Clerkships

Under the supervision of one or more Justices of the court, law clerks research legal issues, prepare memoranda of law, edit draft judgments, and attend court proceedings.  A judicial clerkship is a prestigious way to fulfill some or all of your articling requirements, though in some jurisdictions law school graduates may clerk after their call to the bar.  Be sure to check with the Law Society in the jurisdiction you plan to get your call to the bar to ensure the clerkship meets their requirements for admission to the profession.

Obtaining a clerkship

Most Law Clerks are recent law school graduates who performed at or near the top of their class.

Successful candidates for all clerkships are usually selected based on a distinguished academic record, academic recommendations, strong research and writing skills and interviews with judges.

Most Canadian courts accept applications for judicial clerkships from graduating law students or experienced lawyers who have already been called to the Bar in Canada or abroad. Most provincial superior and appellate courts hire at least one clerk for each judge. Typically students in their last two years of law school are eligible to apply for these positions, but increasingly, experienced practicing lawyers are also considered for these positions. The term typically lasts a year.

For both the Supreme Court of Canada and the Quebec Court of Appeal, being able to work in both English and French is strongly preferred.