The Team
Judicial Law Clerks play a key role in supporting judges of the Court of Appeal and Supreme Court by conducting a variety of legal research, writing, editing and other support tasks to assist judges in the performance of their judicial roles. Their work helps ensure rulings are well-informed and legally sound, contributing to the fair and effective administration of justice across British Columbia. This 12-month term position offers a unique opportunity to work closely with the judiciary, develop strong legal writing and analytical skills, and gain firsthand insight into the judicial process. A judicial clerkship is recognized by the Law Society of BC as an alternate pathway to licensing, and the Judicial Law Clerk program is part of delivering qualified lawyers to BC practice.
The Role
The 23 Judicial Law Clerks assigned to the Supreme Court work in Vancouver, New Westminster, Victoria, and Kamloops or Kelowna. The 12 law clerks assigned to the Court of Appeal all work from Vancouver. Law clerks in both courts take part in orientation training and work closely with assigned judges, legal counsel, and judicial staff in an environment that encourages learning and professional growth. The judicial law clerk program was established in 1973 and offers law clerks a variety of professional development opportunities each year.
Judicial law clerks perform a variety of legal research, writing, editing and other support tasks to assist judges in the performance of their judicial roles. Each judicial law clerk is primarily responsible to assist their principal judge and other judges in the Court they are hired to work for. The judicial law clerk position is a term position. All clerkships are of 12 months’ duration.
Candidates hired through this competition will commence their clerkship term on September 7, 2027.
For a full description of accountabilities and qualifications, review the attached Judicial Law Clerk Job Profile. The public service portal questionnaire is the first of three parts of your application. Email submission of your cover letter, resume, and transcripts is the second part. Email submission of reference letters directly from referees to the courts is the third part. To complete the second and third parts of your application, please review the specific requirements and information available on the Judicial Law Clerk Program information pages.
If you have questions after reviewing all of the information, contact judiciallawclerkprogram@BCCourts.ca
The Courts encourage those who self-identify as Indigenous, Black, or a person of colour, people who identify as LGBTQ2S+, and/or people with disabilities to apply and to self-identify in their cover letters.
Qualifications:
Education and Experience Requirements
In order for applicants to be considered for this position, their resumes and cover letters must clearly demonstrate that they have the following:
- Applicants must not be eligible to practice law or enrolled in a program of articles in any jurisdiction at the time of application to the clerkship program.
- A degree in law or completion of all requirements for a degree in law from a recognized Canadian university (or, for law students trained outside of Canada, a degree equivalent to a Juris Doctor or Bachelor of Laws with sufficient training in Canadian common law such as may be obtained through an exchange program or successful completion of the National Committee on Accreditation exams) to be granted prior to the commencement of the clerkship term (September 7, 2027).
- A combination of education and experience may be considered for International applicants. For example, those called to the bar in jurisdictions outside Canada may be considered if in the earliest stages of their careers.
- Significant legal research and writing experience, superior legal research and writing skills, and a strong academic record.
- Experience in conducting legal research, including using online legal research sources and tools.
- Experience in editing and proofreading.
- Experience in using the current suite of MS Office.
Preference may be given to applicants with:
- Experience in reading, writing or speaking the French language. (Supreme Court only)
- Experience working as a research assistant.
- Substantial research and writing experience in an employment setting or as obtained in the completion of a thesis-based Master’s or PhD program.
About this Position:
This is a temporary opportunity until September 01, 2028
This position has full time on-site requirements.
An eligibility list may be established.
Enhanced Security Screening will be required.
Employees of the BC Public Service must be located in BC at the time of employment.
Working for the BC Public Service:
The BC Public Service is committed to creating a diverse workplace to represent the population we serve and to better meet the needs of our citizens. Consider joining our team and being part of an innovative, inclusive and rewarding workplace.
We are committed to ensuring that reasonable accommodations are available throughout the hiring process, including the assessment and selection stages. Please email the individual or contact listed on the posting if you require an accommodation to fully participate in the hiring process.
The Indigenous Applicant Advisory Service is available to Indigenous (First Nations [status or non-status], Inuit or Métis) applicants originating from the land now known as Canada, seeking work or already employed in the BC Public Service. Indigenous applicants can contact this service for personalized guidance on the BC Public Service hiring process including job applications and interviews.
How to Apply:
Your resume and/or cover letter must clearly show that you meet the education and experience requirements. Highlight the required qualifications and support them with specific examples, such as your responsibilities, projects you've worked on, or accomplishments.
Cover Letter: YES - A cover letter is required as part of your application. To be considered for this opportunity, you must submit a cover letter clearly identifying how you meet the qualifications necessary for this position. This information will be used as part of the selection process. If you have a preference for a clerkship in one court over the other, please state that preference in your cover letter.
Your cover letter should be addressed to the Judicial Law Clerk Program Assistant, 800 Smithe Street, Vancouver, B.C., V6Z 2E1 and should be submitted in a single email, together with your resume and transcripts, following the application process on our website. Applications that do not follow the process will not be reviewed. Specific instructions are available on our website under the Judicial Law Clerk Program
Resume: YES - Your resume should provide detailed information about your education and employment history as it relates to the required job qualifications and should be submitted in a single email, along with your cover letter and transcripts, following the application process on our website. Specific instructions are available on our website under the Judicial Law Clerk Program
TRANSCRIPTS REQUIRED: YES - You must provide PDF copies of the official transcripts (including an administrative or unofficial copy of your most recent semester, if an official transcript is not available) of your law school, undergraduate, and postgraduate marks. Transcripts should be scanned into a single PDF and submitted in a single email, along with your resume and cover letter, following the application process on our website. Specific instructions are available on our website under the Judicial Law Clerk Program If transcripts are not available by the closing date, please send them as soon as possible.
REFERENCE LETTERS REQUIRED: YES - You must provide two reference letters from referees who can attest to your academic performance and/or suitability for a clerkship position. At least one of the referees must be a law school professor.
Specific instructions on how to submit letters of reference are available on our website. Please ensure that your referees receive and follow the instructions on how to submit letters of reference, as explained here. Letters of reference that do not comply with the instructions will not be accepted.
QUESTIONNAIRE REQUIRED: YES - The BC Public Service questionnaire will be used for screening required qualifications (education, experience, etc.)
IMPORTANT: The online questionnaire is very short and will not take long to complete, however it cannot be saved and will time out after 60 minutes. You will need to complete the questionnaire and submit your application within 60 minutes or you will lose any information you have entered. Further instructions are provided in the questionnaire.
Applicants who are selected to move forward in the hiring process may be assessed on their knowledge, skills, abilities, competencies and other position related requirements as outlined in the Job Profile at the bottom of the posting. Applications will be accepted until 11:00 am Pacific Time on the closing date of the competition, January 19, 2026. If you are experiencing technical difficulty applying, visit the Technical Assistance page of MyHR.
Only applications submitted in accordance with the application process outlined here and on the Judicial Law Clerk Program website will be accepted. Transcripts and references are an important part of your application package and must be submitted by email by 11:00 am PST, January 19, 2026 as per instructions on our website
DO NOT EMAIL TO CHECK THE STATUS OF YOUR APPLICATION.
IMPORTANT:
Please ensure that you have already created or updated your profile to include your current contact information before clicking the Submit Your Profile button below. No changes can be made after you submit your profile.
To create a profile, click on “Create Profile” at the top of this page.
To update an existing profile, click “Career Centre Login” at the top of this page and follow the instructions.
Review our Program Information, Frequently Asked Questions and Application Process pages
If you are experiencing technical issues with the BC Public Service website, please email BCPSA.Hiring.Centre@gov.bc.bca. Please direct all other enquiries to judiciallawclerkprogram@BCCourts.ca
After submitting your application profile, you will be prompted to fill out a questionnaire. Please allow enough time to do this. You will not be able to go back at a later time to make changes.
By submitting your profile, you certify that all information submitted is true, complete, and correct. Any information provided in your application, any assessment documents or processes, and/or any interview information that is found to be false or misrepresented in any respect may eliminate you from further consideration for employment or may result in dismissal.
Only applications submitted in accordance with the application process outlined on the Judicial Law Clerk Program website will be accepted. Transcripts and references are an important part of your application package and must be submitted by email by 11:00 am PST, January 19, 2026 as per instructions on our website.
