The Trade Law Bureau (JLT), a joint unit of Global Affairs Canada and the Department of Justice, is pleased to announce the launch of a recruitment process for legal internship positions for the summer of 2022. We anticipate filling six (6) positions from this process.
JLT has the mandate to provide international trade and investment law services to all Canadian government departments and agencies. Legal interns will have the unique opportunity to work in a fast-paced environment with JLT lawyers on high-profile international trade and investment disputes and negotiations and will gain valuable practical experience in providing legal advice with respect to Canada’s international trade and investment obligations.
Legal interns will be responsible for, among other things, conducting research on Canada’s international legal obligations under various trade and investment treaties (in particular, the WTO Agreements and CUSMA), assisting JLT lawyers in dispute settlement proceedings arising out of Canada’s international trade and investment obligations and assisting JLT lawyers in the negotiation of free trade and investment protection agreements.
The term of the positions will be approximately from May – August 2022. Legal interns will be paid a competitive hourly rate.
Only those students who fulfill the following requirements will be considered for a legal intern position. The student:
(1) must be a Canadian citizen or permanent resident to apply. However, preference may be granted to Canadian citizens. Since JLT is committed to building a skilled and diverse workforce reflective of Canadian society, we encourage applications, in particular, from qualified candidates who self-declare as Indigenous, persons with disabilities, visible minorities, or women;
(2) must currently be enrolled in either:
(a) an undergraduate law program leading to the professional practice of law (e.g., LLB, LLL, BCL, JD); or
(b) a graduate law program (e.g., LLM, LLD, SJD, JSD) having already obtained an undergraduate law degree leading to the professional practice of law;
(3) must have completed at least one course in international law (preferably in international trade law, international investment law or international arbitration law) by December 31, 2021; and
(4) must be fluent in English, French or both official languages.
All applications must include:
• a covering letter clearly demonstrating how the applicant meets the above qualifications. In addition, the covering letter must:
o highlight the applicant’s specific academic or practical experience involving international trade and investment law and/or international arbitration (e.g., internships, international moot court, academic papers or publications); and
o expressly indicate the applicant’s level of fluency in English and French;
• a curriculum vitae;
• all unofficial law school transcripts and other post-secondary studies transcripts; and
• the name of at least one (1) academic or professional reference who can address the applicant’s ability in legal writing and analysis. Please provide the phone number and e-mail address of the reference. While reference letters are not required, applicants may submit them if they wish. References may be contacted during the selection process.
The COVID-19 pandemic continues to inform working arrangements and procedures within the federal public service. Interviews relating to this announcement will be conducted remotely by way of phone or videoconference. JLT employees primary work location is 125 Sussex Drive in Ottawa. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic temporary telework arrangements have been put in place and all employees are working primarily remotely. As response to the pandemic is ever changing, it is difficult to predict what the work environment will look like in summer 2022. To the extent we can, we will remain flexible in considering alternative work arrangements. Therefore, we encourage applicants to indicate their work preference when submitting their applications.
Pursuant to the Policy on COVID-19 Vaccination for the Core Public Administration, successful candidates, whether they work from home or from the office, must be fully vaccinated unless accommodated based on a certified medical contraindication, religion, or another prohibited ground for discrimination as defined under the Canadian Human Rights Act.
Successful candidates must comply with security clearance procedures of Global Affairs Canada prior to the commencement of the internship. The process to obtain a security clearance involves a detailed application, thorough background check, and possible security interview. As such, the process may take several weeks or months to complete and employment cannot commence until the clearance is granted. If you already possess an active Government of Canada security clearance, please indicate the level of clearance and name of issuing department or agency in your application.
The deadline to apply for these positions is January 24, 2022 at 23:59 (ET). Applications received after this date will not be considered. Interested applicants must send an electronic copy of their application to the attention of the "JLT Hiring Committee" to the following e-mail address: admin-jlt@international.gc.ca. JLT will confirm receipt of all applications, but only those candidates considered for an interview will be contacted directly.
Please email admin-jlt@international.gc.ca with any questions.
Hiring Committee
Trade Law Bureau (JLT)