Labour & EmploymentLabour and employment law governs work relationships. Practice in this area can take a number of forms, including the common law contract of employment, especially in the area of wrongful dismissal; legislation and administration in the areas of employee standards, safety, human rights; and collective bargaining as between unions and management. This area of practice will often expose a practitioner to appearances in courts, before administrative tribunals, and in arbitrations. Please review our Civil Litigation & Dispute Resolution page for additional suggestions on pursuing a career in this area.
 

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What courses can I take?

Courses to consider in the upper years*

  • Labour and Employment Law
  • Advanced Labour
  • Public Sector Labour Law
  • Administrative Law
  • Mediation
  • Negotiation

*Not all courses are offered in each academic year. Please consult the Course Calendar and Upper Year Courses by Subject Area resources.

 

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How can I get hands-on experience?

Experiential opportunities

  • Downtown Legal Services Employment Law Clinic (for credit, paid summer positions or volunteer)
  • Advocates for Injured Workers externship
  • Canadian Labour Arbitration competitive moot
 

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How else can I get involved?

Community/volunteer

  • Volunteer at Advocates for Injured Workers Clinic (1L)
  • The Labour and Employment Law Society
 

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How can I connect with employers?

Work and networking ideas

Networking opportunities

  • Firm tours (check UTLC Events tab for details)
  • Informational interviews (go to UTLC > Resource Library > Interviews for guidance)
  • Events hosted by professional associations such as the Labour & Employment Section of the Canadian Bar Association
  • Lawyers Doing Cool Things

Fellowships & internships

  • Fasken Labour & Employment Law Internship for 1Ls

Paid opportunities

Employers offering paid summer and articling opportunities in this area include:

Union/Employee-side

  • Cavalluzzo Hayes Shilton McIntyre & Cornish
  • Goldblatt Partners
  • Koskie Minsky
  • Paliare Roland Rosenberg Rothstein

Management-side

  • Filion Wakely Thorup Angeletti
  • Hicks Morley Hamilton Stewart Storie
  • Mathews Dinsdale & Clark
  • Sherrard Kuzz
  • There are paid summer student positions at the Advocates for Injured Workers clinic
  • Many full-service business law firms also have substantial labour and employment law departments (primarily management-side)
  • Labour and employment law is also a common area of practice for in- house legal departments
  • Labour and employment lawyers can also be found in government departments such as the Ministry of Labour, as well as on Boards and Tribunals such as the Ontario Labour Relations Board and the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board
 

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What resources can I look at?

Online career resources and events

The following resources are available to current UofT Law students and alumni through UTLC:

  • Guide: Pathways to a Career in Labour and Employment Law
  • 1L Summer Employment Guide
  • Recruitment Guides: Students can find recruitment guides on UTLC listing labour and employment law positions for 1L summer, 2L summer and articling recruitment cycles for a range of legal markets
  • General Articling Guide
  • Government Interview and Information Guide
  • CDO Event: Career Information Sessions (for current students only)
  • Upper Year Student Directory to connect with students who have worked with labour/employment law employers

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