2025-2026 Articling Student

The Ontario government is one of the largest employers of law students in Canada, hiring approximately 75 summer law students and 175 articling and law practice program students every year. Our law student programs offer the opportunity to gain legal skills in a supportive and collaborative environment. Students participate in work that has a real and meaningful impact on the lives of Ontarians. For information about the work of each of MAG's areas of practice, please visit the Law Student Programs Practice Areas.
The Crown Attorney's office for Elgin County has one (1) opening for a 2025/26 articling law student.
The Crown Attorney system is responsible for prosecuting the vast majority of Ontario's criminal cases. Organized on a local basis, each office is supervised by a Crown Attorney and staffed by Assistant Crown Attorneys. In becoming a proficient prosecutor, an Assistant Crown Attorney must master all aspects of trial practice including such matters as case preparation, witness examination and cross-examination, the use of forensic evidence, legal argument, and the art of addressing the jury. There is no better way to develop a barrister's skills than to embark on a career as an Assistant Crown Attorney.

Apart from trial work, Assistant Crown Attorneys may provide a range of related services. They give legal advice to police during the course of investigations; they assist police in obtaining search warrants; they review police briefs and conduct 'charge screening' (by which they endeavour to eliminate charges where there is no reasonable prospect of conviction); and they try to facilitate reasonable resolutions of cases prior to trial whenever possible.

Description of program:

The Crown Attorney's Office provides its students with an excellent articling experience devoted to criminal law. After articling many of our students go on to become Assistant Crown Attorneys while some go into private practice as part of the defence bar. In either case, articling with the Crown Attorney's office is an ideal way to start a career in criminal law.

OPS Commitment to Diversity, Inclusion, Accessibility, and Anti-Racism:We are committed to build a workforce that reflects the communities we serve and to promote a diverse, anti-racist, inclusive, accessible, merit-based, respectful and equitable workplace.

We invite all interested individuals to apply and encourage applications from people with disabilities, Indigenous, Black, and racialized individuals, as well as people from a diversity of ethnic and cultural origins, sexual orientations, gender identities and expressions.

Visit the OPS Anti-Racism Policy and the OPS Diversity and Inclusion Blueprint pages to learn more about the OPS commitment to advance racial equity, accessibility, diversity, and inclusion in the public service.

We offer employment accommodation across the recruitment process and all aspects of employment consistent with the requirements of Ontario's Human Rights Code. Refer to the "How to apply" section if you require a disability-related accommodation.

What can I expect to do in this role?Our articling positions support the fulfillment of the experiential training competencies for candidates, established by the Law Society.

In prosecutions, articling students work with Assistant Crown Attorneys. The student works closely with counsel in all facets of trial process, including legal research, disclosure, pre-trial conferences with defence counsel, witness interviews, preparation of examinations-in-chief and cross-examinations, preparation of closing arguments, and much more. During their articling year, students also have regular opportunity to prosecute a variety of provincial offences, learning the rudiments of most trial skills. By the end of a student's articling year, it is anticipated that he or she will be sufficiently well trained to work as a junior prosecutor.

How do I qualify?MandatoryYou are required to be a candidate who is entering or currently registered in the Law Society of Ontario's Lawyer Licensing Process Articling Program.

How do I apply?Applications must include a resume, cover letter, undergraduate and law school transcripts, the upcoming year's course selection, and three (3) reference names. National Committee on Accreditation (NCA) candidates, please disclose your status in obtaining the NCA certificate of qualification.

Applications will be accepted by mail/courier and email.

Send applications to:
David Rows
Crown Attorney
mail: 4 Wellington Street, 2nd Floor, St. Thomas ON N5R 2P2
email: David.Rows@Ontario.ca

The deadline to apply is Friday, November 29, 2024 11:59 pm EDT. Late applications will not be accepted.

Additional Information:

Note:

• In accordance with the Ontario Public Service (OPS), Employment Screening Checks Policy (ESCP), the top candidate(s) may be required to undergo a security screening check. Refer to the above to determine the screening checks that are required for this position.
  
  Required security screening checks along with your written consent, will be sent to the Transition and Security Office (TSO), Corporate Talent Programs Branch, Talent and Leadership Division to evaluate the results. If applicable, the TSO, with your written consent, will request and obtain any additional employment screening checks that were not obtained directly by you.
  
  A record under the Criminal Code and/or other federal offence record(s) does not automatically mean you will be ineligible for the position. The employment screening check(s) will only be reviewed and evaluated by the TSO for the purpose of making a security clearance decision. The details of an individual's employment screening check(s) will be considered in specific relation to the duties and responsibilities of the position being filled. Employment screening check records will be maintained by the TSO and kept strictly confidential.

Collection of Information

Your personal information is being collected and will be used to determine your qualifications for employment with the Ontario Public Service, and for recruitment modernization initiatives. OPS Careers is an authorized common service in accordance with s. 6 of the Ministry of Government Services Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. M.25 and this collection of personal information is necessary to the proper administration of OPS Careers.

Please do not provide more personal information than what is asked of you. For example, do not include your social insurance number, photograph, or banking information, etc. with your application. We strongly encourage you not to provide us with information beyond that which is requested in the job posting.

If you have any questions about the collection, use, disclosure, or retention of your personal information, please contact us.

All external applicants (including former employees of the Ontario Public Service) applying to a competition in a ministry or Commission public body must disclose (either in the cover letter or resume) previous employment with the Ontario Public Service. Disclosure must include positions held, dates of employment and any active restrictions as applicable from being rehired by the Ontario Public Service. Active restrictions can include time and/or ministry-specific restrictions currently in force, and may preclude a former employee from being offered a position with the Ontario Public Service for a specific time period (e.g. one year), or from being offered a position with a specific ministry (either for a pre-determined time period or indefinitely). The circumstances around an employee's exit will be considered prior to an offer of employment.

Remember: The deadline to apply is Friday, November 29, 2024 11:59 pm EST. Late applications will not be accepted.

We thank you for your interest. Only those selected for further screening or an interview will be contacted.

All Ontario Public Service external job advertisements are posted in English and French. To confirm the language requirements of a job, check the "language of position" information at the top of each job ad. For all positions, candidates will be assessed in English, the business language of the Ontario Public Service. For English/French designated bilingual positions, candidates will also be assessed through French-language proficiency testing.

Toutes les offres d'emploi externes de la fonction publique de l'Ontario sont affichées en anglais et en français. Pour connaître les exigences linguistiques, vérifiez les renseignements sur la « langue du poste » figurant dans le haut de chaque offre d'emploi. Pour tous les postes, l'évaluation des candidates et candidats se fera en anglais, la langue usuelle de la fonction publique de l'Ontario. En ce qui concerne les postes désignés bilingues, la maîtrise du français des candidates et candidats sera également évaluée.

Note: The only website where you can apply on-line for positions with the Ontario Public Service is http://www.gojobs.gov.on.ca