It's definitely not impossible to find an articling position without direct criminal law experience, especially if you're in the Toronto/GTA area. In fact, many articling students come into criminal law with limited experience, and law firms often value the eagerness to learn and enthusiasm for the field. Here’s the general rule: as you gain more experience, past experience becomes more important. A lawyer with 10 years of experience but no criminal trial background might have a harder time applying for criminal law jobs compared to someone who has direct experience in criminal cases. But for someone with only 2 years of practice or an articling student, experience matters less. Articling students typically don't have much hands-on knowledge at the start anyway, and they’re hired for their potential to learn and grow in the field. Plus, having summered in criminal law during 2L could give you a slight advantage. So, don't worry about not following the traditional path. The key is showing your interest and commitment to criminal law—your competitive mooting experience and human rights clinic work both demonstrate a strong foundation. The fact that you’ve taken upper-year criminal law courses is also an advantage. The good news is that you can apply competitively for criminal law articling positions. Visit Indeed.ca to search for jobs. Some firms hiring junior lawyers may also be looking for articling students. For example, firms like Calvin Barry are often hiring. Additionally, consider joining the Criminal Lawyers' Association at the student rate of $15 to access their job board. If you haven't already, try networking and cold emailing lawyers. It’s a great way to get a foot in the door and find hidden opportunities. Don’t let your lack of direct criminal law experience discourage you—you’ve already gained valuable skills, and the right firm will recognize that potential.

Waitlisted L2 GPA: 3.77 or 3.79 based on how they calc LSAT: 158-->158-->161 First year applicant, good softs. 2 years management work experience. 3 years vollunteering in gov. speech and debate experience.

If any of you girls are living in residence first year and are looking for a roommate, please respond in this thread or message me!

My pleasure. No, I wrote last February. But, you’re probably correct that writing a more recent lsat impacts admissions timelines. I would recommend hanging tight for now — I’m sure you’ll hear something soon.

I see that too although my degree will be finished in April. I'm not sure if we are considered later in the cycle since we don't have a complete transcript

Me too! Congrats!