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Lenczner Slaght - Toronto, Ontario
Diversity & Inclusion
| Please describe your diversity programs and initiatives |
Lenczner Slaght is committed to promoting and advancing equity, diversity and inclusion in our workplace and in the legal profession – not only because studies show it results in better work product for our clients, but because it produces a more human and connected workplace.
We recruit and support diverse candidates and are deeply committed to their retention and advancement. We know that a diverse team enables us to offer our clients a variety of viewpoints when approaching complex legal problems. We are also dedicated to fostering an inclusive work environment comprised of people with diverse perspectives, backgrounds, identities and cultures. We ensure that everyone at the firm is valued, respected, and has an equal opportunity to develop, advance, and be heard. While we recognize we are a work in progress, we take pride in advancing equity, diversity, and inclusion inside and outside of our firm through concrete initiatives like resume anonymization in student recruitment, unconscious bias training, inclusivity dialogue sessions, firm-wide resource sharing on racism and allyship, access to justice internships, the R&R Lounge, ReferToHer™, and support of organizations dedicated to advocating for underrepresented groups. Our Equity, Diversity & Inclusion Committee is leading our efforts to achieve our goals. EQUITY, DIVERSITY & INCLUSION COMMITTEE Our Equity, Diversity & Inclusion Committee is comprised of lawyers, assistants, and business team members. Through annual planning, developing and supporting concrete initiatives, creating progressive firm policies, advancing strategic space planning, and organizing community involvement, our committee has spearheaded change efforts that have united the firm in strengthening our inclusive culture and revolutionized our approach to increasing diversity. DECREASING BARRIERS IN RECRUITMENT We are dedicated to having an unbiased recruitment and selection system that addresses equity, diversity and inclusion issues in the legal industry and removes barriers to entry at all stages. Resume Anonymization In 2018, we took the bold step to anonymize student applications, applying an automated and manual process which removed candidates’ names and pronouns from all documents during the screening process. All other information submitted by candidates remain and are considered. We were the first Bay Street firm in Canada to implement this process as highlighted in the Globe and Mail. This change to our review process helps our screeners and interviewers evaluate students on their skills and qualifications while helping address any unconscious biases and barriers against diverse candidates. Unconscious Bias Training Our application screeners and interviewers receive training on unconscious biases and interviewing skills on an annual basis. We have developed and implemented a set of standardized questions for use in our hybrid-structured student interview format in order to allow for greater objectivity and to reduce the interference of unconscious biases. Providing education on unconscious bias also ensures other areas of talent management such as mentoring, work allocation, performance management and advancement are bias-free at Lenczner Slaght. R&R Lounge In-firm interviews can be stressful and demanding for law students. That is why, prior to COVID-19, instead of adding another cocktail reception to an already exhausting week, we instead provided an inclusive space where students can take a healthy break. We invited all law students participating in the 2L recruitment process to “relax and recharge” between their in-firm interviews at the Lenczner Slaght R&R Lounge located in the lobby of 130 Adelaide Street West. The lounge included comfy seating areas, charging stations, complimentary Wi-Fi, mindful snacks, fresh juice, magazines, and mediation areas. The R&R Lounge was instituted as a direct response to Precedent Magazine's cover story “The OCIs are Broken”, which presented an eye-opening critique of how cocktail parties can potentially alienate diverse candidates. As our firm relies solely on interviews to select our summer students, we decided to replace the cocktail reception with an environment conducive to the mental health of all law students, even those who are not interviewing with our firm. In 2019, the R&R Lounge received the inaugural Precedent Innovation Award for actively improving the legal profession by rethinking long-held traditions. INCLUSIVITY WITHIN OUR WALLS Developing an inclusive work environment means taking action to create safe workspaces where everyone can achieve their full potential. We have executed projects and developed new programs to push ourselves forward and continue to prioritize our growth in this area. Using Feedback to Grow Our LS Suggestion Box allows all firm members to submit candid thoughts and suggestions about how we can improve as a firm. Each suggestion is reviewed by the Management Committee and if accepted, a task force is launched to further develop and launch the idea. Our EDI Listening Box allows all firm members the opportunity to offer anonymous kudos, criticisms, comments, or thoughts about all matters of EDI at the firm. Each message is reviewed by the Chair of the EDI Committee and if appropriate, advanced for discussion with the broader committee, with management, or with the firm at large. These feedback tools provide everyone at the firm with the opportunity to be valued, respected, and most importantly, heard. Creating Space for Everyone We have re-designed our physical office space to support a more inclusive work environment that meets the diverse needs of our firm members, clients, and guests. This includes a gender inclusive washroom, a prayer/meditation room, a private space for nursing mothers, and a collaboration space for use by all firm members. Celebrating our Differences We acknowledge religious and cultural holidays celebrated by members across the firm. Each holiday or observance is accompanied by a firm-wide communication highlighting the history and significance of the holiday and including personal testimonials of our firm members’ experiences and traditions. On a rotating basis, we gather, in-person or virtually, to celebrate the various holidays and observances. We also have three personal days that can be taken to celebrate religious holidays. BALANCING THE SCALES ON REFERRALS We are committed to supporting and promoting the advancement of women at our firm and in the legal industry. We developed ReferToHer™, a series of lists of experienced female lawyers to whom you can confidently refer work. As we explained to Precedent Magazine in May 2020, referrals are key to achieving business success and we hope this program will help ensure that female lawyers are as top of mind as their male colleagues. The program continues to grow organically, with new lawyers and areas of practice being added regularly. Learn more on our ReferToHer™ page. STANDING AGAINST ANTI-BLACK RACISM We are educating ourselves, engaging in dialogue, curating and sharing resources, and taking action to support the Black community in Canada in combatting the systemic racism and discrimination they face. In February 2022 we were very pleased to welcome The Honourable Jean Augustine - The first Black woman elected to Parliament in Canada. Ms. Augustine shared her personal story of perseverance in pursuit of social justice. We are a longtime support of the BLSA National Conferenced and are pleased to have signed on as Diamond Level sponsor for 2023. We also support and encourage our black lawyers and students to be active members and sponsor their attendance at the BLSA National Conference or CABL Conference. In order to better understand our role in combatting anti-Black racism, we continue to have educational sessions on being effective allies, implicit bias, and inclusivity. We will continue to be listening to all the members of our firm and the wider community to learn how we can be part of the solution to address systemic racism in Canada, and beyond, as a firm and as individuals. ACCESS TO ADVOCACY INTERNSHIPS We partner with law schools to fund and launch summer internships for first and second-year students who are interested in developing their advocacy skills at organizations with a focus on access to justice and social responsibility. Each of the students were chosen by their school’s career offices and preference was given to students with financial need and/or those who are first-generation lawyers. These internships provide the next generation of advocates with more opportunities to gain advocacy experience and helps organizations, who would otherwise be unable to afford a summer intern, advance their public interest mandates. Examples of organizations and Courts that students have interned at include the Barbra Schlifer Commemorative Clinic, Centre for Equality Rights in Accommodation, Community Advocacy and Legal Centre, Innocence Canada, Ontario Superior Court, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, the Canadian Environmental Law Association, the Canadian Civil Liberties Association and the Halifax Refugee Clinic. SUPPORTING A DIVERSE COMMUNITY We partner with, participate in, donate to, or sponsor prominent organizations who are committed to advancing equity, diversity, and inclusion in the legal and broader community. Visit our website for a full list of organizations. |
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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 |
Kyle Magee, Senior Manager, Student Programs and Professional Development ([email protected]) Sana Halwani EDI Committee Lead Partner ([email protected]) |
| Diversity website: | https://www.litigate.com/equity-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. | Lenczner Slaght invites applications from all qualified candidates. We encourage applications from racialized persons, persons of colour, women, Indigenous/Aboriginal People of North America, persons with disabilities, LGBTQ2S+ persons, and individuals from any other equity deserving group. We are committed to employment equity and diversity in the workplace. Accommodation will provided in all parts of the recruitment and hiring process. If you would like to discuss accommodation with someone who does not substantively review applications, please contact Allison Mastervick, Professional Development Specialist, at [email protected]. |
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