Articling Student 2027-2028 - Common Law - National Capital Region

Duties
Articling in the Legal Excellence Program will offer you diverse and challenging work assignments throughout three rotations, where you will gain experience in litigation, legal policy development and the provision of both legal advisory services to client departments and specialized legal advice. Students benefit from the experience and expertise of assigned mentors who provide them with professional guidance and support in each of the three rotations. Collegiality, a wide array of legal work and a dynamic work environment are just a few of the benefits offered by the Legal Excellence Program for Articling Students. Throughout your articles, you will develop the essential knowledge, skills and experience for practicing law in the public sector.

Work environment
Why you should join the Justice team?The Department of Justice Canada can offer you a rewarding career, where you are part of a team working to ensure that Canada has an accessible, efficient and fair system of justice.The Department of Justice Canada supports the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada in virtually every area of law, from the development of policy to the drafting of legislation, and from litigation to the provision of legal advice to other federal departments and agencies. The issues Justice lawyers deal with on a daily basis are often on the cutting edge of legal trends and have significant impacts on Canadian society.The tradition of excellence at the Department of Justice Canada is embodied in its culture, which values inclusiveness, fairness and respect for Canada's legal system.A career with the Department of Justice Canada offers such benefits as practical courtroom experience, interaction with the legislative process, training and professional development, and access to an extensive network of legal resources. Working in a collegial and supportive setting, Justice lawyers may specialize in a particular area of law or may rotate through a diverse range of legal settings in the course of their careers. More information on our areas of practice is available on our website: http://www.justice.gc.ca/careers

Intent of the process
A pool of fully qualified candidates will be created to staff articling positions primarily at the Department of Justice Canada in the National Capital Region (Ottawa).Once initial appointments are made, the pool of qualified candidates could be made available for articling positions with other federal government organizations, departments, agencies, Crown corporations, Military Police Complaints Commission of Canada and various tribunals under the umbrella of the Administrative Tribunals Support Service of Canada, etc. By applying to this process, you consent to your personal application and assessment-related information being shared with other federal organization if they ask for it, to consider your application to staff a similar position within their organization.To manage the number of applications, a volume management strategy (for example: top-down selection, random selection and/or the application of asset qualification(s)) may be used at any time to identify who will be invited for further assessment.

Positions to be filled
10

Important messages
We are committed to providing an inclusive and barrier-free work environment, starting with the hiring process. If you need to be accommodated during any phase of the evaluation process, please use the Contact information below to request specialized accommodation. All information received in relation to accommodation will be kept confidential.► WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR: We are seeking high-quality candidates who are excited about the practice of law in the government sector and who are committed to public service, including respect for public service values and ethics.ASSESSMENT PROCESS AND INSTRUCTIONS► STEP 1 - ScreeningPART A : Job ApplicationFor screening, you must apply online through jobs.gc.ca*. Answer the screening questions and submit your answers by no later than May 26, 2026, 23:59, Pacific Time.*If you need to be accommodation to apply online, please contact INFOTEL at 1-800-645-5605 for assistance and to review this job advertisement over the phone. Otherwise, you must submit your job application through your GC Jobs account.PART B : Required Documents Additionally, in order to be considered for screening, you must provide the following documents by submitting them through email at the following address: . 1. Cover letter* (to the attention of Legal Excellence Program)
2. Résumé
3. Copy of your most recent law school transcript
4. Two (2) signed reference letters (to the attention «To whom it may concern»)*Cover letter instructions :
We are eager to learn more about you! In your cover letter you should introduce yourself, demonstrate your interest in the public law and public service and explain why you would be an ideal candidate for an articling position within the Department of Justice. The recommended length for your cover letter is 500 to 750 words. A minimum font size of 12 points and a font type such as Arial, Verdana or Tahoma are recommended.The cover letter will serve as a tool to assess the following essential qualification : Ability to communicate effectively in writing.Submissions that do not contain a GC Jobs application and ALL of the above-mentioned documents (five (5) mandatory documents in total) will be considered incomplete. Incomplete or late applications will not be considered.All of the above must be submitted at the latest May 26, 2026 23:59 Pacific Time.► Step 2: Interview Candidates selected for interview will receive an invitation between June 3 and June 4, 2026. Interviews will take place between June 8 and June 17, 2026 and will be administered remotely over the Internet, on the Microsoft Teams (MS Teams) videoconferencing platform, or in person according to your pre-identified preference.At the interview, candidates must bring a proof of Canadian Citizenship (passport, birth or citizenship certificate) or Permanent residence.Due to the number of applicants and the strict deadlines, it may be necessary to impose a limit on the number of applicants selected for the interview.************The Department of Justice is now reimbursing the following fees for all articling students hired into the Legal Excellence Program:- Application/enrollment fees
- Fees for exams and study materials
- Licensing fees to be an articling studentThe Department of Justice will also reimburse the Call to the Bar fee to those who will be offered a term or indeterminate position as Counsel immediately following their Call to the Bar ceremony.

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Secret security clearance

ELIGIBILITY FOR ARTICLING :
Remain eligible for articles pursuant to the rules of the relevant law society (i.e. the province or territory in which you are applying) or the Chambre des Notaires in the province of Québec at the time of appointment and throughout employment as an articling student.

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Candidates will be required to travel occasionally.

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ESSENTIAL QUALIFICATIONSEducation
ED1 - Articling students (not yet eligible for membership in the Bar of one of the provinces or territories of Canada or in the Order of Notaries in the Province of Quebec) must hold a Bachelor of Law degree (that is: Bachelor of Law (LL.B), Juris Doctor (J.D.), LL.L, or equivalent) at the time of appointment.Note: If you obtained your law degree from outside of Canada, you must apply to the National Committee on Accreditation (NCA) or the Barreau du Quebec to have your legal education credentials evaluated. It is your responsibility to arrange for completion of the NCA or Barreau du Quebec’s requirements in time to commence your articles.

Competencies
CO1: Demonstrating Integrity and RespectCO2: Thinking Things ThroughCO3: Working Effectively with OthersCO4: Showing Initiative and Being Action-OrientedAll communication relating to this process, including email correspondence and telephone conversations, may be used in the assessment of qualifications.

Abilities
A1: Ability to analyze legal problemsA2: Ability to communicate effectively orallyA3: Ability to communicate effectively in writing

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Applied / assessed at a later date

Various language requirements - English or French Essential or Bilingual Imperative, depending on the position to be staffed.

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ASSET QUALIFICATIONS AEX1 - Experience conducting legal research, preparing legal drafts and/or providing legal advice in an academic, training, professional, or volunteering environment within and outside Canada.

AEX2 - Experience providing legal or administrative support in a legal environment within the federal, provincial, or municipal government (for example, Department of Justice Canada, Ontario Tribunals, Municipal Court).

KNOWLEDGEAK1: Knowledge of the Department of Justice Canada and it’s mandate.

ORGANIZATIONAL NEEDS IN SUPPORT OF AN INCLUSIVE WORKPLACE:The Department of Justice believes that to be able to effectively serve the public, its workforce needs to reflect the diversity of the Canadian population. Diversity is a great source of strength in driving Canada’s Legal Team in ensuring that Canada’s justice system is as fair, accessible and efficient as possible. The Department is committed to a representative workforce that represents the Canadian public we serve. If you are a woman, an Indigenous person, a person with a disability, a member of a racialized group* or a member of the 2SLGBTQIA+**/ Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity and Expression (SOGIE) community, we encourage you to self-declare in this staffing process.* Please note that this group is currently designated as members of visible minorities in the Employment Equity Act.
** 2SLGBTQIA+: Two-Spirit, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, asexual and people who identify as being part of sexual and gender diverse communities.INFORMATION ON SELF-DECLARATION
Self-declaration information can be factored into the screening, assessment, or selection decision to address our commitment to eliminate gaps and increase representation for these groups. This information will only be used in connection with this selection process.HOW TO SELF-DECLARE
If you are an Indigenous person, a woman, a member of a racialized group, or a person with a disability, self-declaration information will be collected via your job application profile, under the Employment Equity section.• Please note that your self-declaration as a member of First Nations, Inuit or Métis will be verified via the Affirmation of Indigenous Identity Form to be provided later in the staffing process. For more information on this requirement, please consult the Questions and Answers page: https://www.canada.ca/en/public-service-commission/services/appointment-framework/guides-tools-appointment-framework/affirmation-indigenous-identity-form.html.If you are a member of the 2SLGBTQIA+/ Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity and Expression (SOGIE) communities, self-declaration information will be collected via a non-screening question in your job application.

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Preference will be given to veterans first, followed by Canadian citizens and permanent residents, with the exception of jobs located in Nunavut or Yukon. For positions located in Nunavut, qualified Inuit enrolled under the Nunavut Agreement will be appointed first. For positions located in Yukon, qualified Yukon First Nations will be appointed first, followed by qualified Indigenous persons.

Learn more about preference to veterans.

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