01
Plugged into Toronto’s legal network
Bennett Jones, Stikeman Elliott, Lerners, Cariati Law and U of T Law, in person.
Winter 2027 · Toronto
LegalPathways
Seven Saturdays inside the legal profession. Direct access to the lawyers, professors and judges who practise it.
Featuring professionals from
Bennett Jones LLP, Stikeman Elliott LLP, Lerners LLP, Cariati Law, University of Toronto Faculty of Law, Blue J and Civic Debate Academy.
01 · Introduction
Plugged into
Toronto’s legal network.
Legal Pathways puts high school students face to face with partners, litigators and professors from the city’s leading firms.
Not a lecture series. Seven Saturdays of real conversations with the people who practise law. In law, careers are built on connections, and this is where yours begin.
- 01Pathways PrimerGet ready for the guest
- 02Guest SessionTwo hours with a professional
- 03NetworkingIntroductions become connections
Your network · Winter 2027
Bennett Jones LLPCorporate Law · Partner
Lerners LLPLitigation
Stikeman Elliott LLPIntellectual Property · Partner
Cariati LawPersonal Injury
U of T Faculty of LawAI & the Law · Professor
Civic Debate AcademyMock Trial · Guest Judge
- 5
- Legal professionals
- 5
- Areas of law
- 1
- Mock trial
- 1
- Law firm visit
- 21
- Hours of programming
03 · What the Program Offers
What students gain
Access most people wait years for, in seven weeks.
Mock trial experience
Argue a real case before expert judges.
Leading guests
Partners, a law professor and an elite judge.
Real connections
Networking at the end of every session.
Insight from professionals
Honest answers on careers and law school.
Knowledge of the law
Five areas of law, from deals to AI.
Law firm experience
Inside Lerners LLP, transportation covered.
Experience that stands out
For university applications and beyond.
The opportunities in this program usually come years into a career. Legal Pathways brings them to students now.
Jeilah ChanPartner, Stikeman Elliott LLP04 · Program Schedule
Seven Saturdays
Every Saturday from January 16 to February 27, 2027, 11:00 AM to 2:00 PM. A one-hour Pathways Primer, then a two-hour guest session.
Week 1 · Saturday, Jan 16, 2027
Corporations
Gary Solway · Partner, Bennett Jones LLP
We open the program with the business of law: how companies are built, financed, bought and sold. Students explore what a corporation is, who controls it, and how corporate lawyers bring major deals together.
Pathways Primer
A start-up deal simulation: teams act as founders and investors negotiating who owns and controls a new company, learning how shares, boards and shareholder agreements work.
What you’ll gain
- Hear from a lawyer with four decades of experience on landmark Canadian technology and media deals
- See what corporate practice on Bay Street really looks like
- Meet your team and begin preparing your mock trial case
The day · 11:00 AM to 2:00 PM
- Program WelcomeTeams formed and case file released
- Pathways PrimerCorporations activity
- Guest SessionTwo hours with the guest: presentation and activity
- Q&AStudents ask the guest directly
- NetworkingOne-on-one conversations
- Session ends
Week 2 · Saturday, Jan 23, 2027
Litigation
Zahra Vaid · Litigator, Lerners LLP
Students step into the courtroom side of law: how disputes begin, how lawyers build an argument, and how a case moves from a claim to a trial and, sometimes, an appeal.
Pathways Primer
Students trace the life of a lawsuit, from the first claim to the final judgment, then practise building an argument from a set of facts.
What you’ll gain
- Learn how litigators prepare and argue cases from a lawyer who works on both sides of a dispute
- Gain courtroom insight to bring to your own mock trial team
- Connect with a young lawyer who can speak to the path from university to practice
The day · 11:00 AM to 2:00 PM
- Pathways PrimerA one-hour activity on the week’s area of law
- Guest SessionTwo hours with the guest: presentation and activity
- Q&AStudents ask the guest directly
- NetworkingOne-on-one conversations
- Session ends
Week 3 · Saturday, Jan 30, 2027
Intellectual Property
Jeilah Chan · Partner, Stikeman Elliott LLP
Ideas, brands and creative work are some of the most valuable assets in the world. Students explore how copyright, trademarks, patents and trade secrets protect them, and what happens when they are copied.
Pathways Primer
Students rule on real-world copycat disputes from fashion, music and technology, deciding when a design, logo or song crosses the line.
What you’ll gain
- Learn from one of Canada's top-ranked IP lawyers, who has worked on deals involving the OVO brand
- See how brands are protected and enforced around the world
- Build a connection inside one of Canada's leading business law firms
The day · 11:00 AM to 2:00 PM
- Pathways PrimerA one-hour activity on the week’s area of law
- Guest SessionTwo hours with the guest: presentation and activity
- Q&AStudents ask the guest directly
- NetworkingOne-on-one conversations
- Session ends
Week 4 · Saturday, Feb 6, 2027
Personal Injury
Egidio Stagnitta · Personal Injury Lawyer, Cariati Law
When someone is hurt through another person's carelessness, who is responsible, and what is fair compensation? Students explore negligence, accountability, and how injured people seek justice.
Pathways Primer
Students examine an accident scenario from three perspectives (the injured person, the defendant and the insurer) and decide who is responsible and what is fair.
What you’ll gain
- Hear from a lawyer who has represented both insurance companies and injured clients
- Understand how claims are valued, negotiated and taken to court
- See a client-focused side of law that changes people's lives directly
The day · 11:00 AM to 2:00 PM
- Pathways PrimerA one-hour activity on the week’s area of law
- Guest SessionTwo hours with the guest: presentation and activity
- Q&AStudents ask the guest directly
- NetworkingOne-on-one conversations
- Session ends
Week 5 · Saturday, Feb 13, 2027
U of T Law Professor & AI Law
Prof. Albert Yoon · U of T Faculty of Law; Co-Founder, Blue J
Artificial intelligence is changing how legal research is done, how outcomes are predicted, and what lawyers will do in the future. Students explore the opportunities and risks of AI in law, and get a rare look inside law school itself.
Pathways Primer
Students compare an AI-generated legal answer with a lawyer's reasoning and debate whether AI should help decide real legal cases.
What you’ll gain
- Learn from a U of T law professor who co-founded Blue J, an AI-powered tax research company
- Get first-hand insight into law school, admissions and legal academia
- Understand the skills the next generation of lawyers will need
The day · 11:00 AM to 2:00 PM
- Pathways PrimerA one-hour activity on the week’s area of law
- Guest SessionTwo hours with the guest: presentation and activity
- Q&AStudents ask the guest directly
- NetworkingOne-on-one conversations
- Session ends
Week 6 · Saturday, Feb 20, 2027
Mock Trial
Guest Judge Aryan Sethi · with a panel of mock trial judges
This is the culminating week of the program. Students argue the case they received in Week 1 in a full mock trial, taking on roles as counsel and witnesses within their pre-assigned teams.
Pathways Primer
Final coaching on opening statements, questioning witnesses and closing arguments, followed by team preparation before the trial begins.
What you’ll gain
- Argue a real courtroom-style case in front of ranked, experienced speech and debate judges
- Receive expert, individual feedback on argument, delivery and strategy
- Put every skill from the program into practice
The day · 11:00 AM to 2:00 PM
- Team PreparationFinal case prep with your team
- Mock TrialPresided over by guest judge Aryan Sethi
- Judges’ FeedbackIndividual feedback for every student
- Verdict & AwardsThe ruling is delivered
- Session ends
Week 7 · Saturday, Feb 27, 2027
Firm Visit
Lerners LLP · 225 King Street West, Toronto
The program closes inside Lerners LLP, one of Toronto's largest litigation practices. Students tour the offices, hear from practising lawyers, and see first-hand how a leading firm operates day to day.
Pathways Primer
A briefing on how law firms are structured, what to expect inside, and how to network professionally, so students make the most of the visit.
What you’ll gain
- Experience the professional environment of Lerners LLP, a leading Toronto firm
- Ask lawyers directly about careers, recruitment and the path into the profession
- Leave the program with a network of contacts across the legal industry
The day · 11:00 AM to 2:00 PM
- Group DepartureTransportation provided
- Firm TourInside Lerners LLP
- Lawyer SessionTalks and Q&A with practising lawyers
- Networking ReceptionMeet the firm’s lawyers
- Program ClosingYour pathway continues
- Session ends
Running through the program
The Mock Trial Case
- Week 1Case details released and teams organized
- Weeks 2 to 5Teams prepare, drawing on every guest
- Week 6The trial, the judges’ ruling and feedback
05 · Week 7 · Firm Visit
Inside Lerners LLP
The program ends inside a working law firm. Students tour the offices, hear from practising lawyers and see how a leading Toronto firm operates.
Founded in 1929, Lerners has more than 140 lawyers. Its Toronto office is one of the city’s largest litigation practices, known for its strength at trial and on appeal.
- Regional Law Firm of the Year, Ontario, 2026 Canadian Law Awards
- Lead counsel before the Ontario Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court of Canada
- Recognized by Chambers, Lexpert and Best Lawyers in Canada
Transportation covered for every student
06 · Meet Your Hosts
Zaid Rashid &
Alex Stagnitta
We are Political Science students at the University of Toronto and UTS alumni, and we are passionate about the law. We built Legal Pathways to bridge the gap between ambitious students and the professionals who shape the legal world.
Not long ago, we were in your seat. Through mock trial, Model UN, DECA and our school’s law society, we saw how much one conversation with the right professional can change your direction. We run every session ourselves, from the morning primer to the final networking minute, so every student is prepared, supported and confident walking into the room.
- UTSAlumni, middle and high school
- U of TPolitical Science, St. George
- Pre-LawU of T Pre-Law Society members
University of Toronto
University of Toronto
07 · Location
920 Yonge Street
A modern, professional classroom in the heart of downtown Toronto, right by Yonge and Bloor.
- Address
- 920 Yonge Street, Toronto
- Area
- Downtown, near Yonge & Bloor
- Sessions
- Saturdays, 11 AM to 2 PM
- Week 7
- Lerners LLP, transportation covered
08 · Your Pathway Continues
Connections that last a lifetime
Connections run the professional world. The program ends after seven weeks, but the network students build does not.
Exposure like this, at this age, is invaluable. It lets students connect and build relationships that will help them for years to come, and you can’t put a price on that.
Some of the lawyers students will meet advise Canada’s biggest companies, and their time is usually reserved for clients. Here, students get it face to face, every Saturday. It is a rare chance, and most never get it.
- Legal PathwaysMeet the professionals
- High SchoolStand out with real experience
- UniversityReach out to your network
- Law SchoolDraw on mentors and advice
- Your CareerConnections for life
Class of2027
09 · Welcome Package
Part of the firm
from day one
Every student receives a Legal Pathways welcome package on the first Saturday. Everyone in the room is represented, and everyone wears the brand.
- 01The Legal Pathways Tee
Our signature logo on the chest, with the courthouse emblem and your 2027 cohort year across the back.
- 02Custom Notebook
A navy hardcover notebook stamped with our emblem, ready for primer notes, guest insights and your mock trial case.
- 03Legal Pathways Pen
A navy and gold pen to match, so you are ready for every session.
Included with both Essential and Premium
10 · Pricing
Choose your package
Limited seats available for Winter 2027
Most Popular
Essential
$780
The complete Legal Pathways experience
Plugged into Toronto’s legal networkReal-world skills from practising professionals
- All seven weeks of programming
- Sessions with every professional guest
- Networking with lawyers every week
- Mock trial before expert judges
- Lerners LLP visit, transportation included
- A community of motivated students
- Snacks at every session
Private Access
Premium
$1,199
Everything in Essential, plus
Private networking nightsExclusive evenings with lawyers, one-on-one, with refreshments
- Call with a Harvard Law studentTheir path, the LSAT and admissions
- Call with a U of T Law studentGetting into one of Canada’s top law schools
- Everything in EssentialEvery guest, the mock trial and the Lerners LLP visit
Secure checkout powered by Stripe. All major cards accepted.
More details will be provided upon registration.
11 · Join the Program
Reserve your seat
Registration takes about three minutes. Seats are limited and confirmed in the order payments are received.
- 1RegisterStudent and parent or guardian details.
- 2Secure checkoutPay for your package through Stripe to confirm the seat.
- 3Welcome packageTeam, case file and arrival details by email.
Questions? Email us at legalpathwaystoronto@gmail.com
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