CRIMES, COURTS, AND COMMENTARY
Interviews, current events, recommendations, and more --
all geared to the criminal law student community.
all geared to the criminal law student community.
Yuliya Mykhaylychenko (CLSA Co-President)
Within the Law School Attend CLSA events Shamelessly plugging our own club here…. But the CLSA is a great way to learn about criminal law. The CLSA puts on one panel a month of speakers who engage with different areas of criminal law. In my first year, I attended the Crown vs Defence panel, a CLSA staple and an exciting way to watch two traditionally adversarial parties talk about common issues in the system. The panel was also a great way to meet lawyers who love their job and are often more than happy to talk with students one on one after the event. Previous CLSA panels have included Financial Crimes and Corporate Compliance in conjunction with the Business Law Society, Women in the Criminal Law, and Forensic Sciences. Keep an eye on the mailing list or Facebook for this year’s lineup! Volunteer, work, or do a credit at Downtown Legal Services In my 1L year, we couldn’t volunteer at DLS, so I took the Criminal Law and Academic Offences course for credit in my 2L year. By the time the recruit rolled around just one month later, I already had both client-facing and court experience I could speak to from my work there. More importantly, DLS was my first exposure to how criminal law works outside the textbook. I came to understand that criminal law wasn’t for me, but I felt incredibly fortunate to have learned that before the recruit as opposed to after I had already begun a career in the field. Participate in mock trial, mooting, or other advocacy events Whether defence or Crown, if you pursue criminal law, you will be in litigation- which means arguing in court. In 1L we had the opportunity to do a mock-trial, and it was one of the highlights of my year. I learned that I loved the work that went in to building a case, like crafting a convincing story, and the excitement of the courtroom. While we argued a civil case, the atmosphere and the work that went into litigating a case made me passionate, which is something that I could speak to in my interviews. Load up on criminal law classes While UofT has only a few criminal law classes to choose from, loading your schedule with classes such as Wrongful Convictions, Criminal Procedure, Trial Advocacy and Sentencing and Penal Policy is a great indication that you are seriously considering the area. Summer jobs There are several criminal-law-adjacent summer jobs offered through the CDO. For instance, you could apply to work at the Criminal Division of DLS. You could also apply to teach Criminal Law through the Youth Summer Program, which is what I did in my 1L summer. It was a great way to stay fresh on criminal law while networking with the judges and criminal lawyers who attend the program (one of them later interviewed me). Another option is to apply to any public interest jobs, even if not strictly related to criminal law. Especially if you hope to pursue a job at the Crown, it’s great to show that you enjoy public interest work. Outside of the Law School
Go to court One great way to learn whether criminal law is for you is to observe a trial. There’s no need to email lawyers to shadow them- the courts are open to the public. However, it can be hard to know which case to pick and at what stage it is. Luckily, the CLSA is currently working on putting together a small trip to a court- so stay tuned! Look for a job or volunteering/shadowing opportunity outside the recruit While it may seem daunting, there are plenty of defence firms who would be happy to have a law student shadow them for a day, or even as a summer student. You can look up defence firms and cold-email associates, or consult the directory to see which firms UofT law students have worked at. Although it certainly takes courage, at the very worst you’ll receive a polite rejection email, or no response. It’s worth a shot!
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