DISCOVER THE GOODMANS
STUDENT PROGRAM
THE GOODMANS DIFFERENCE
Goodmans is a different kind of law firm, rich in culture with a deep commitment to quality and client service. The great legacy that Eddie Goodman created is a place of good humour and good will with an uncompromising reputation for top-notch legal work. Just talk to the people who work here. You'll find luminaries and mentors, all working together to achieve success - for our clients and for our firm.
GOODWORK
In the over 90 years since we were founded in Toronto, we've grown into one of Canada's premier law practices. Our lawyers are recognized as being among the leaders in their areas of expertise. By serving both large and small companies, we maintain a vibrant client base. Our goal is not to be the biggest law firm, but to create a dynamic working environment for our lawyers and to provide our clients with the highest quality of professional standards in everything we do.
As one of Canada's top-tier law firms, Goodmans is known for its creative, entrepreneurial approach. We understand opportunity and never dwell on the barriers. Our unique agility gives our clients a superior edge and is reflected in some fine accolades. We are consistently recognized by leading industry guides published by, among others, Lexpert, Chambers Global, Lexpert/American Lawyer Media, IFLR, The Legal 500 Canada, Euromoney, Benchmark Canada, Best Lawyers in Canada and Law Business Research.
GOODCULTURE
Our positive culture defines us and guides our growth. The cornerstone of that culture, originally embodied by our founder Eddie Goodman, is a commitment to people. Our culture is founded on the recognition that every member of our law firm is a unique individual and that we succeed together by supporting each other.
We cultivate an environment in which each person is comfortable being themselves. We are a collection of individuals with distinct backgrounds, ideas, beliefs and contributions, who find strength in our differences. Our goal is to recruit, retain and promote a diverse group of lawyers, students and other firm members, as we are keenly aware that the varied contributions of our firm members make us stronger together.
We've never been comfortable with the stiff formality often associated with large law firms. While we work on a wide range of complex and high-profile matters for major clients, including many of Canada's largest businesses, financial institutions and emerging high-growth companies, we maintain many of the qualities and attitudes you'll find in a much smaller office environment.
We're direct, open and informal. We believe that great ideas are definitely not the exclusive domain of senior lawyers and we encourage all of our lawyers and students to offer pragmatic solutions to help meet our clients' objectives. This attitude has earned us the reputation of allowing students and young lawyers to take on greater responsibilities than at many other large firms.
Flexibility, teamwork and camaraderie are the hallmarks of our practice and these
qualities enable us to tackle large projects while never losing our small-office feel.
GOODPEOPLE
Our lawyers are active in all aspects of the legal profession and also embrace Goodmans’
long-standing tradition of supporting charities, local communities and the arts.
Many of our lawyers teach at law schools, are active on pro bono files (including acting as Duty counsel), contribute to legal and business publications, conduct seminars and workshops, are sports enthusiasts and musicians, play key roles in politics and are involved in the Law Society, the Canadian Bar Association, the Black Law Students' Association of Canada, the Korean Canadian Lawyers Association, Out on Bay Street, and the Law Firm Diversity and Inclusion Network (LFDIN). At Goodmans, we strive to make a positive difference in our community.
For more on Diversity and Inclusion at Goodmans, please click here.
Our lawyers, students and staff are major participants in events to support United Way, the Hospital for Sick Children, the Daily Bread Food Bank, Canadian Blood Services and many others. We have been honoured by the United Way with an Exemplary Award - which placed Goodmans in the top 15% of all workplace campaigns in Toronto - and with a Spirit Award acknowledging excellence in community giving. Our students organize and co-ordinate an annual Winter Hope Clothing Drive for the Yonge Street Mission, collecting donations from over 25 firms, they climb the CN Tower for United Way, serve meals at Lawyers Feed the Hungry, run a bone marrow drive, host LAWS (Law in Action Within Schools) students, ride on the Goodmans Pride Parade float, grow moustaches for "Movember" in support of prostate cancer research (and of course that’s totally optional!), throw a holiday party for the local Kiwanis Boys and Girls Club, and assist our lawyers on their pro bono files.