Articling Student Common Law 2018-2019 - National Capital Region

Important messages

**SEE AMMENDMENT ON HOW TO APPLY STEP #2

What are we looking for?

We are seeking outstanding 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.

Our ideal candidate must meet the minimum essential qualifications in order to be appointed. To identify the individuals to take part in our interview process, we will first be looking for an overall combination of factors which may include:

• Demonstrated interest in the public law and public service
• Excellent communication skills
• Combination of relevant education, work, training or other experience (e.g. volunteer, etc).
• Good academic results, with a particular attention to results in law school
• Positive reference letters

How to apply:

Your application MUST include: your cover letter, your resume, your latest Law School transcript, and two (2) reference letters.

We require a detailed cover letter that describes how you meet the skills and attributes identified above. Your cover letter should explain why you want to work in the public sector, in particular at the Department of Justice. The letter should be presented in a 12 point font. The letter should be no longer than 5 pages or 3000 words in total (with standard spacing and headers).


Step #1 - You must apply online via the Public Service Resourcing System, at www.canada.ca/government-jobs, by May 23, 2017, 11:59 PM - PST.

**Step #2 - You must also send your COVER LETTER, your RESUME, a copy of your most recent OFFICIAL LAW school transcript, and your two (2) REFERENCE LETTERS by email to at the latest by May 23, 2017, 11:59 PM-PST.

Applications that do not contain ALL of the above-mentioned documents will be considered incomplete. Incomplete or late applications will not be considered. You will be required to bring an Official Transcript (original) to your interview.

Duties

Articling with Justice

Articling in the Legal Excellence Program for Articling Students will offer you diverse and challenging work assignments throughout four rotations, where you will gain experience in litigation, legal policy development and the provision of both legal advisory services to clients 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 four rotations. Camaraderie, a wide array of legal work and an exciting 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 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 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 is embodied in its culture, which values inclusiveness, fairness and respect for Canada's legal system.

A career with the Department of Justice offers such benefits as practical courtroom and research experience, 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 rotate through several specialties in the course of their careers. More information on our areas of practice is available on our website: http://www.justice.gc.ca/eng/abt-apd/recru/ap-dp.html.

Intent of the process

A pool of partially/fully assessed candidates will be created to staff articling positions primarily at the Department of Justice Canada in the National Capital region (Ottawa/Gatineau).

Once initial appointments are made, the pool of qualified candidates could be made available for articling positions within other Federal government organizations (departments, agencies, crown corporations, various tribunals under the umbrella of the Administrative Tribunals Support Service of Canada, etc.).

Positions to be filled: 14

Information you must provide

You must meet all essential qualifications in order to be appointed to the position. Other qualifications may be a deciding factor in choosing the person to be appointed. Some essential and other qualifications will be assessed through your application. It is your responsibility to provide appropriate examples that illustrate how you meet each qualification. Failing to do so could result in your application being rejected.

In order to be considered, your application must clearly explain how you meet the following (essential qualifications)

IMPORTANT INFORMATION ON THE PRESELECTION:

In order to identify which candidates will be selected for an interview and additional assessments, candidates will be assessed globally based on their cumulative grade point average in the courses pursued for their law degree in addition to a combination of education, training, internship and any pertinent experience. A Cover letter, Curriculum vitae, transcripts and two (2) reference letters MUST be submitted with their application and will also form part of the global assessment of the candidate.

OCCUPATIONAL CERTIFICATION AND EDUCATION

At the time of appointment, candidates must be eligible for articles pursuant to the rules of the relevant law society (i.e. the province in which you are applying) and must have a law degree from a Canadian university.

Alternatively, the candidate may have a law degree from a university outside of Canada but must also obtain a Certificate of Qualification issued by the National Committee on Accreditation.

Note: For articling students (not yet eligible for membership in the Bar of one of the provinces or territories of Canada), the minimum standard is a Bachelor of Laws (LL.B), Juris Doctor (J.D.).

Degree equivalency

The following will be applied / assessed at a later date (essential for the job)

Various language requirements
English or French Essential or
Bilingual Imperative profile BBB/BBB depending on the position being staffed.

Information on language requirements

KNOWLEDGE

Knowledge of the Federal Department of Justice and its mandate.
Knowledge of recent Department of Justice initiatives.

ABILITIES

Ability to analyze legal problems.
Ability to communicate effectively orally.
Ability to communicate effectively in writing.

CORE COMPETENCIES

Demonstrating integrity and respect
Thinking things through
Working effectively with others
Showing initiative and being action-oriented
Judgment

The following may be applied / assessed at a later date (may be needed for the job)

IMPORTANT: The following qualifications are not required to apply, however they are considered additional qualifications which could be beneficial to have.

Studies in Common Law and Civil Law degree.

Degree equivalency

ORGANISATIONAL NEEDS

The Department of Justice is committed to maintaining a representative workforce reflective of Canadian society. In support of achieving a diversified workforce and our employment equity goals, qualified candidates who self-declare in a staffing process as members of Aboriginal peoples, persons with disabilities, visible minorities and/or women may be selected for appointment to fulfill organizational needs.

OPERATIONAL REQUIREMENTS

Candidates may be required to travel occasionally.

Conditions of employment

Secret security clearance - At the time of appointment, candidates must meet the above condition of employment and maintain this condition throughout their employment.

Other information

Email - Important information:

For this selection process, email is the most effective way to communicate with you and for you to be invited for evaluations. It is the responsibility of the candidate to ensure accurate contact information is provided and updated as required. Candidates who apply to selection processes should include an email address that accepts email from unknown users (some email systems block these types of email). Therefore, it is your responsibility to verify your email and/or PSRS account on a regular basis for new communication regarding this selection process.

Acknowledgment of receipt of applications will not be sent; we will contact the selected candidates once the preselection is completed.

ASSESSMENT INFORMATION:

An interview will be part of the assessment process.

The cover letter will be used to assess the ability to communicate effectivelly in writing.

All information obtained throughout the selection process, from the time of application to close of process, may be used to evaluate the candidates.

Due to the number of applicants and the strict deadlines, it may be necessary to impose a limit on the number of applicants to be interviewed and move forward in the assessment (top down selection).

Candidates may be required to meet the asset qualifications or the organizational needs, depending on the requirements of the specific position being staffed.

Other qualifications may be used at the selection decision stage.

Persons are entitled to participate in the appointment process in the official language of their choice.

The Department of Justice encourages persons with priority entitlements to self-refer to our selection process in circumstances where they believe to meet the essential qualifications of the advertised position.

The Public Service of Canada is committed to building a skilled, diverse workforce reflective of Canadian society. As a result, it promotes employment equity and encourages candidates to indicate voluntarily on their application if they are a woman, an Aboriginal person, a person with a disability or a member of a visible minority group.

The Public Service of Canada is also committed to developing inclusive, barrier-free selection processes and work environments. If contacted in relation to a job opportunity or testing, you should advise the Public Service Commission or the departmental official in a timely fashion of the accommodation measures which must be taken to enable you to be assessed in a fair and equitable manner. Information received relating to accommodation measures will be addressed confidentially.

Preference

Preference will be given to veterans and to Canadian citizens, in that order.

Information on the preference to veterans

We thank all those who apply. Only those selected for further consideration will be contacted.