In 2008, Blakes founded a network group for women legal professionals at the firm. "Women at Blakes" provides networking and mentorship opportunities, work-life balance resources and career development support to women employees and summer students.
Blakes is also developing special business leadership training programs for women lawyers and senior associates in collaboration with the University of Toronto's Joseph L. Rotman School of Management and the University of Toronto's Faculty of Law.
The law firm also works in partnership with a number of post-secondary programs, such as the Women in Law Club at the University of Western Ontario in London, Ontario. As part of this program, law students had the opportunity to meet with women employees at Blakes to talk about the issues women face in the legal profession -- the first session was so popular with students that Blakes has agreed to return for additional sessions during the school year.
"To me, diversity means expanding our definitions of 'normal', 'acceptable', and 'beautiful' while also celebrating the differences among us that make our world such and interesting place."
— Jaimie Lickers, Associate and Law Society Aboriginal Law Student Career Symposium participant, Toronto