The Legal Excellence Program - Saskatoon
Articling Opportunities Across Canada
Prairie Region - Saskatoon Office
The Prairie Region is one of six regional bases of operation in the Department of Justice Canada. Within our Region there are four offices across the provinces of Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba. In Saskatoon, the lawyers represent the Federal Government in a wide variety of matters affecting departments and agencies of the Government of Canada that operate within the Province of Saskatchewan. Although a clear emphasis on litigation exists, challenging and interesting solicitor's (advisory) work is also conducted.
General Articling Information
The Saskatoon Office takes its commitment to its articling students seriously by providing an exceptional articling experience, which promotes legal excellence, and whenever financially feasible, appoints its articling students to term or permanent positions after they have finished their articles. The Office has a very good record for doing so.
In Saskatchewan, lawyers belong to the Law Society of Saskatchewan (LSS), for further information and rules refer to the Law Society Website.
Students in Saskatoon rotate through through three portfolios during the articling year: Tax Law Services, Aboriginal Law Services, and Business Regulatory/Public Safety, Defence and Immigration, as well as a three month rotation with the Public Prosecution Service of Canada. In addition, our students have traditionally been afforded the opportunity to participate in an exchange program with the Court of Queen’s Bench for four weeks and with a private firm for four weeks.
One lawyer is assigned as the student’s Principal throughout their articles. A supervising lawyer is also assigned for each rotation to monitor the student's work in that section and to provide a written evaluation at the end of the rotation.
Students also have access to and are encouraged to participate in the National Mentoring Program.
Professional Development
Articling students attend mandatory training such as the Orientation to the Public Service Course; Orientation to the Prairie Region and an Articling Student Orientation. As part of the LSS requirements, they also attend classes through the Canadian Centre for Professional Legal Education (CPLED) consisting of three one week periods during their articling year. The Department of Justice as a learning organization supports many other opportunities throughout the year provided within and outside the department.
Salary and Benefits
Articling Students with the Department of Justice in Saskatoon are entitled to:
- Annual salary is $37,795;
- Call to Bar in Saskatchewan fees;
- CPLED fees and salary while attending CPLED courses;
- 15 days vacation per year, pro-rated;
- 15 days paid sick leave per year, pro-rated;
- Medical and dental coverage;
- Pensionable service.
How to Apply
The Saskatoon Office intends to hire one student for the 2014-2015 articling year. We will be participating with other Saskatchewan law firms in the Articling Student Recruitment according to the guidelines produced by the College of Law process that will run in May.
Note however the following dates:
- Applications to the Saskatoon Office are due May 7, 2013.
- Interviews will be conducted May 13-23, 2013.
- Offers will be made May 28, 2013.
This posting is open to persons residing in Canada and Canadian citizens residing abroad. Please indicate which Regional Office you wish to be considered for.
Applications must include the following documents:
- A cover letter, setting out in 250 to 500 words why a career with the Department of Justice Canada appeals to you;
- A resume;
- Current law school transcript (students who are selected for an interview will be required to bring an official transcript to their interview);
- Names and contact information for three references.
As a condition of employment you will be required to obtain secret security status.
Applications that neglect to include all of the above items will be considered incomplete. Incomplete or late applications will not be considered.
All applications should be submitted by one of the following methods:
- By regular mail/courier to:
Department of Justice (Canada)
10th Floor, 123 – 2nd Avenue South
Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
S7K 7E6
Attention: Arlene Heagy - By e-mail to: arlene.heagy@justice.gc.ca
The Department of Justice is committed to employment equity and to providing employment opportunities to persons who are of Aboriginal origin, members of a visible minority, persons with disabilities and women. Students who wish to have their employment equity status considered at the time of articling interviews should self-identify in their applications.
Pursuant to subsection 39(1) of the Public Service Employment Act, candidates who are Canadian citizens shall be appointed in preference to candidates who are not Canadian citizens.
Applicants must demonstrate in their application that they meet the following qualifications: Statement of merit criteria and conditions of employment.
Practice Areas
The lawyers employed in Saskatoon are divided into four sections:
Public Prosecution Service of Canada (PPSC)
Prosecutors and agents conduct prosecutions across Canada on behalf of the Attorney General of Canada under a wide range of federal statutes, including the Customs Act, the Controlled Drugs & Substances Act and the Income Tax Act. PPSC prosecutors also act as agents of the Solicitor General of Canada for court applications to obtain wiretap authorizations.
PPSC counsel play an important advisory role on criminal law matters and act on behalf of the Attorney General of Canada on significant criminal cases before the appellate courts. These lawyers provide operational advice in the development of criminal law policies and amendments.
In addition, PPSC counsel provide strategic direction and assistance on drug, money laundering and proceeds of crime investigations and prosecutions, with particular emphasis on organized crime.
PPSC also manages the development of proceeds-of-crime law, an emerging and highly specialized area of law, working in partnership with other government departments such as the Ministry of the Solicitor General. A concrete example of such collaborative work in this cutting-edge area is the work that PPSC prosecutors perform with police investigators in the Integrated Proceeds of Crime Units, which are strategically located across the country.
On the international level, the PPSC is the focal point for the execution of Canada's international criminal obligations in areas of extradition and mutual assistance.
Articling students will handle such matters as docket court appearances for adjournments and setting trial dates, summary conviction trials, sentencing hearings and Charter motions research. They also provide assistance in more complex matters and perform researches.
Tax Law Services (TLS)
In the Prairie Region, counsel in the Tax Law Services section represent the Minister of National Revenue in all matters before the Tax Court of Canada and the Federal Court of Canada in Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba and before the Supreme Court of Canada.
Counsel deal with disputes concerning the assessments and reassessments of taxes by Canada Customs and Revenue Agency under the Income Tax Act, the Excise Tax Act (GST) and the Employment Insurance Act. Counsel also provide legal services with respect to the collection of debts owing to the Crown and represent the federal Crown's interest in bankruptcy proceedings in the superior court of the provinces, and in judicial review proceedings concerning decisions of the Minister of National Revenue.
Articling students will have the opportunity to assist with pleadings, motions, trial preparation, collection issues and perhaps conduct an informal procedure hearing in Tax Court.
Aboriginal Law Services (ALS)
ALS has conduct of both litigation and advisory files in the aboriginal law area. In terms of litigation, ALS handles major land claim cases, aboriginal rights cases, membership and status claims, Métis rights litigation, Aboriginal children in care issues and general litigation arising out of operations for the Department of Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada (AANDC). ALS also provides advisory legal services for AANDC, particularly in the area of Treaty Land Entitlement (TLE) and Lands and Trusts Services (LTS). Urban reserve creation and economic development present interesting and significant challenges.
In ALS, articling students can expect to be involved in litigation, advisory activities, and residential school hearings. The litigation assignments could include the review and drafting of pleadings, researching and preparing opinions on liability and damages, preparing for and assisting with the conduct of examinations for discovery and preparations required for pre-trial conferences. In advisory services, articling student assignments could include research of law and policy, drafting documents, providing advice and support to AANDC, assisting the client through referendum and Order in Council process, negotiations on the files and completing land transactions.
Business and Regulatory and PSDI Portfolios
Members of the Business and Regulatory and PSDI portfolios are dedicated to providing legal services to all departments of the Government of Canada with the exception of Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada (AANDC) and the Canada Revenue Agency.
The Business and Regulatory portfolio provides both solicitor's advice and litigation services to a wide range of federal government departments and agencies, including Transport Canada, Health Canada, Environment Canada and Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. The portfolio also deals with matters such as leases, security documents, conveyances and contracts, as well as issues involving insolvency law.
The PSDI (Public Safety, Defence, and Immigration; Justice and Central Agencies) portfolio provides litigation services to the federal law enforcement community, and maintains conduct of files where the Department of Justice is the actual client department. The portfolio acts for clients such as the RCMP, Correctional Service of Canada, and Canada Border Services Agency in civil actions; conducts Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, Firearms Act, and Extradition Act proceedings; and represents the Attorney General of Canada directly in constitutional challenges to federal legislation.
Articling students can expect to be involved in all litigation areas dealt with by the Business and Regulatory and PSDI portfolios including drafting opinions on liability, preparing pleadings, and assisting with trial preparation or appeals. Articling students will also be involved in solicitor work including drafting agreements and advising client departments on a wide range of operational, policy and legislative matters.
Public Prosecution Service of Canada (PPSC)
The Public Prosecution Service of Canada is a federal government organization created December 12, 2006, when the Public Prosecutions Act, Part 3 of the Federal Accountability Act, came into force. The PPSC fulfills the responsibilities of the Attorney General of Canada in the discharge of his criminal law mandate by prosecuting criminal offences under federal jurisdiction and by contributing to strengthening the criminal justice system.
The PPSC is responsible for prosecuting offences under more than 50 federal statutes and for providing prosecution-related legal advice to law enforcement agencies. Cases prosecuted by the PPSC include those involving drugs, organized crime, terrorism, tax law, money laundering and proceeds of crime, crimes against humanity and war crimes, Criminal Code offences in the three northern territories, and federal regulatory offences. It employs approximately 900 full time employees, including 500 prosecutors, and retains more than 800 private-sector lawyers as agents across Canada.
Articling students are involved in all aspects of the day-to-day affairs of the PPSC. Specific tasks include the preparation of disclosure materials and files for prosecution, interviewing of witnesses, the conduct of summary conviction trials, assistance in the prosecution of indictable offences, assistance in the conduct of docket courts, legal research, and the preparation of pleadings.
For more information about the Public Prosecution Service of Canada, please visit its website at PPSC - About Us (www.ppsc-sppc.gc.ca)
Contact Person
For more information about articles in the Saskatoon Office, please contact:
Andrea Newsham
Counsel
Chair, Articling Committee
10th Floor, 123 – 2nd Avenue South
Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
S7K 7E6
Tel: 306-975-5158
Fax: 306-975-5013
E-mail: andrea.newsham@ppsc-sppc.gc.ca
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