Articling Student 2020 - Civil Law - National Capital Region & Montreal

Important messages

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.

Our ideal candidate must meet the minimum essential qualifications in order to be appointed. To identify individuals who will be invited to participate in the next assessment steps, we will first be looking for an overall combination of factors which may include:

SKILLS AND ATTRIBUTES:

• 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;
• Reference Letter

HOW TO APPLY:

Your application MUST include: your cover letter, your resume, your latest Law School transcript, and one reference letter.

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 2 pages or 650 words in total (with standard spacing and headers).

Step #1: You MUST apply online via GC Jobs, at: www.canada.ca/government-jobs, by February 7, 2018, 11:59 PM, Pacific Time.

Step #2: You MUST also send (with your full name in the subject line) your COVER LETTER, your RESUME, a copy of your most recent OFFICIAL LAW school transcript, and one REFERENCE LETTER by email to: at the latest by February 7, 2018, 11:59, Pacific Time.

Applications that do not contain ALL of the above-mentioned documents will be considered incomplete. Incomplete or late applications will not be considered.

PLEASE NOTE that candidates screened-in at the preselection stage will be informed by email, on February 15, 2018, of an electronically administered written exam. The link to this written exam will be sent by email to screened-in candidates on February 16th, and will be available until February 20, 2018. The screened-in candidates must schedule a moment during the period of February 16 to 20, 2018 to complete their written exam. We anticipate that it should take between an hour and a half to three hours to complete the written exam. More details will be included in our February 15th, 2018 email. Only the candidates who were successful at the written exam will be invited to an interview. YOU WILL BE REQUIRED TO BRING AN OFFICIAL TRANSCRIPT (ORIGINAL) AND BRING A PROOF OF CANADIAN CITIZENSHIP TO YOUR INTERVIEW.

PROCESS LINKED TO FOREIGN STUDIES / DIPLOMA

At the time of appointment, candidates must have a Quebec Civil law degree from a Barreau du Québec recognized university. Alternatively, the candidate must provide an attestation from the Barreau du Québec's Equivalences Committee - http://www.barreau.qc.ca/en/avocats/hors-quebec/perm-etranger/index.html

For 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), the minimum standard is: a Bachelor of Law Degree (LL.B or LL.L).

Work environment

The Department of Justice has approximately 4,800 employees working from coast to coast. While roughly one half of the departmental staff are lawyers, there are a number of other professionals committed to ensuring a fair, relevant and accessible justice system that reflects Canadian values.

ARTICLING IN THE NATIONAL CAPITAL REGION (OTTAWA/GATINEAU):
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Articling opportunities in 60 + sections and legal services units within which to practice law including:

- The law relating to Crimes Against Humanity and War Crimes
- Constitutional law
- Criminal Law
- Human Rights Law
- Litigation
- Legislative Services
- Legal Services Units such as Environment Canada, Treasury Board, Health Canada, RCMP, etc.

The articling term consists of two rotations in various sections (one rotation in a litigation section and one rotation in a non-litigation section).

For additional information regarding Articling within the Department of Justice in the National Capital Region (Ottawa/Gatineau), please visit the following website: http://www.justice.gc.ca/eng/abt-apd/recru/lep-pea/ncr-rcn.html.

ARTICLING IN THE QUEBEC REGIONAL OFFICE (MONTREAL OFFICE):
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Articling opportunities in exciting areas of litigation working on fundamentally important public, civil, administrative, constitutional law issues including:

- Immigration Law
- Commercial Law
- Regulatory Law
- Tax Law
- Aboriginal Law

The articling term will be done within one of the above-mentioned Directorate.

For additional information regarding Articling within the Department of Justice in the Quebec Regional Office (Montreal or the satellite office in Ottawa), please visit the following website: http://www.justice.gc.ca/eng/abt-apd/recru/lep-pea/quebec.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, either in the National Capital Region (Ottawa/Gatineau) and/or within the Department of Justice Quebec regional office (Montreal or the satellite office in Ottawa).

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:
Approximately 5 positions in the Quebec Regional Office
Approximately 6 positions in the National Capital Region

Positions to be filled: 11

Information you must provide

Your résumé.

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. Cover Letter, Curriculum vitae, one reference letter and the most up to date transcripts MUST be submitted with their application.

OCCUPATIONAL CERTIFICATION AND EDUCATION

Eligibility to article** in accordance with the École du Barreau du Québec at the latest on December 31st, 2020. (The articles targeted by this recruitment process will take place in 2020. However, it is possible that they may start earlier, due to operational needs, and if the students are available).

** Please note that in order to be eligible to article, a candidate would have typically obtained approximately 36 credits recognized in their law degree program, which usually corresponds with a student on their way to complete their 2nd year in the program.

At the time of appointment, candidates must have a Quebec Civil law degree from a Barreau du Québec recognized university. Alternatively, the candidate must provide an attestation from the Barreau du Québec's Equivalences Committee: http://www.barreau.qc.ca/en/avocats/hors-quebec/perm-etranger/index.html.

For 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), the minimum standard is: a Bachelor of Law Degree (LL.B or LL.L).

Degree equivalency

If you possess any of the following, your application must also clearly explain how you meet it (other qualifications)

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

Bachelor degree (B.A.) or post-graduate studies in a specialized discipline or within an area of law relevant for the position being staffed (for example, relating to tax, business administration, public administration, policy, etc.)

Degree equivalency

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

Various language requirements
(English or French Essential) or various bilingual imperative profiles (for example: BBB/BBB, CCC/CCC, CBB/CBB) depending on the position being staffed.

Information on language requirements

ABILITIES

Ability to analyze legal principles
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

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

Knowledge of the Department of Justice and of its mandate.

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 depending on the position being staffed.

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.

The candidate must be registered to article in accordance with the École du Barreau du Québec at the latest on December 31st, 2020 and must remain so during the articling appointment.

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 Public Service Resourcing System (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:

A written exam and an interview will be part of the assessment process. Furthermore, Second Language Evaluation done through the Public Service Commission could be required depending on the position being staffed: https://www.canada.ca/en/public-service-commission/services/second-language-testing-public-service.html

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.