Steeves Bujold denies US pressure was behind the student program pause
McCarthy Tétrault LLP recently announced a leadership transition in its diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts, with former chief inclusion officer Charlene Theodore stepping down and Steeves Bujold taking over the role.
The announcement came shortly after the firm faced public scrutiny over its decision to pause a program aimed at hiring Black and Indigenous students. Bujold acknowledges the timing was unfortunate but says the firm’s “commitment to DEI is unwavering.”
He says the firm is constantly revisiting its strategies and programs under the “Inclusion Now” initiative, an umbrella term for the law firm’s DEI initiatives.
The paused program, launched in 2021, is being reassessed because it hasn’t resonated equally with both Black and Indigenous students, he says.
He stresses the pause is part of a broader recruitment process revamp – not a retreat from the firm’s DEI priorities.
“That specific program was paused, but we still are very much committed to hiring students from whatever background they are, including Black and Indigenous students,” he says.
The timing of the pause has drawn skepticism. Several DEI professionals, speaking to Canadian Lawyer on condition of anonymity, questioned whether the move was a response to pressure from US-based clients, some of whom had pulled back from DEI initiatives under the Trump administration.
Bujold denies that narrative.
“Nothing can be further from the truth. Our commitment to DEI is unwavering, strong, and it has a very long history… It is totally unrelated to what is happening in the US.”
He says McCarthy Tétrault continues to engage directly with Black law students through mentorship, social events, and outreach visits to campuses across Canada.
The firm recently hosted a group of students from Queen’s University, providing them with career advice and insight into the Bay Street experience. Similar efforts, he says, are replicated at law schools nationwide among diverse student communities.
“Ultimately, we hope they will apply and be recruited at our firm, but if they come out of these meetings and this process with better confidence in the recruitment, having a feeling that they belong to Bay Street, and they get recruited by another firm, that’s also a success… DEI is not a competition.”
According to Bujold, the paused program had previously brought “great success in recruitment,” with the majority of its participants still working at the firm. He also notes that McCarthy has “one of the largest groups of Black and Indigenous law students and associates” and plans to maintain that representation.
Bujold says his main goal in the new role is to strengthen McCarthy’s DEI efforts further, with engagement levels serving as a key performance indicator. By engagement, he means the extent to which McCarthy’s people – lawyers and staff – participate in events, programs, and action groups dedicated to DEI.
He adds that another priority is helping to make the Canadian legal profession more inclusive. That effort, he says, will not be without its obstacles, especially amid polarization and backlash against DEI efforts in the US.
“It’s not a straight line. There will be ups and downs, but if you are consistent, you will see progress… I am confident that DEI initiatives are here to stay in Canada.”
Prior to taking on this role, Bujold was the inaugural chair of McCarthy Tétrault’s Pride Action Group, a position he held until May 2022, and he previously served as the 94th president of the Canadian Bar Association.
