How’s your blood pressure these days?

After all, it is hireback season, that ultra-tense time of the year when articling students across the country learn if they’re going to be hired back to start as associates. So if you’re wrapping up your articling term, and you’re starting to get anxious, we understand.

Over here at PrecedentJD, we’re a week away from launching our annual Hireback Watch, which tracks the number of articling students who’ve been hired back at Toronto’s largest law firms. Since we started tracking that data back in 2009, we’ve noticed one overarching trend: big law firms are hiring fewer and fewer first-year associates. From 2009 to 2016, the number of articling students hired back has fallen, from 218 out of 337 articling positions to 188 out of 255.

So the big question, as we get ready to launch this year’s Hireback Watch is: will the numbers dip again?

To find out, check out the Hireback Watch section on our website. It includes one chart that tracks the numbers at a wide range of Toronto firms. Once hireback season ends, we then rank, by their hireback rate, the largest 16 firms on Bay Street.

Along with the hard numbers, we also provide detailed analysis that points out the market forces at play.

So stay tuned for our 2017 Hireback Watch, which we’re set to unveil next week. And be sure to follow us on Facebook and Twitter for the latest updates as the numbers roll in.