The Legal Excellence Program - Northern Region
Articling Opportunities Across Canada
Northern Regional Office
The Northern Regional Office of the Department of Justice Canada operates three offices in the territories - Whitehorse, Yukon (6 lawyers); Yellowknife, Northwest Territories (15 lawyers); and Iqaluit, Nunavut (2 lawyers).
Department of Justice Canada
The Department of Justice Canada's work in the North involves challenging learning opportunities that are unique in Canada. Lawyers and paralegals provide litigation and advisory services to federal departments that operate in each territory. Much of our work involves cutting edge issues in Aboriginal law, administrative, environmental and resource law, regulatory law, tax law and federal real property law.
Counsel deal with legal issues of particular relevance in the North, such as the obligations of the federal Crown flowing from the honour of the Crown and the duty to consult; reconciliation between the Crown and Aboriginal people;, the interpretation of treaty rights; the challenges of managing and cleaning up toxic sites; balancing the needs of mega resource development projects with the requirements of environmental sustainability; and the establishment and management of national parks and national wildlife areas. The Northern Regional Office provides legal services to the Department of Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada, CanNor, the Department of Fisheries and Oceans, Parks Canada, the RCMP, Natural Resources Canada and Public Works and Government Services Canada.
Department of Justice northern counsel work on ground-breaking litigation files such as South Yukon Forest Corp v. the Queen, and Nunavut Tunngavik Inc. v Canada. In addition, counsel litigate in the superior and territorial courts in the territories, and appear before a wide range of regulatory boards and administrative tribunals. They are also engaged in hearings under the Indian Residential Schools Agreement.
Public Prosecutions Service of Canada (PPSC) - Yellowknife, NWT
Federal prosecutors in Canada's territories deal with all Criminal Code offences and offences under other federal statutes - everything from shoplifting, mischief, and drug offences to assault and murder. Prosecutors travel with the territorial circuit courts, which involves mostly fly-in courts in NWT and Nunavut. Articling students participate in the conduct of criminal litigation in the NWT territorial courts. They have an opportunity to work on important cases and see the operation of the criminal justice system on the ground in northern communities.
Northern Lifestyle
Working with the Department of Justice Canada in the North will give you the opportunity to enjoy an unparalleled lifestyle, taking advantage of year-round outdoor activities in a unique environment, and taking part in the varied cultural activities of northern people and communities. Our small office offers a close-knit and collegial team approach to legal work.
General Articling Information
The Northern Region of the Department of Justice Canada will hire one articling student in 2013-2014. The student will obtain experience in civil litigation, advisory work to federal government departments and agencies, northern policy and criminal prosecutions with the PPSC.
The articles take place under the supervision and the rules of the Law Society of the Northwest Territories. Candidates for articles must be a graduate of a recognized university common law program (LLB or JD) and eligible for admission to the territorial bar.
Applicants who are not graduates of a Canadian law program must pass the qualifications of the National Committee on Accreditation. Students in Yellowknife will follow the bar education program of the Law Society of Alberta (CPLED), and will also write the bar exams of the Law Society of Northwest Territories.
Students are supervised by a principal registered with the Law Society. They receive monitoring and regular feedback on their progress. Students are assigned to teams and work on challenging files under the direction of experienced counsel.
The student will spend half of the year (roughly 5-6 months) in the Justice Canada office and the other half with the Yellowknife office of the Public Prosecutions Service of Canada (PPSC).
Professional Development
Training includes an orientation to the Department of Justice, the Northern Region, as well as a rich and varied program of professional development offered by the Department of Justice Canada and the Canada School of Public Service in person or by videoconferences. Students also take part in annual regional retreats of northern counsel, and conferences and training initiatives designed to meet the specific training needs of northern counsel.
Salary and Benefits
The current salary for federal government articling students in the Northwest Territories is $34,455. In the North, you will receive federal Isolated Post Allowances (IPA) on top of your base salary to help off set some of the higher costs of living in the North and to provide assistance for annual travel to southern Canada. To find out more about the Isolated Post Allowance (IPA) and the rates please visit Isolated Posts and Government Housing Directive
Also available to assist is the payment of relocation costs to a maximum of $5000 from the city of permanent residence in Canada to the location of the Northern office, for the candidate and dependants, payment of bar admission costs and other northern benefits. Student salaries are paid during the period of the bar admission education programs. Vacation is provided at a rate of 15 days, pro-rated, as well as 15 days sick leave, pro-rated. Medical and dental coverage is provided according to the federal government benefits plans, and time spent as an articling student is pensionable service with the federal government.
How to Apply
The hiring process for articles in the Northern Region of the Department of Justice Canada for 2012 is now complete. The Northern Region will not be hiring an articling student for 2013-2014.
This posting is open to persons residing in Canada and Canadian citizens residing abroad.
Employment Equity
The Department of Justice Canada is committed to employment equity and encourages applications from candidates who are members of the following groups: Aboriginal and Inuit persons, visible minorities and persons with disabilities. Preference will be given to Canadian citizens.
Summer students in the Northern Region of the Department of Justice Canada
The Yellowknife office of the Department of Justice Canada may recruit one summer law student for the period May-August of 2012. Interested students may contact the Regional Director Heather Potter through the contact information provided below.
Contact Information
For more information about articles and summer jobs in Yellowknife with the Department of Justice Canada please contact:
Heather Potter
Deputy Regional Director General/Director NWT-Nunavut
Northwest Territories Office
PO Box 2052
Yellowknife, NT
X1A 2P5
Tel: 867-920-6012
Fax: 867-920-6025
Heather.potter@justice.gc.ca
- Date Modified:
