Summer Law Student (1L Students)

Role Responsibilities

The Legal Services Division of Alberta Justice has openings for full-time 1L summer law students from May 1, 2025, to August 31, 2025. 

This competition is for students enrolled in their first year of law school or second year of a combined 4-year law program. 

Available opportunities: 

One summer law student position may be located in Calgary working with lawyers from the Family and Surrogate Court Litigation team, Civil Litigation team, and Constitutional and Aboriginal Law team. 

The remainder of the positions will be located in Edmonton working with lawyers from the following teams:

• Justice and Public Safety and Emergency Services Legal Team
• Jobs and Immigration Legal Team
• Legislative Counsel Office
• Constitutional and Aboriginal Law Teams 
• Civil Litigation Teams
• Family and Surrogate Court Litigation Teams
• Health Law Team
• Energy Law Team
• Environmental Law Team
• People and Communities Legal Team
• Central Services Legal Team
• Municipal, Education and Service Alberta Legal Team
• Infrastructure/Transportation and Economic Corridors Legal Team
• Labour and Employment Law Team
• Trade, Innovation, Post Secondary Legal Team

Lawyers within the Legal Services Division practice in a variety of areas including: administrative law, contracts law, constitutional law, aboriginal law, pension law, intellectual property law, construction law, health law, procurement law, municipal law, privacy law, general litigation, constitutional and aboriginal litigation, labour and employment law, regulatory law, legislative drafting, tax law, child welfare law, environmental law, and energy law. 

Students are assigned a supervisor and will work with one or more legal teams within the Legal Services Division. Students receive work from the lawyers on the legal teams, which results in varied and interesting work in a range of practice areas. Placement decisions will be made after 1L recruitment is complete in February/March 2025, and is based on a number of considerations including student preference.

APS Competencies

Competencies are behaviors that are essential to reach our goals in serving Albertans. We encourage you to have an in depth understanding of the competencies that are required for this opportunity and to be prepared to demonstrate them during the recruitment process.

This link will assist you with understanding competencies:
https://www.alberta.ca/system/files/custom_downloaded_images/psc-alberta-public-service-competency-model.pdf.

• Creative Problem Solving: Ability to gather information from varied sources, analyze and interpret information to formulate reports and make decisions related to case planning.
• Agility: Ability to prioritize competing workload pressures in an effective manner and contribute to the organizational goals.
• Drive for Results: Sets and accomplishes goals and priorities in order to deliver outcomes consistent with departmental objectives and directives.
• Building Collaborative Environment: Ability to work cooperatively and collaboratively with a variety of teams within the workplace, community and other Government ministries/agencies to meet client and ministry goals and objectives.
• Developing Networks: Ability to interact positively, build relationships and work effectively with others.

Qualifications

Minimum Recruitment Standard:

• High school diploma and three years of related experience.
• Students must be enrolled in their first year of Law School, or second year of a combined 4-year law program and must be available to work full-time from May 1, 2025 to August 31, 2025. 

The ideal candidates will have excellent written and oral communication skills along with legal research and writing experience.

Equivalency: Directly related experience or education considered on the basis of: one year of experience for one year of education or one year of education for one year of experience.

THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION MUST BE INCLUDED FOR YOUR APPLICATION TO BE CONSIDERED: 

(Please note - applications submitted without ALL of the following documents will not be considered)

1. Cover letter, 
2. Resume, and  
3. Copy of law school transcript.

Minimum recruitment standards outline the minimum education and experience required for appointment to a job classification. 
Refer to https://www.alberta.ca/alberta-public-service-minimum-recruitment-standards

Notes

This competition is for students enrolled in their first year of law school or second year of a combined 4-year law program.

Please Note: 

• This competition will be used to fill a number of current and future vacancies. 
• This is a Wage position for a term of up to 4 months between May 1, 2025 to August 31, 2025. 
• Final candidates for this position may be asked to undergo a security screening.
• This posting may fill openings in Edmonton or Calgary.

Hours of Work: 36.25 hours of work per week, Monday to Friday.

If a security screening is required;

• Final candidates will be required to undergo a security screening.
• Any costs associated with obtaining the required documents/checks as noted or interview travel expenses, will be the responsibility of the candidate. Out-of-province applicants can obtain the required documents/checks from the province they currently reside in.

Any costs associated with obtaining the required documents/checks as noted or interview travel expenses, will be the responsibility of the candidate. Out-of-province applicants can obtain the required documents/checks from the province they currently reside in. 

What We Offer:

• Working for the Alberta Public Service - https://www.alberta.ca/advantages-working-for-alberta-public-service.aspx
• Professional learning and development - https://www.alberta.ca/professional-development-support-directive
• Research Alberta Public Service Careers tool – https://researchapscareers.alberta.ca
• Positive workplace culture and work-life balance
• Opportunity to participate in flexible work arrangements such as working from home up to two days per week and modified work schedule agreement
• Leadership and mentorship programs