Toronto, June 23, 2009—To attract Canada’s top law students, Torys LLP has produced a new video series that will be available on YouTube and iTunes, and on the firm’s website at www.torys.com.

Featuring various lawyers and students of the firm, the videos are intended to have reach and appeal beyond the information provided by most firms’ websites and printed material. “Our videos convey to our future students what we are like on a personal level,” says Deborah Dalfen, Torys’ director of student affairs. “We offer honest and candid talk from students who have been through our summer and articling programs.”

In the first video, Dalfen describes the interview process and the benefits of the firm’s student program, while in separate videos, Torys’ student program co-coordinators discuss various aspects of law student life. In addition to appealing to students, partners David Dell and Amanda Balasubramanian discuss their backgrounds and experiences as law students, and their process of selecting their areas of expertise. Says Balasubramanian: “During the interview process, we want to see that students will fit in well at Torys. Students should similarly be evaluating whether Torys is the right fit for them.”

The total of six videos also feature five students from Torys’ 2008–2009 articling student class. While law students traditionally fear the gruelling interview process, many of Torys’ students comment on the relaxed nature of interviews at Torys. “Even the most senior partners were really welcoming,” says articling student Molly Reynolds. “Everyone was friendly and truly interested in what I had to say.”

Torys’ videos also feature students talking about themselves and their backgrounds, and their articling year friendships. “Our class bonded well,” says Tim Robbins. “My peers have been like a second family.”

Social Media

“Torys was one of the first law firms in Canada to produce video podcasts,” notes Stuart Wood, Torys’ chief marketing officer. “Since 2006, we have produced a number of video podcasts with the firm’s lawyers discussing a wide range of topics—from M&A to climate change. For our new student videos, we wanted to ensure that the content was accessible to students where they would be looking for it. We are using social media to achieve this. Our footage will be available on torys.com, iTunes and YouTube, and we’ll also be announcing the launch on Twitter.”

Torys’ previous student video series had more than 2,000 views in 2008. Torys is aiming for the 2009 series to reach an even larger audience.

“We hope our new series will open a new line of communication between us and incoming law students,” says Dalfen. “We want them to get to know us even before they come to our office to meet us.”