Stikeman Elliott: student program and recruit guide

Stikeman Elliott is a national business law firm with roots in Montréal and a large Toronto office. Its program pitches freedom: students take ownership of their careers and explore different practice areas on major deals and litigation files. Here is what is on the record, and what to know before call day.

At a glance

The student program

Stikeman Elliott says its student program gives students "the resources required to take ownership of" their careers and the freedom to explore different practice areas while working on high-profile deals and litigation files (Stikeman Elliott). Student testimonials on the same page point to significant structured mentorship for those who prefer it. The firm's main page does not lay out a rotation schedule, so ask how work is assigned and how much of the summer you shape yourself.

The firm also invites applicants with disabilities to request accommodations at any stage of the recruit. If you need one, raise it early with the student programs team.

Hireback

In Precedent's 2026 Bay Street hireback ranking, Stikeman Elliott had 21 articling students, hired back 19, and had 2 opt-outs, for a hireback rate of 100% (Precedent). Precedent removes students who chose not to stay before it calculates the rate, so a lower number is not always a sign that the firm turned people away.

Recruit dates for summer 2027

The Law Society of Ontario's procedures set the same dates for Stikeman Elliott and every other firm in the Toronto 2L recruit.

Use our free call day planner to rank your firms and book slots without clashes.

Pay

Stikeman Elliott does not publish its student or associate pay. The Globe and Mail reported in 2025 that first-year associates at top-tier Bay Street firms earn about $135,000 before bonuses, and named Stikeman Elliott among the firms that raised associate base pay (The Globe and Mail). For students, the median weekly pay at Toronto firms was $1,900 in NALP's 2025 Canadian survey (NALP). See our student salary guide and Bay Street salary scale.

Questions worth asking at Stikeman Elliott

Good questions show you read about the firm and want to know how the work really runs. These come straight from how the firm describes its own program:

• How do summer students find work in the practice areas they want to explore?
• What does the structured mentorship look like, and how do students who want less structure get on?
• How do articling students decide where to focus before hireback?

For more, read our guides to questions to ask law firms, in-firm interviews, and in-firm week etiquette.

Stikeman's student pages also cover its Students Committee, its students, and how to apply. Read them before your in-firm so your questions build on what the firm already says.

Compare with the other Seven Sisters profiles: Blakes, Davies, Goodmans, McCarthy Tétrault, Osler, Torys, or see all seven side by side.

This profile uses the firm's own student pages and the public sources linked below. Lateral Law Report is independent and is not affiliated with or endorsed by any firm. Programs change from year to year, so confirm details with the firm's student programs team before you rely on them.