Western Law students achieve record results in summer recruitment
October 29, 2026
Strong recruitment results highlight the talent of Western Law students and a community committed to helping one another succeed.
Western Law students achieved strong results in the 2026 summer recruitment cycle, securing positions with leading law firms in Toronto, Calgary, Vancouver and London.
In Toronto's competitive 2L recruit, 68 Western Law students secured summer positions, the Faculty's strongest result in at least five years and an increase from 48 in 2024. That represents approximately 34 per cent of the class, ahead of several other Ontario law schools, according to estimates published by Ultra Vires.
Western Law students also performed well throughout the recruitment process. Of the 161 students who applied in Toronto, 89 per cent received at least one on-campus interview. Sixty-nine employers participated in Western Law's Toronto 2L interview program.
Beyond Toronto, students secured 2L positions in Calgary and Vancouver, while 16 students obtained 1L and 2L summer positions in London. Another 11 first-year students secured positions through Toronto's 1L recruit, up from three in 2024.
These results reflect not only the talent and ambition of Western Law students, but also the community of faculty, staff and fellow students who support them throughout their legal education.
A culture of paying it forward
For Arman Lakhu, Marin Papulkas and Hanna Ke, who summered at Code Hunter LLP in Calgary, Borden Ladner Gervais LLP in Toronto and Siskinds LLP in London, respectively, that sense of community made a meaningful difference. All three will return to their summer firms to article.
"There is a real culture of paying it forward at Western Law," said Marin. "The 3Ls help the 2Ls through the recruit process, and then those 2Ls go on to support the next group of students the following year."
That support takes many forms, from upper-year students reviewing applications and conducting mock interviews to the individualized guidance provided by Western Law's Career Development Office.
For Arman, the office's mentorship program connected him with students who had worked in Calgary, giving him valuable insight into a market he was interested in pursuing.
"Having people who had recently gone through the process and could speak candidly about their experiences made the recruit feel much more manageable."
Marin credits Robyn Marttila and the Career Development Office with helping her prepare for each stage of recruitment, while Hanna valued the Faculty's networking events and information sessions, which helped her learn more about prospective employers.
"Even just knowing that those resources were available made the process feel less overwhelming," Hanna said.
Discovering new opportunities
For Arman, faculty mentorship also helped shape his career ambitions.
He arrived at Western Law expecting to pursue corporate law, but a summer research position with Professor Sunil Gurmukh introduced him to the role of legal research in advocacy and sparked an interest in litigation.
"Professor Sunil Gurmukh's mentorship had a profound impact on me," Arman said.
That interest led him to Code Hunter, where he spent ten days attending a trial alongside the firm's Managing Partner, assisting with exhibits, court submissions and communications with counsel and clients.
"It confirmed that litigation is an area of law that I genuinely want to pursue."
As Western Law's current 2L students prepare for their own in-firm interviews, the three students offer advice grounded in their experiences.
"Be yourself, ask genuine questions, and enjoy the process as much as you can. Most importantly, be forgiving of yourself," Arman said.
Marin encourages students to focus on finding the right fit rather than proving themselves, while Hanna reminds them that everyone's recruitment experience is different.
"It's your recruit. Try not to compare yourself too much to other people, because everyone's experience is different."
Their experiences reflect something that makes Western Law special: a community where students are encouraged to pursue their ambitions while helping one another succeed.
