Toronto 2023 ITLNCA OCIs - 2L Summer Recruitment

Applying to ITLNCA’s ONTARIO OCIs? This information is for you!

1. Applications for all Internationally Trained Lawyers (ITLs) and National Committee on Accreditation (NCA) candidates* are due on ViLawportal by July 25, 2022, at 5:00 p.m. EST.

See ViLawportal here
See the “Important Dates” section below.

*ITLs and NCA applicants include:

All NCA candidates, including self-study NCA candidates;
NCA candidates enrolled in a LLM at OsgoodePD;
NCA candidates enrolled in the University of Toronto Global Professional Master of Laws Program (GPLLM);
NCA candidates enrolled in the Distance Learning Program at the Peter A. Allard School of Law at the University of British Columbia; and
NCA candidates enrolled in the University of Alberta Internationally Trained Lawyer Program.

NB: For general information about these programs, visit the National Committee on Accreditation website.

2. To participate in ITLNCA OCIs you must:

a) Follow the naming convention below for all documents you submit in ViLawportal, i.e.:

ITLNCA - Resume - Full Name
ITLNCA - Resume - Will Smith.doc,.pdf, etc.
ITLNCA - Cover Letter - Full Name
ITLNCA - Cover Letter - Will Smith.doc,.pdf, etc.

b) Include the following blurb at the end of your Cover Letter:

I would be pleased to be invited to an ITLNCA on-campus interview on September 28, 2022. To schedule an interview, please contact the ITLNCA Networks’ OCI Committee.

c) Provide ITLNCA with (1) your full name as listed on your resume, (2) phone number, (3) email address, and (4) a list of all the legal employers you applied to. You must submit the above information by completing this form: https://forms.gle/KjrFw46f86c1fRKa8 no later than July 26, 2022, at 5:00 p.m. EST.

3. Candidates should apply to ALL firms, government offices, and/ or legal employers that they are genuinely interested in working with. Candidates should not only apply to the list of firms participating in Toronto 2023 ITLNCA OCIs.

A preliminary list of participating law firms, government offices, and/or legal employers will be made available to candidates on our website by July 5, 2022.
However, additional legal employers may be added to our participation list even after the application deadline in ViLawportal has closed. Therefore, candidates should apply to ALL firms, government offices, and/or legal employers that they are interested in working with.
Further, some legal employers do not hold OCIs and only invite successful candidates straight to the in-firm interview stage. Please apply to all positions you are interested in.

2023 OCIs - Toronto's participating legal employers:

Weirfoulds LLP
Gowling WLG
Fasken
BLG
McMillan
Wildeboer Dellelce
Goodmans
McCarthy
Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP
Davies
Bennett Jones
Paliare Roland
Torys
Osler
Norton Rose F.
Bereskin Par
Cassels
PPSC

Note: This list will be updated on a rolling basis. You must follow the rules in steps 1 through 3 to above apply to all legal employers in ViLawportal, including those that are not in the legal employers list above.

Toronto 2023 ITLNCA OCIs - IMPORTANT DATES:

1) Application Deadline in ViLawportal - July 25, 2022, at 5:00 p.m. EST.

The application deadline for all Internationally Trained Lawyers (ITLs) and National Committee on Accreditation (NCA) candidates in Ontario is July 25, 2022, at 5:00 p.m. EST in ViLawportal.

Helpful information sessions:

ITLNCA OCIs Information Session with Angela Sordi LL.B., C.E.C. from Borden Ladner Gervais LLP (BLG), Cheryl Biehler and Eowynne Noble from Fasken, and Glynnis Hawe from Paliare Roland Rosenberg Rothstein LLP
Interviews with Successful OCI ITLNCAs
ITLNCA Networks’ Articling Information Session – Michael Tam of OsgoodePD explains how to write your resume and cover letter.
We also recommend that you attend the virtual open houses hosted by participating legal employers. Information about these virtual open houses can be found on their company websites, LinkedIn, and social media.

All educational materials and information sessions can be viewed on our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCF6KZn4uRsdXKC43KhQd2GQ/videos

2) ITLNCA OCI Call Day – September 9, 2022, starting at 8:00 a.m. until 7:00 PM EST.

Have your phone on and ready to accept calls and emails at 8:00 a.m. EST.
Successful candidates will be contacted by ITLNCA Networks’ neutral administrator(s) to inform them of their OCI offer(s).
Candidates will be informed about the name of all law firms and government offices that offered them an interview. Candidates will not be informed about the interview times or given a choice of when the interviews will happen.
Candidates will be contacted at the contact number/ email address provided to ITLNCA Networks (in step 2(c) above).
The deadline to accept your OCI offer(s) from ITLNCA Networks’ neutral administrator(s) is September 9, 2022, by 7:00 p.m. EST.

3) Other important information/ logistics – between August 26, 2022, and September 28, 2022.

Use this period to prepare for your virtual OCIs:

You can expect communications and emails from the legal employers, including the link to your interview/ calendar invite. ITLNCA Networks’ will not be sending the calendar invites to candidates. Therefore, candidates should monitor their emails closely for communications/ emails from the legal employers they have accepted OCIs with.
Use this time to ensure that your technology is set up and ready to go for your OCIs. Each legal employer will be using the virtual software of their choice. Download the appropriate software before your interviews.
Do additional research on the legal employers and the interviewer(s). Watch the helpful Youtube videos provided above.

4) OCI Schedule & Other Information - by September 19, 2022, at midnight.

Applicants who have been offered OCI(s) can expect an email from ITLNCA confirming the timing of their interviews, the name of their interviewer(s), and the virtual software the employer will be using for the interview (i.e. Zoom, Microsoft Teams, etc.) by midnight on September 19, 2022.
PLEASE CHECK YOUR JUNK MAIL FOLDER FOR THIS EMAIL!! DO NOT CONTACT US ASKING FOR THIS INFORMATION BEFORE CHECKING YOUR JUNK/SPAM FOLDER.

5) ITLNCA Virtual OCIs – September 28, 2022, between 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. EST.

All ITLNCA OCIs will take place virtually on September 28, 2022.
All interviews are 17 minutes in length
Each firm will use its preferred virtual platform (i.e. Microsoft Teams, Zoom, Skype, etc.). It will be up to the interviewing firm which platform they will use for virtual OCIs. Candidates will be expected to download the required software in advance. All software used will be free to download for candidates.

6) Call Day for November 7 Interview Week - October 28, 2022, at 8:00 a.m. EST. (2nd Stage of the 2L

If candidates are successful in their OCI interview(s), they will be contacted directly by the Ontario legal employers on Call Day to be invited to participate in the second round of interviews (known as the “Toronto November 7 Interview Week”).
The time and date of interviews and other recruitment activities to be scheduled for the November 7 Interview Week shall not be communicated in any way until 8:00 a.m. on October 28, 2022.
Please read the LSO’s 2023 Toronto Summer Student Recruitment Procedures for more information: https://lso.ca/Becoming-Licensed/Lawyer-Licensing-Process/Articling-Candidates/Finding-a-Placement/2023-Toronto-Summer-Student-Recruitment-Procedures#b-key-recruitment-dates-and-times-7

7) Interview Week - between November 7, 2022, at 8:00 a.m and November 9, 2022, at 3:00 p.m. EST.

“November 7 Interview Week'' is the second (and sometimes third) round of interviews during the OCI recruitment process.
You will be invited to this round of interviews directly by the legal employer if you are successful at the initial OCI interview stage on September 28, 2022.
During the November 7 Interview Week, interviews shall only be conducted between 8:00 a.m. on November 7, 2022, and 3:00 p.m. on November 9, 2022.
Note the relevant blackout period: Between 3:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m. on November 9, 2022, firms are prohibited from contacting students and students are prohibited from contacting firms. Recruitment activities are not restricted at other times during the November 7 Interview Week.
Please read the LSO’s 2023 Toronto Summer Student Recruitment Procedures for more information: https://lso.ca/Becoming-Licensed/Lawyer-Licensing-Process/Articling-Candidates/Finding-a-Placement/2023-Toronto-Summer-Student-Recruitment-Procedures#b-key-recruitment-dates-and-times-7

8) Offers of Employment - starting November 9, 2022, at 5:00 p.m. EST.

The communication of offers of employment shall not be made before 5:00 p.m. on November 9, 2022.
All offers made at or after 5:00 p.m. on November 9, 2022, shall be allowed to remain open until at least 5:00 p.m. on November 10, 2022.
Any offers made at or after 5:00 p.m. on November 10, 2022, shall be allowed to remain open for a reasonable period of time.
Please read the LSO’s 2023 Toronto Summer Student Recruitment Procedures for more information: https://lso.ca/Becoming-Licensed/Lawyer-Licensing-Process/Articling-Candidates/Finding-a-Placement/2023-Toronto-Summer-Student-Recruitment-Procedures#b-key-recruitment-dates-and-times-7

9) Logistical information:

Relevant Blackout Periods:

There shall be no recruitment activities for second year students attending Ontario law schools between 5:00 p.m. on July 25, 2022, and 8:00 a.m. on November 7, 2022, except for the scheduling of on-campus interviews and any other recruitment activities to be conducted during the November 7 Interview Week.

The Law Society of Ontario (“Law Society”) understands that the COVID-19 pandemic has affected legal employers and law students in a myriad of ways. Following consultation with stakeholders including employers, students and law schools, the Law Society has updated the Recruitment Procedures (“Procedures”) in order to facilitate an equitable and timely process for all participants. Please review the Procedures at: https://lso.ca/Becoming-Licensed/Lawyer-Licensing-Process/Articling-Candidates/Finding-a-Placement/2023-Toronto-Summer-Student-Recruitment-Procedures#b-key-recruitment-dates-and-times-7

If you have any questions about the Procedures, please contact the Law Society at articling@lso.ca.

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