Law School Lesson #2:

There is a well-known phenomenon entitled "Call Day" that law students dread across Canada and it was today for anyone applying to jobs for Toronto law firms.

Students apply to law firms for summer positions and are then told that the firms will be calling after 8:00am on October 28 IF (and only if) an interview is being offered. And so, Toronto hopeful law students wake up early on this day and begin the wait. They pace, they check for a dial tone, they remind housemates not to use the phone... and hopefully the calls will begin shortly after 8:00am.

My first call came in at 8:01am. Nervously, I answered the phone...It was from a principal in Ancaster asking if James had a job for this morning. I hurried him off of the phone as quickly as I could.

So the wait continued.... almost as soon as I hung up the phone with the principal, the phone rang again. North York Crown's Office! This call was not much of a surprise, because this office had sent me a letter explaining that they "intended" to offer me an interview. This letter was a relief when I received it last week because at least I knew that someone wanted me. The interview was schedule for November 7 at 9:00am, my first interview during interview week. (Sidenote: Interviews are held from November 7 to November 9).

But when I got off the phone with North York, a horrible feeling came over me. What if North York was the ONLY office that wanted to interview. My chances would be pretty slim at getting a job... sure I've worked at a highly respected defence firm and the Scarborough Crown Attorney's Office, but in the eyes of a government office position, that means nothing.

I continued my wait....

At 8:04am, Jean called me from the downtown Crown's office. Thank goodness, they want an interview! I schedule them in for 3:00pm on November 7 because that was the time they offered me and I was available. Who was I to suggest that an earlier time might be better for me?

I get off the phone and there is a message waiting on my voice mail. I quickly check my voice mail, thinking "please don't let anyone else call while I'm checking"! It is Lenora, from the Scarborough and Etobicoke Crown's Offices... they are interviewing together. She wants me to call her back. I hang up and dial immediately.

Voice mail. I leave a message.

Then I sit and wait. Aside from Scarborough and Etobicoke, I'm still waiting for two more phone calls.

8:08am - still waiting.

8:10am - phone Lenora again. Still voice mail. No message left.

8:13am - still waiting. Another phone call to Lenora.. more voice mail.

8:18am - more waiting. At this point I have called Lenora about 10 times and got voice mail each time. Now I'm starting to think that Scarborough and Etobicoke have changed their mind. They DON'T want an interview anymore. And as for the other two places I've applied... I just don't have a chance.

8:20am - I call Lenora AGAIN and AGAIN I receive her voice mail.

When I hang up the phone, there is a voice mail message FOR ME! Oh no! I'm way to eager! I quickly check my voice mail. It is Amanda! From the Crown Law Office - Criminal. They do appellate work for the Ministry of the Attorney General. I'm ecstatic.

First I dial Lenora, one last time. (Ya right, we all know that I would keep dialing that number until I got through to SOMEONE!). Fortunately she picks up the phone. The interview is scheduled for November 7 at noon. I now have three interviews on November 7: 9, 12 and 3. There is no way I can schedule another one.

I call Amanda, she picks up right away. She wants to offer me an interview (no kidding!)! I tell her that November 7th is booked, but I can do November 8th. The interview is scheduled for 9am (I'm a morning person!).

At this point it is 8:25am - the world of Call Day is very fast paced.

I'm still waiting to hear from the Constitutional Law Branch of the Ministry of the Attorney General. As some of you may know, Constitutional Law became my love last year. Sure, it may have been because of the little crush I had on the professor (not that I thought he was cute - but his lecturing voice was pretty easy to listen to). My love for this area of law was a surprise to me and everyone who knew me, because I've always had a plan to go into Criminal law. When I applied last year to this office, they did not offer me an interview, even with my stellar grade in the course. I figured at this point, when it was 8:25am, they had passed over me again.

I begin to regain my composure after the exciting morning... my heart rate must have been at least 80%, which is a work-out level! No need to go to the gym today!!

But what is this? It is 8:28am and the phone is ringing.
-Hello?
-Hi, can I speak to Courtney West please?
- This is she.
- Hi Courtney, it's Mary from the CONSTITUTIONAL LAW BRANCH.
- Oh hi. (I'm trying to sound like I completely expected the phone call...)
- Courtney, we'd like to offer you an interview with our office.
- Okay.
- The only date we have available is November 9, are you available?
- (Am I available!! YES! YES!!) Let me just check and see. Yes I have some availability. What time were you thinking? (so smooth...)
- We have noon available on the 9th...
- Sure that looks fine to me.

And so, I had six applications out, and I have six interviews. What a morning and all of that before 8:30am!