Two Canadian bar groups have released strong statements urging legal employers to keep the principles of equality, diversity, fairness and human rights at the forefront of their interview and hiring process as recruitment for summer students is about to kick off.

The South Asian Bar Association (SABA) and Canadian Muslim Lawyers Association (CMLA) both put out open letters this week in light of recent geopolitical events in the Middle East, a letter-writing uproar at a Toronto law school, and reports of discrimination and quashing of free expression against some young lawyers and law students.