Toronto 2L call day: how to schedule your in-firm interviews

Call day is the most compressed half-hour of the Toronto 2L recruit. Starting at 8:00 a.m. on Friday, October 23, 2026, firms phone the students they want to see for in-firm interviews. A little preparation the night before makes the morning much calmer.

How call day works

• Under the Law Society of Ontario's procedures, the earliest firms may tell you the time of an in-firm interview is 8:00 a.m. ET on call day.
• Calls start promptly at 8:00 a.m. and are usually finished by about 8:30 a.m., according to Gowling WLG's interview guide.
• Each firm calls (or occasionally emails) to offer you an interview slot during in-firm week, November 2–4, 2026. Before call day, firms may tell you whether they plan to interview you, but may not suggest a specific time.
• Many firms want to see their candidates early in the week, so slots can fill quickly.
• Expect some news before call day. In the weeks before, many firms email students an intention to call (often shortened to ITC) or a rejection. Students reported ITCs from several Toronto firms in early October 2026, and a further round in the week before call day (Canadian Law Forum, later posts). Posters said some firms tend to send theirs close to call day. Not every firm sends these, so silence before call day is not a rejection. See what these emails mean.
• If you miss a call, the firm will usually leave a voicemail or send an email. Call back promptly.

The night before

If you are still ranking firms, our Seven Sisters comparison sets out how each program is structured and how many students each firm kept in 2026.

1. Rank your firms. Write a ranked list of every firm you met at on-campus interviews or applied to directly. You will be making decisions in seconds. Our guide to Bay Street firm types can help you compare them.
2. Build a blank schedule grid. Three columns for Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, with half-hour rows from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Keep it on paper or a single screen.
3. Allow enough time. The Law Society's procedures tell students to allow at least 90 minutes for each interview, plus travel time between offices when interviewing in person. Many firms run longer than that, so leave a buffer after each slot. Our free call day planner flags overlaps and tight gaps as you book.
4. Charge your phone, clear your voicemail, and turn off Do Not Disturb. A full voicemail box on call day is a classic mistake.
5. Plan to be somewhere quiet from 7:45 a.m., with your email open.

During the calls

• Answer every call, even from unknown numbers. Firms often call from unfamiliar or blocked lines.
• Keep each call short. Say thank you, take the slot, confirm the address and contact person, and hang up. Questions can wait.
• Give your top firms the best slots. If two top-choice firms both want Monday morning, take the first one offered and ask the second for its next Monday opening.
• It is fine to ask to call back in a few minutes if you need to sort out a conflict. Then do call back.
• Write each booking down immediately: firm, time, address, contact name and phone number.

After the calls

• Send a short confirmation email to each firm repeating the date, time and location.
• Decline interviews you will not attend, politely and quickly. That frees a slot for another student.
• Check for overlaps once more, including receptions or dinners firms invite you to.

If your phone does not ring

A quiet call day is painful, but it is common, and it does not end your chances of a good summer or articling job.

• Keep your phone on and check your email through the morning, in case a message was missed.
• Talk to your law school's career office the same day. They often know which employers are still hiring.
• Many government, public interest and smaller employers hire outside the formal recruit, and the articling recruit is still ahead.

Next: in-firm week

Once your schedule is set, read our guides to in-firm interviews and in-firm week etiquette.