Michael Noonan shows off his pasta masterpiece.
Billion-dollar deals, court filings, and corporate takeovers mean plenty of hard work and long hours for wide-eyed law students when they accept a summer position at big Bay Street firms. Getting home for dinner isn’t always an option, but Cassels Brock’s 18 summer law students made sure that others in even more challenging circumstances didn’t have to worry about a home-cooked meal for at least two nights.
The students and their managers spent two evenings preparing dinner
for families at Ronald McDonald House (RMH). It is the Hospital for
Sick Children’s home away from home for out-of-town families that have
children with serious medical conditions and need an affordable,
caring, and supportive environment to live in while in Toronto. Close
to 80 meals were served by Cassels Brock students over the two nights,
as part of RMH’s Home for Dinner program.
The Cassels team with one of the young residents at Ronald McDonald House, l to r: Scott Morrison, Michael Lungu, Philip Long, Shelby Anderson, Carrie Anderson, Craig Mack, Michael Platt, Andrew Brown, Suhuyini Abudulai.
“It was such a positive experience,” said Michael Platt, who is
entering his third year of law school at the University of Western
Ontario. “It reinforces that there is more to being a lawyer than
dealing with clients and cases, and that we have a responsibility to
contribute to the community. We all definitely left Ronald McDonald
House with a bigger smile than when we walked in.”
The students were responsible for every aspect of the RMH meals, from
planning the menu to clean-up duties. After choosing BBQ and pasta menu
themes, the next step was a trip to the grocery store to pick out all
of the ingredients, before arriving in the afternoon to begin kitchen
preparations.
The Cassels Brock groups also received a tour of RMH, where they met
families and patients benefiting from the facility and joined young
patients in the playroom for some fun and games.
Suhuyini Abudulai stirs things up while colleague Craig Mack looks on.
“Cassels Brock has included at least one major charitable event to kick
off our summer student program for a number of years,” said Shelby
Anderson, assistant director of professional development and student
programs for Cassels Brock. “This is our first year bringing the
students to Ronald McDonald House. Their reaction was just fantastic
and I’m sure we’ll want to come back in the future.”
Scheduling the student charity program near the beginning of the summer
placement helps the group get to know each other better and make a
connection with the firm that goes beyond traditional legal work.
“All of the students worked together as a team, which helped us form a
bond,” said Suhuyini Abudulai from the University of Windsor. “Seeing
the immediate results of our efforts made it worthwhile. We gave
something back and also got something in return.”
Anderson noted, “The students will get more than their share of client
work. An activity like Home for Dinner reinforces the importance of
social contributions. We want to shape more than just lawyers; it’s
also about helping shape people.”
Philip Long and Michael Lungu put on a show while overseeing the grills.
Cassels Brock also sponsors one of the 28 RMH rooms. The firm’s
community activities are part of its Dare to Care program, which
encourages volunteer work, donations, and sponsorships. The program
makes volunteering easy for staff by providing paid time off.
