1, Brief introduction.
My name is Tomiwa Ogundipe. I am originally from Nigeria. I obtained my LLB from the University of Lagos, Nigeria, and my first LLM from Harvard Law School, USA. I am currently an LLM Candidate (Business Law) at Osgoode Hall Law School. I practiced law in both Nigeria and the US. In Nigeria, my focus was litigation, while in the US, it was transactional business law. My current interest is business law. I summered at Borden Lardner Gervais LLP in 2024 and will be articling there in 2025.
2. What are your thoughts on the Summer Program Toronto recruit process?
The summer program was a different experience from what I was familiar with. I have worked in at least five different organizations across two countries, and the recruitment process was very unique. First, it had multiple rounds, which is to be expected. The first round was the OCIs (On-Campus Interviews), which are technically not done on campus but are virtual interviews. While I am familiar with the concept of the OCIs as a result of my US experience (i.e., having multiple interviews with different law firms in one day), in the Toronto recruit, each interview was for 17 minutes. I had eight interviews that day, and I believe a student could have up to 20 interviews on that day if that student had that many law firms call back with the intent to interview that student. The interview timing was definitely different from what I was used to.
Something I enjoyed about the Toronto recruit was that during the process, I was able to learn more about the different firms and the people who worked there. This was important to me as a foreign-trained lawyer starting afresh in a new country. You are allowed, no, encouraged to reach out to people in these law firms, have coffee chats with them, and ask them questions. For me, the OCIs were the first time I truly understood that an interview was for both parties to see if they were the right fit. At the end of the OCIs, I was certain I would not want to work with one of the law firms that interviewed me because we would not be a good fit.
In hindsight, I found my summer program hiring process interesting, and there were a lot of learning moments from it.
3. What new thing did you learn during the Toronto recruit process about law firms and yourself?
The first thing I learnt about Canadian law firms was how willing everyone is to talk to you. I know a lot of foreign-trained lawyers have a fear of reaching out to people. I was also anxious, however, when preparing for my OCIs, I reached out to about 24 summer students/articling students from the law firms I was interviewing with. I expected 6-8 responses; however, I heard back from at least 21 people and had virtual coffee chats with them. This was my first introduction to the welcoming culture at the Canadian law firms. This is something I am very excited to be a part of, and I have already started paying it forward – I have been open to people reaching out to me, and have had conversations detailing my experience to other foreign-trained lawyers.
The other thing that I re-learnt about myself is how excited I get when I am learning new skills. It is really easy to get too comfortable with your past achievements and stop learning or trying new things. However, since the recruitment process was a bit unfamiliar to me, I had to dedicate some time to understanding the structure, the people, and the process. I also had to get comfortable making conversations with strangers, both virtually and in-person. For some of my interviews, I had the opportunity to research my interviewers ahead of time, so it was relatively easy to refer to my research when talking with them, however in most cases, I went in blank and had to draw upon my conversational skills – skills that had suffered due to the pandemic and years of remote work. So, it was great rediscovering my excitement for learning and revamping my conversational skills.
4. Describe your summer program in three words.
I was going to say the word “interesting,” but it has come to my attention that I used that word a lot, so I will go with other words. The first would be “educational”. I had the opportunity to work on files from various practice areas and industries, such as energy, biotech, competition law, investment management, real estate, securities, financial services, and corporate commercial law. I also learnt how teamwork is done in Canada from my fellow summer students and the lawyers I worked with.
My second word would be “unexpected”. While I had certain goals for the program, I certainly went in with an open mind, and I did not know what to expect. So, for me, it was fun going through the process, interacting with my colleagues, and integrating into the firm. Truly, each day brought a different experience for me.
My last word would be “inspiring”. Having worked remotely for the better part of my last few years, I really liked seeing how people worked, understanding their respective thought processes, and discussing the next steps for a project. I also liked watching and learning how people led in their respective roles, whether as the person coordinating a due diligence project, the closing of a transaction, a client call, or coordinating a charity event.
5. What concerns did you have going into the summer program, and how did you handle them?
As a foreign-trained lawyer, the one concern I had was whether I would fit in. Understandably, everyone has a distinct background, so whilst there is a need to fit in, it is also important to retain your individuality. One of my goals was to retain my identity while also being a good fit with the firm.
To achieve this, I put myself out there. It sounds simple, but it involved a lot of steps. I ensured that I was open to conversations. I interacted with the students in my cohort, the lawyers I worked with, I knocked on doors and introduced myself, scheduled coffee chats, I signed up for everything I could sign up for, and I actively participated in events organized by the firm and by the students. As was the case when reaching out to people for coffee chats while initially interviewing for the position, I found everyone I spoke with to be open, friendly, and helpful.
I answered questions and asked curious questions. I was genuinely interested in people’s lives and their stories, and found that people were also interested in my life and story. I found that despite our differences, we had a lot of similarities – we (both the students and the lawyers) were all learning and wanted to do our best. I bonded with students in my cohort over complex and voluminous due diligence, good food, and playing ping pong. I even introduced a friend to a Nigerian delicacy – the almighty jollof rice. Also, the lawyers were happy to answer any questions I had, provide actionable feedback, and commend me when I did a great job. Midway through the summer, I genuinely felt like I had found my footing in the firm.
6. What type of work did you do?
I did all types of work. One thing I really like about the summer program is that it gives you the opportunity to work in different practice areas, on different types of projects. I worked with the energy practice group, the corporate commercial group, the capital markets group, the competition group, and the financial services group. It was interesting work! I did some due diligence – I feel like, as a business law student/lawyer, you really cannot escape due diligence. I completed due diligence on at least five transactions. I did some form checks and memo writing. I also attended a client meeting. Another project I worked on was helping (with three other wonderful students) to organize the firm's 2024 blood drive challenge.
7. What was the most unexpected thing you discovered at the firm?
Everyone was just a “knock on the door” away. Even the partners. You could be knocking on a lawyer’s door today and be having coffee with that lawyer in the next couple of days. Another thing I found unexpected was the level of trust placed in the work of the summer students. And because we, the summer students, understood that our work was important, we put in extra effort to deliver really good work.
8. What are your thoughts about mentorship at the firm?
Honestly, this was my first time participating in a formal mentorship structure. I have had people who became my mentors as a result of the relationship I had built with them. However, this was the first time that I had a mentor, actually two mentors, assigned to me – a partner and an associate. My mentors were awesome! Over the summer program, I scheduled regular meetings with my mentors, and they performed different mentorship roles towards me. My associate mentor provided me with strategic and practical tips on how to navigate the summer program, who to reach out to, and what to expect at certain times. My partner mentor was more like a wise sage who gave me general life advice. Although we spoke about the law and the summer program, we also spoke a lot about life, family, travelling, and building a life in Canada. Both mentors kept track of my work and made sure to inquire about my concerns. I truly felt like the firm did a great job in matching the mentors and the mentees.
9. What was the evaluation/feedback process like?
At the firm, we had both informal and formal evaluations. For the informal, most lawyers I worked with gave me feedback as soon as I completed a project. If I received none, I would reach out, either in person or virtually, to ask for one. The feedback I received was typically clear and actionable. The firm also has its formal evaluation process.
The combination of the informal and formal evaluations ensured that I received feedback from every lawyer I worked with. This helped to improve my skills and my work product. Also, for me, it was an avenue to learn how I could provide effective feedback in the future.
10. What was a typical day like for you?
I did not have a typical day since I worked on different projects with different practice groups. Some days I stayed at the firm till late, while other days I left early. Usually, my day started with checking my emails to see if there were any developments on my existing projects or if I had been assigned a new project. Whatever work was pending was dealt with. I would also catch up with some of my colleagues, or reach out to lawyers for more work, or invite them for a coffee chat. At noon, we would have lunch, which I might have in the firm’s cafeteria, at my desk, or in one of the restaurants on the PATH with my colleagues. Lunch was typically prime time to catch up with friends and make new friends. After lunch, I often dove right back into work, possibly fitting in a meeting here and there. The nature of my work for the day influenced how my day unfolded. However, my one constant was my emails – these had to be checked consistently to ensure nothing was missed. Essentially, throughout the day, if I had ongoing projects, I tackled them. Occasionally, a lawyer I had previously collaborated with might call, wanting to work together again. So, while there was no typical day for me in terms of the work I did, my days tended to follow this pattern.
11. Can you summarize the program, the orientation, learning, working, networking, etc.?
I would say the program was a great introduction to the Canadian legal practice. The program was for 15 weeks. For the first couple of weeks, we had various orientation sessions where we learnt how to use the firm’s software, how to conduct legal research, and how to write legal memos in the firm’s style. Since we also had fun group projects during the orientation sessions, this was also a lovely bonding period for my cohort.
For the duration of the program, in addition to learning about the substantive and procedural laws, we also learnt how to communicate with the lawyers, firm staff, and clients. Additionally, since I had practiced in both the US and Nigeria, this was an opportunity to learn the Canadian nuances on transactions and documents I had previously worked with. Most importantly, during this period, the students had the opportunity to explore different areas of law to see which would be a great fit for future practice. Most of the work was very interesting and engaging.
The summer program was a mixture of working and networking. We were encouraged to take ownership of our interests in any particular practice area by knocking on doors and sending introductory emails to lawyers and partners in that practice group. The firm also organized social events, such as lunches, seminars, cocktail events, and practice groups’ breakfasts. This ensured that the students had multiple opportunities to engage with different lawyers from different practice groups.
12. What kind of social events did the firm organize, and what was your best activity?
The firm had numerous social events. We had an evening of painting where we showed our creativity – I still have my painting up at home. There was also the dragon boat activity, which was a lovely experience where we had to work in teams to row our boats. The firm also provided us with tickets to watch a Blue Jays baseball game, and we got to watch the Cirque du Soleil ECHO show – which emphasized the importance of collaboration and how our actions shape the future (quite apt considering the nature of the summer program). Outside of this, there were also numerous breakfast, lunch, and dinner experiences. It is hard to pick a favorite activity, but if I had to, it would be dragon boating – because it was our last major activity, and it was really fun moving together in sync, and laughing together with my cohort after having bonded throughout the summer.
13. What did you learn from the program?
I learnt so much about myself. I learnt that I am not as socially awkward as I think I am. I learnt to take time to reflect more about myself and my experiences. I learnt that there are a lot more similarities than there are differences between foreign-trained lawyers and domestically trained lawyers. I learnt that everyone has a skill (or skills) that they are really good at, and that I can learn from anybody. Additionally, I also gained a lot of technical skills, such as how to redact, how to work with office staff, and how to use the firm’s legal tools.
14. What were your best and most exciting experiences during the program?
The best part was the people. The people I worked with were kind, intelligent, and friendly. I look back now and I am thankful for having worked with them. My most exciting time was when I was the sole summer student handling due diligence on a specific project. In addition to having an amazing associate supervise me, this project was with a partner I had always wanted to work with. The transaction also had a multijurisdictional flavor, which fit right up my alley as a foreign-trained lawyer.
15. Is there anything you plan to do better or differently during articling?
Definitely. One thing that I plan to do better at during articling would be to reach out to more people at the firm. I expect articling to be a lot busier than the summer program, but the goal is to plan my days in a way that I get to meet and interact with more people.
16. Final words and tips for maximizing your summer experience.
The first thing would be to try to be open. Be open to new experiences, to learning from people, to meeting new people, to sharing your experiences, and to learning from other people's experiences. Do not be closed-minded. You would realize that the person next to you probably likes the same or similar things you like. Secondly, whatever expectations you have of yourself, do not assume somebody else has the same expectations of you. Try not to make too many assumptions about what is expected of you. Always ask for clarification. Lastly, speak up when you think you know the answer to a question. What is the worst that could happen? If you are wrong, you get to learn what the correct answer is, and if you are right, you get to show your expertise.
Hope you have a wonderful summer experience!
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