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Torys LLP - Torys LLP - Toronto
Diversity & Inclusion
| Please describe your diversity programs and initiatives |
Torys has long emphasized the importance of collaboration and mutual respect in providing excellent service to our clients. By attracting, recruiting and retaining professionals from various backgrounds, cultures, and perspectives, it gives us the range of experience we need to tackle our clients’ most complex problems and challenges. To engage the full potential of our people, our commitment to fostering an equitable and inclusive workplace, where innovation and professional excellence thrives, is a business imperative at Torys.
Our DEI Policy, which is reviewed and updated annually, focuses on DEI principles across our processes, policies and decision making. This includes how we approach various functions such as recruitment, distribution of work and other opportunities, as well as retention and advancement of our professionals. In other words, it affirms our commitment to maintaining a diverse, equitable and inclusive workplace and confirms the measures we have taken to that end. Our Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee (“DEI Committee”), plays a critical role in our DEI governance structure, and comprises of our Managing Partner, a member of our Executive Committee and representatives from each office. Their role as strategic advisors, provide diverse perspectives on programs and initiatives, as well as processes and policies, with a goal of achieving our DEI Mission. They also monitor the progress we make on our DEI Strategy, holding us accountable to the commitments we make. Our comprehensive DEI Strategy, which is integrated with the broader strategy of the firm, is based on the findings from our inclusion assessments. Our strategic priorities are categorized into five pillars, which help direct our efforts to effecting real change towards achieving our DEI Mission: 1) Engagement and Connectivity 2) Talent Development 3) Diverse Workforce Recruitment 4) Workload Allocation and Wellness 5) DEI Education and Awareness Torys’ Initiatives for Advancing DEI Investing in Pipeline of Diverse Lawyers One of the most important and challenging areas for improvement in the legal industry is developing a pipeline of diverse lawyers. Certain equity seeking groups are severely underrepresented in law schools as they simply do not have access or the opportunity to legal education. Hence, it is critical to our DEI Strategy to build a more diverse talent pool for Torys and the legal industry. We have invested in several community programs that support students from equity seeking groups. For example: 1) Black Future Lawyers Program (BFL) - Torys, together with another peer law firm, led a partnership with 14 leading Canadian law firms to commit $1.75 million over the next 10 years to BFL. This program aims to increase the number of Black students who attend law school and become lawyers, offering mentoring programs, opportunities to attend academic workshops, and an annual conference. Torys and other partner firms collaborate with BFL to deliver a business law-focused educational stream for BFL students. These sessions cover substantive topics in various areas of law, as well as professionalism topics like building networks and improving presentation skills. While we anticipate that it will take several years to see tangible results in the pipeline of Black lawyers, we are already seeing the impact of the BFL program, with student engagement nearly doubling since BFL’s inception 2) Torys is also a founding member and host firm of Avenue, a new 12-week paid internship program to help Black undergraduate students in Canada gain real-world legal industry experience. This program allows students to learn about the legal profession, obtain professional work experience and gain leadership development and networking opportunities. Participating student interns are paired with a senior-level mentor to provide guidance and advice for an in-depth understanding of the legal industry. In addition to being paid a salary, student interns also receive financial support for future legal education fees. 3) We are also proud to partner with Law in Action Within Schools (LAWS), an education engagement and support program for high school students facing barriers to postsecondary access. This program exposes students to legal thinking and the justice system through workshops, mentorship, and employment assistance. We provide both financial support and active engagement through our lawyers as mentors and facilitators of the program. Many of our proposed team members act as mentors or provide support to the LAWS program. Community Outreach Torys proudly support organizations that advance the interests of equity seeking communities. Where there is opportunity, we provide monetary sponsorship and in-person effort through speaking engagements or pro bono work. For example, we proudly sponsor the Federation of Asian Canadian Lawyers, Pride at Work, as well as the Sentencing and Parole Project and Legal Education Action Fund, where our lawyers participate in a leadership role. Our pro bono work ranges, including international litigation or providing legal advice to social entrepreneurs. Here are a few specific examples: • Assisting legal clinics focused on serving equity seeking communities (e.g., Black Business Law Clinic operated by PBSC) with technical matters including providing patent law advice; • Assisting organizations representing vulnerable individuals (e.g., inmates) by providing legal advice; and • Assisting non-profit organizations that support refugee and humanitarian crises by providing legal advice and establishing funds to accept donations. Other Important Partnerships In addition to the broad range of internal initiatives described above, we also routinely support and partner with external organizations and our communities to promote DEI, including: 1) Supporting Our Children’s Medicine, a Canadian charity seeking to connect Indigenous and diverse jobseekers with employment opportunities, remove systemic barriers to employment, increase Indigenous representation in the Canadian workforce and reduce unconscious bias in the workplace. 2) Torys is a BlackNorth Initiative Law Firm pledge signatory. 3) We are one of the founding members of the Law Firm Diversity and Inclusion Network (LFDIN). In May 2013, we joined 15 other Canadian law firms in signing the Statement of Principles of the LFDIN, agreeing to work together in collaboration with LLD (Legal Leaders for Diversity) to promote diversity and encourage a culture of inclusion, not only inside the firms, but in the broader legal profession as well. 4) Supporting a wide variety of legal industry affinity groups (e.g., Start Proud, Federation of Asian Canadian Lawyers, South Asian Bar Association (SABA), LEAF, Canadian Association of Black Lawyers, etc.). 5) Engaging with numerous law school affinity groups (e.g., Indigenous Law Students Association, Muslim Law Students Association, Black Law Students Association, LGBTQ2S+ Students Association, Women in Law, etc.). 6) Working with the Federal of Law Societies of Canada to expand our talent pool to include National Committee of Accreditation (NCA) applicants. NCA assesses the legal education and professional experience of individuals who obtain their credential outside of Canada. 7) Participating in community partner initiatives through speaking engagements, career fairs and related events. Most recent events include Canadian Association of Black Lawyers (CABL), the LGBTQ2S+ community’s Outspoken Conference and Out on Bay Street Conference, as well as the SABA Gala. Other community sponsorships include (but not limited to): 8) The Kawaskimhon Aboriginal Moot 9) Osgoode Hall’s Diversity Day and its LLM in Business Law for International Students program 10) Young Women in Law 11) Donating regularly to charitable/community organizations that support equity-seeking groups (e.g., Rainbow Railroad) Fostering a truly equitable and inclusive workplace for our diverse firm members is a long-term goal. We recognize there will always be challenges along this journey, but we are committed to focusing our efforts in effecting real change through our DEI Strategy. |
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Diversity Contact Information |
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| Students who have questions about EDI initiatives and/or would like to connect with someone with a similar lived experience, please contact |
Rhoda Seto |
| Diversity website: | https://www.torys.com/about-us/diversity-and-inclusion |
| Please list the various initiatives your firm has undertaken related to providing an accessible workplace and barrier free culture for people with disabilities, as well as any information you may be able to share regarding the types accommodations provided. | We have a policy to ensure that people with disabilities have access to our services in a manner that respects their dignity and independence. Further to the policy, the firm is equipped with devices to assist those who are hearing and visually impaired; our frontline employees are trained and familiar with various assistive devices; we welcome clients/visitors who are accompanied by registered service animals or support persons; we provide notice to clients/visitors with disabilities of planned or unexpected disruptions to services or facilities; and training is provided to all employees on the purpose and requirements of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act(AODA). |
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