The Legal Excellence Program
The Legal Excellence Program at Justice Canada offers civil and common law articling students the opportunity to develop the knowledge, skills and experience essential for practicing law. Articling students receive practical litigation experience and exposure to providing advisory services to other federal departments.
Why start your legal career with us?
Justice Canada’s structure allows different lawyers in different offices to work on any aspect of a file, using their specialized knowledge and experience.
Articling students gain experience in cases heard at every level, from provincial and appellate courts to federal courts and the Supreme Court of Canada. This exposure provides a strong foundation for their legal careers.
Camaraderie, diverse and challenging legal work, and an exciting environment are some of the benefits of the Legal Excellence Program. Articling students also benefit from:
- a paid articling term
- professional guidance and support
- formal training and development opportunities
- working on high-profile cases in a fast-paced environment
Services and information
About us
Discover more about the mandate of our department
Our culture
Why people choose Justice and what we offer
Program compensation
Articling positions salary and benefits
Areas of practice
Practice law with us in diverse areas of expertise
Application and interview process
Each regional office has a different application and interview process. It’s your responsibility to submit your application on time and follow the requirements for the regional office(s) you’re applying to. After you submit your application, the regional office(s) will send you any additional information.
Justice Canada is committed to building a skilled and diverse workforce that reflects the population we serve. We promote employment equity and encourage you to self-declare when you apply. In your application, please provide your eligibility to work in Canada: Canadian citizenship, permanent resident status, or work permit.
Preference will be given to veterans, followed by Canadian citizens and permanent residents, with the exception of a job located in Nunavut, where Nunavut Inuit will be appointed first.
Articling opportunities across Canada
We offer articling opportunities in many of our regional offices across Canada. You may apply to as many as you wish, based on your career interests and personal needs. Based on your studies, submit your application to the regional office where you would like to work, following the specific application process for each region.
Positions follow the government’s hybrid work model and relocation costs are not covered.
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Calgary
Articling students with the Prairie Regional Office in Calgary work alongside seasoned lawyers and legal professionals, receiving a varied articling experience.
Our students can expect to work on files in all practice areas and may be involved in civil litigation, tax litigation, negotiations, judicial reviews, motions, examinations for discovery and questionings, legal research, and drafting legal documents.
During the articling year, our students complete rotations in three practice areas: Indigenous litigation and resolution, regulatory and public safety law, and tax law.
Governed by the Law Society of Alberta, students complete 52 weeks of full-time articles and the Practice Readiness Education Program (PREP) delivered by the Centre for Professional Legal Education program.
Our areas of practice
- Advisory practice
- Indigenous litigation and resolution
- Regulatory and public safety law
- Tax law
How to apply
We follow the Law Society of Alberta’s articling recruitment guidelines and timelines.
- Status: We are not currently accepting applications
- Application deadline: Not applicable
To submit an application, you must first create a GC Jobs account. Complete the application in the portal before the deadline.
Include the following:
- Cover letter
- Resume
- Law school transcripts (includes first-term marks from second year)
Unofficial transcripts will be accepted, with official marks to follow when received.
Contact
Katherine Chandler-Pillipow (She her)
Regional Director and General Counsel
ArticlingStudentSubmission.Calgary@justice.gc.ca -
Edmonton
Articling students with the Prairie Regional Office in Edmonton can expect to work on files in all practice areas and may be involved in civil litigation, tax litigation, negotiations, judicial reviews, motions, discovery investigations and legal research. Our students are involved in all aspects of our work and are highly valued members of our legal team.
Governed by the Law Society of Alberta, students complete 52 weeks of full-time articles and the Alberta Canadian Centre for Professional Legal Education program.
Our areas of practice
- Advisory law
- Indigenous litigation and resolution
- Regulatory and public safety law
- Tax law
How to apply
We follow the Law Society of Alberta’s articling recruitment guidelines and timelines.
- Status: We are not currently accepting applications
- Application deadline: Not applicable
To submit an application, you must first create a GC Jobs account. Complete the application in the portal before the deadline.
Include the following:
- Cover letter
- Resume
- Law school transcripts (includes first-term marks from second year)
Unofficial transcripts will be accepted, with official marks to follow when received.
Contact
Kanchana Fernando (she her)
Regional Director and General Counsel
articlingstudentsubmissions.edmonton@justice.gc.ca -
Halifax
Located in downtown Halifax, articling students with the Atlantic Regional Office (ARO) work alongside lawyers and paralegals on various cases, manage their own files, and learn essential day-to-day practices.
Our articling students gain vital legal skills and experience through rotations in two main areas: civil litigation and advisory services and tax law services.
Students may also have the chance to work with Justice Canada’s legal service units or the Public Prosecution Service of Canada to gain direct client experience.
Students who are successful in obtaining an articling position with the ARO may have the opportunity for summer employment following completion of their second year of law school.
Our areas of practice
- Aboriginal law
- Administrative law
- Civil litigation
- Charter of Rights and Freedoms
- Class actions
- Constitutional
- Corrections and police law
- Crown law
- Human rights law
- Immigration law
- Personal injury
- Tax law
How to apply
Applications are submitted via an articling student recruitment poster on the Government of Canada Jobs website.
The application period is typically from late October to early December.
To submit an application, you must first create a GC Jobs account. Complete the application in the portal before the deadline.
- Status: We are not currently accepting applications
- Application deadline: Not applicable
Contact
Andrea Bennett
Human Resources Advisor
HR.Halifax@justice.gc.ca -
Montréal
The Quebec Regional Office (QRO) is based in Montréal, with satellite offices in Ottawa and Quebec City. QRO offers a unique articling experience that provides hands-on involvement in litigation, with an emphasis on drafting, research and advocacy.
Our articling students have the opportunity to handle a variety of cases, work independently and develop their skills in a supportive, friendly environment. Students benefit from the mentorship of a team of experienced lawyers with expertise in many areas of the law.
This is an ideal opportunity for those looking to pursue a career in the public service, with student positions available prior to articling.
Our areas of practice
- Civil litigation
- Constitutional law
- Crown liability
- Actions for damages
- Prison law
- Immigration law
- Class actions
- Indigenous law
- Human rights
- Labour law
- Extradition law
- Tax litigation
- Tax recovery
- Tax assessment
How to apply
To submit an application, you must first create a GC Jobs account. Complete the application in the portal before the deadline. The Quebec Regional Office is not a signatory to the articling agreement, but follows the recruitment dates stipulated in the agreement.
Civil law articling positions
- Status: We are not currently accepting applications
- Application deadline: Not applicable
The following documents must be submitted through Simple Survey:
- Cover letter
- Resume
- Law school transcripts
Contact
Articling positions in civil law
stagiairesbrq-qroarticling@justice.gc.ca - Civil litigation
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Ottawa-Gatineau
Located in the National Capital Region, our national offices in Ottawa and Gatineau offer both Common Law and Civil Law students the opportunity to develop the basic legal skills of advocacy, negotiation, research, and legal writing and drafting in a variety of areas of law.
Students can choose from a range of litigation options, depending on their interests.
Students articling within a legal services unit are given the opportunity to develop basic legal skills such as legal research and writing, and drafting.
Our areas of practice
Students have the opportunity to be exposed to four major areas during their rotational placement, namely: policy development, legislative drafting, litigation, and/or advisory and consulting services.
How to apply
To submit an application, you must first create a GC Jobs account. Complete the application in the portal before the deadline.
Civil law articling positions
- Status: We are not currently accepting applications
- Application deadline: Not applicable
The following documents must be submitted by email to Application.LEP-PED@justice.gc.ca:
- Cover letter
- Resume
- Law school transcripts
Common law articling positions
- Status: We are not currently accepting applications
- Application deadline: Not applicable
The following documents must be submitted through Simple Survey:
- Cover letter
- Resume
- Law school transcripts
- tow reference letters
Contact
Legal Excellence Program
LEP.PEA@justice.gc.ca -
Saskatoon
Articling students with the Prairie Regional Office in Saskatoon can expect to work on files in all practice areas and may be involved in civil litigation, tax litigation, negotiations, judicial review, motions, discovery, legal research, and drafting commercial contracts/leases.
Governed by the Law Society of Saskatchewan, students complete 52 weeks of full-time articles and the Practice Readiness Education Program (PREP) delivered by the Centre for Professional Legal Education program.
Our areas of practice
- Tax law
- Regulatory and public safety law
- Indigenous litigation and resolution
How to apply
We observe the Law Society of Saskatchewan’s Articling Student Recruitment Guidelines for the Articling Year.
- Status: We are not currently accepting applications
- Application deadline: Not applicable
To submit an application, you must first create a GC Jobs account. Complete the application in the portal before the deadline.
Include the following:
- Cover letter
- Resume
- Law school transcripts (includes first-term marks from second year)
Unofficial transcripts will be accepted, with official marks to follow when received.
Contact
Melissa Nicolls (She her)
Chair, Saskatoon Articling Committee
melissa.nicolls@justice.gc.ca -
Toronto
Located in the heart of Toronto’s financial district, the Ontario Regional Office’s (ORO) practice is primarily litigation-based, with counsel appearing in every level of court in the country, including the Supreme Court of Canada.
Our articling students rotate through a variety of civil practice areas and participate in trial advocacy and legal research programs.
Students will gain hands-on courtroom experience while assisting lawyers in all aspects of litigation, in addition to managing their own files.
Our areas of practice
- Aboriginal law
- Civil litigation
- Constitutional/Charter of Rights and Freedoms
- Employment law
- Extradition law
- Human rights law
- Immigration law
- National security law
- Regulatory law
- Tax law
How to apply
The Toronto Legal Excellence Program follows the Law Society of Ontario’s procedures governing the recruitment of articling and summer students.
- Status: We are not currently accepting applications
- Application deadline: Not applicable
Submit your application via the ViRecruit Portal prior to the deadline set by the Law Society.
Include the following:
- Cover letter
- Resume
- Law school transcripts
- Anticipated upper year courses
Contact
Ontario Regional Office
Gillian Patterson (she her)
lep-pea.Ontario@justice.gc.ca -
Vancouver
The British Columbia Regional Office (BCRO) in downtown Vancouver is primarily a litigation-based practice, with counsel appearing in all levels of provincial and federal courts, including the Supreme Court of Canada.
At the BCRO, articling students rotate through a variety of civil litigation practice areas and spend one rotation with the Public Prosecution Service of Canada (PPSC). Our students gain hands-on courtroom experience, assist lawyers and teams in all aspects of litigation, and manage some of their own files. We assign each student both a principal and a supporting mentor and provide relevant training throughout the articling year.
Our areas of practice
- Aboriginal law
- Administrative law
- Civil litigation
- Constitutional / Charter law
- Extradition law
- Human rights law
- Immigration law
- National security law
- Regulatory law
- Tax law
Public Prosecution Service of Canada practice
PPSC prosecutions are primarily in the B.C. Provincial and B.C. Supreme Courts, and arise from federal statutes (except the Criminal Code), with subject matter including:
- Drug-related offences (Controlled Drugs and Substances Act)
- Charter law
- Drug Treatment Court of Vancouver
- Organized crime prosecutions
- Regulatory, environmental and economic crimes
- Integrated proceeds of crime unit
- Appeals
How to apply
We follow the Vancouver Bar Association (VBA) Student Recruitment Guidelines for both summer and articling hiring processes each year. Candidates should consult the VBA webpage for relevant Student Recruitment dates and deadlines.
- Status: We are not currently accepting applications
- Application deadline: Not applicable
Submit your application via the ViRecruit portal prior to the deadline set by the Bar Association.
Include the following:
- Cover letter
- Resume
- Undergraduate transcripts
- Law school transcripts
- Three references (include contact information)
Contact
Andrea Finch
Counsel
andrea.finch@justice.gc.ca -
Winnipeg
Articling students with the Prairie Regional Office in Winnipeg can expect to work with experienced lawyers who are doing groundbreaking, important work on a variety of exciting matters. Students in the Winnipeg Office can expect to work on files in all practice areas and may be involved in civil litigation, tax litigation, negotiations, judicial review, motions, discovery, legal research, and drafting commercial contracts/leases.
Our students are involved in all aspects of our work and are highly valued members of our legal team.
We are committed to providing an exceptional articling experience for our articling students. Students receive feedback on assignments from various counsel and are assigned a mentor for guidance and evaluation.
Governed by the Law Society of Manitoba, students complete 52 weeks of full-time articles and the Practice Readiness Education Program (PREP) delivered by the Centre for Professional Legal Education program.
Our areas of practice
- Advisory law
- Indigenous litigation and resolution
- Regulatory and public safety law
- Tax law
How to apply
We observe the Law Society of Manitoba’s Articling Student Recruitment Guidelines for the 2027 -2028 Articling Year.
- Applications must be received no later than 12:00 p.m. (noon) on Tuesday, May 12, 2026.
- Candidates will be contacted on Friday, May 22, 2026 between the hours of 10:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. to schedule an interview.
- Interviews will take place between 8:00 a.m. on Monday, June 1, 2026 and 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday, June 9, 2026 (all times noted in Central Daylight Savings Time).
Applications must include the following documents:
- A cover letter, setting out in 250 to 500 words why a career with Justice Canada appeals to you;
- Resume; and
- Law school transcript that includes second-year first term marks. Unofficial transcripts will be accepted, with official marks to follow when received.
Applications that do not contain all of the above-mentioned documents will be considered incomplete. Incomplete or late applications will not be considered.
You must apply through this GC Jobs posting.
All applications and supporting documentation should be submitted by the following method:
Please send your law school transcripts (required) to PROStaffing.BRPRecrutement@justice.gc.ca. Kindly reference the selection process number included at the top of this posting in the subject line of your email.
Applicants will be assessed against the Statement of Merit Criteria.
For more information about student work in the Prairie Region, Winnipeg Office, please contact:
Dinh Bo-Maguire
Regional Director and General Counsel
Chair, Winnipeg Articling Committee
Telephone: 431-489-8654
Email address: dinh.bo-maguire@justice.gc.ca
601 – 400 St. Mary Avenue
Winnipeg, MB R3C 4K5
National Litigation Sector
Pronouns: she/her - Pronoms: Elle
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