positions	Legal Assistant, Coordinator, Associate, Law Student
Work benefits	health benefits for new employees, flexible work hours, telecommuting, transit subsidies
Vacation allowance	new employees receive 3 weeks of paid vacation after their first year on the job

Academic fields recruited

Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Laws
Bachelor of Science
- Computer Science
- Information Studies / Library Science
Community College Diploma
- Human Resources
- Office Administration

Recruits at these schools

Humber College

Seneca College

Sheridan College

Toronto Metropolitan University

University of Ontario Institute of Technology

University of Toronto

Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP

Visit website