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Law Clerk Program


APPLICATION FOR CLERKSHIP - 2025-2026

Candidates are invited to apply for the position of law clerk to a Judge of the Federal Court of Appeal, the Federal Court and the Court Martial Appeal Court of Canada. (“CMACC”).

There are 61 positions available: 16 with the Federal Court of Appeal, 44 with the Federal Court and 1 with the Court Martial Appeal Court of Canada.

PLACE OF WORK

Ottawa, Ontario.

PERIOD OF EMPLOYMENT

August 5, 2025 to July 24, 2026

SALARY AND BENEFITS

The current salary is $68,666 per annum.

  1. Leave
  2. Other benefits
    • Relocation allowance (amount depends on distance and number of dependents)
    • Dental Plan
      (premiums presently covered by employer)
    • Public Service Health Care Plan (optional - employee and employer contribute)
    • Long Term Disability Insurance (mandatory)
    • Death Benefits (mandatory)
    • Pension Plan (mandatory)

DUTIES

As a law clerk, you will be involved from the moment a party files a proceeding in the Registry, until a decision is ultimately rendered. Working closely with the Chief Justice of the CMACC, a law clerk is called upon to perform the following tasks: (1) conducting initial research on issues before the CMACC; (2) preparing pre-hearing bench memos; (3) conducting post-hearing research as requested; (4) editing judgments/orders; and (5) editing the translated version of the judgment/order.

Regular discussions are held with the Chief Justice and Judges of the CMACC on various legal issues that arise in the cases to which you are assigned.

In addition to the work related to appeals and motions before the CMACC, the law clerk may also be asked to assist with papers and/or speeches given by the Chief Justice at conferences or address other legal issues which arise in relation to the administration of the CMACC.

A law clerk’s employer is the Courts Administration Service, the government body established by law to provide administrative services to the Court Martial Appeal Court of Canada as well as the Federal Court of Appeal, the Federal Court and the Tax Court of Canada.

Working long hours and weekends may be required.

QUALIFICATIONS

  1. Education
    Bachelor of Laws or Juris Doctor or equivalent completed before August 5, 2025. If you went to law school outside of Canada, please visit the following site: www.cicic.ca.
  2. Essential Qualifications
    • Analytical skills
    • Ability to synthesize
    • Ability to conduct research
    • Ability to communicate effectively in writing
  3. Varying language requirements
    Proficiency in one of Canada's official language is mandatory. Proficiency in both official languages is required for certain positions.
  4. Assets
    See Annex A.
  5. Pool
    A pool of qualified candidates may be established as a result of this selection process.
  6. Valid email
    Our preference is to communicate with candidates by e-mail. Therefore, you must include in your application a valid e-mail address that is functional at all times and accepts messages from unknown users.
  7. Employment Equity
    The Public Service of Canada is committed to building a skilled, diverse workforce reflective of Canadian society. As a result, it promotes employment equity and encourages you to indicate voluntarily on your application if you are a woman, an Aboriginal person, a person with a disability or a member of a visible minority group.

    The Public Service of Canada is also committed to developing inclusive, barrier-free selection processes and work environments. If contacted in relation to a job opportunity or testing (including interview), you should advise us in a timely fashion of the accommodation measures which must be taken to enable you to be assessed in a fair and equitable manner. Information received relating to accommodation measures will be addressed confidentially.
  8. Conflict of Interest
    Outside employment or function during the clerkship will be reviewed by a Member of the Court via the Executive Legal Counsel and their consent is necessary in order to continue or accept outside employment. This information should be disclosed prior to signing the letter of offer. By accepting the job offer, you agree to abide by this condition.
  9. Operational Requirements
    • Willing and able to work overtime on short notice.
    • Willing and able to work outside of core hours.
  10. Conditions of Employment
    • The work may require overtime on short notice.
    • The work may require to work outside of core hours.
    • Enhanced secret security clearance. Some positions require top security clearance.
    • Law clerks must reside in the National Capital Region during the clerkship term.

WHO CAN APPLY

Canadian citizens and permanent residents.

HOW TO APPLY

Applicants must use the on-line application system which will be available as of November 24, 2023, on the CMACC web site:

www.cmac-cacm.ca

Candidates must submit their application by 5pm EST on January 16, 2024.

The application must include:

  1. A curriculum vitae;
  2. Copies of transcripts for all your post-secondary studies (except the law school transcript);
  3. A letter explaining why you are seeking the position; and
  4. One sample of legal writing which you have entirely written yourself (maximum of 15 pages).

In addition, we must receive:

  1. Official law school transcripts - the university must send them directly to the administrators of the law clerk program.
  2. Three letters of reference - Applicants will be prompted within the online application system to enter the contact coordinates for their three referees. The referees will then be emailed with instructions on how to upload their reference letter. Reference letters should not be emailed or mailed to the administrators of the law clerk program unless referees are unable to use the online system.

You will not be penalized if your official law school transcript or letters of reference are received after the application deadline. However, we cannot process your application until we have received all necessary documentation.

We are committed to providing an inclusive and barrier-free work environment, starting with the hiring process. If you need to be accommodated during any phase of the evaluation process, please use the Contact information below to request specialized accommodation. All information received in relation to accommodation will be kept confidential.

NOTE: Law school transcripts and letters of recommendation submitted by applicants will not be accepted. Only the first three reference letters received will be accepted.

VISITS AND INTERVIEWS

Judges of the CMACC may visit the law schools to promote the law clerk program in the Fall of 2023. Interviews will take place between February and April 2024.

We thank all applicants for their interest; however, only the candidates selected for an interview will be contacted.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

For further inquiries regarding CMACC clerkships, please contact: Terry Hancock at (343) 551-5523 or by e-mail at clerkship-clericature@cas-satj.gc.ca.

You are also welcome to visit the following Websites:

ARTICLING REQUIREMENT

Certain law societies recognize the law clerkship as fulfilling all or part of their articling requirements. Candidates should verify this with the law society of the jurisdiction in which they will seek admission to practice. Being called to the Bar in any jurisdiction is NOT a requirement for the positions.

FAQ

1. Should I take particular courses if I want to clerk at the CMACC?

The CMACC does not require that clerks take any particular courses. However, given the jurisdiction of the Court, it is helpful to have taken a range of first year and upper-year courses in the fields of Criminal Law and/or Military Law.

2. Do I submit all my documents online?

You are required to upload the following directly within the online application (cover letter, C.V., writing sample and undergraduate/graduate transcripts). Special characters (à, é, ç, ê, etc) should not be used in document titles.

You can upload your undergraduate/graduate transcripts in the online application.  However, your law school transcript MUST be forwarded to us directly by the University Registrar, at the following address:

Terry Hancock
CAS - 7th floor
90 Sparks Street
Ottawa Ontario
K1A 0H9

The University may also email your law school transcript to clerkship-clericature@cas-satj.gc.ca.

The CMACC law clerk program will be using a new online application system this year. Among the changes, applicants will now be prompted within the online application system to enter the contact coordinates for their three referees. The referees will then be emailed with instructions on how to upload their reference letter. Reference letters should not be emailed or mailed to the administrators of the law clerk program unless referees are unable to use the online system.

3. Can I submit my application to multiple courts supported by the Courts Administration Service in one transaction?

Yes, you can. However, please note that you may only do so if you are applying for any of the following courts: Court Martial Appeal Court of Canada, Federal Court of Appeal and Federal Court. This will not be possible if you wish to apply to the Tax Court of Canada.

4. What are the Salary/Benefits that a law clerk is entitled to while clerking?

See section "Salary and Benefits"

5. What are the expectations for reference letters?

If you are applying only to the CMACC, reference letters should be addressed “To the Honourable Chief Justice.”

If you are applying to multiple courts supported by the Courts Administration Service (Federal Court of Appeal, Federal Court, Court Martial Appeal Court of Canada and Tax Court of Canada), reference letters should be addressed “To the Honourable Justices.”

They should be signed and, if possible, submitted on official letterhead. Preferably, your letters of reference will be submitted by professors of law or legal professionals who have supervised your work.

If applying to more than one Court, be aware that the same reference letter will be shared among the Courts. Multiple reference letters written to individual Courts by the same referee will not be considered.

6. If my references or law transcript are received after the deadline, am I disqualified?

You are responsible for submitting a complete online application by 5pm EST on January 16, 2024. This includes the documents you are responsible for - cover letter, C.V., writing sample and undergraduate transcripts. You will not be penalized if your official law school transcript or letters of reference are late. However, be aware that your application cannot be processed until all necessary documentation has been received, including the official law school transcript and reference letters. Judges will only access applications that contain all of the necessary documents.

7. Can I, and should I, submit more than one writing sample?

Submitting two writing samples is warranted only if you submit a sample in each official language.

8. Once my application is complete, what happens next?

Once all the necessary documents have been received and it has been determined that you possess all essential qualifications, your application will appear in a database accessible to the Chief Justice. If you wish to also be considered for a clerkship with the Federal Court of Appeal and/or the Federal Court, you may indicate this by selecting all courts in the database. The Chief Justice will make a selection of interviewees, and interviews will be held from February to April. Once the Supreme Court of Canada has made all of its clerkship offers, the Court Martial Appeal Court of Canada proceeds with its offer. There is an agreement with the Federal Court of Appeal and the Federal Court to issue simultaneous offers. In the event that you receive several offers, you will have time to decide between the Courts.

9. Will I be informed if I am not hired?

Once all the law clerks have been hired, you will be informed that the process is complete.

ANNEX A

ASSETS

Some positions may require one or more assets. Interest, knowledge or experience in one or several of the following areas of law could be an asset:

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