At LAA, students get hands on, real-life experience and insight into the realities of what many disadvantaged Albertans encounter on a daily basis.
Legal Aid Alberta’s student initiatives are constantly developing and growing with new opportunities to engage the future leaders of access to justice.
LAA places great value in student initiatives. Students receive training to maximize their potential, build a solid foundation of understanding the law itself and the practice of the law, with an inside look at LAA as an organization.
Since 2019, seven articling students from previous years have joined LAA as full-time staff lawyers. Currently, LAA has three articling students at our Edmonton and Calgary law offices. For the upcoming 2023 – 2024 articling year, two students in Edmonton and two students in Calgary will have the opportunity to join the LAA ranks.
Demand for summer student opportunities is higher than ever. In response, LAA is expanding its summer 2023 work opportunities with more positions available in Edmonton and Calgary.
Throughout the year, articling students get exposure to family law, criminal duty counsel and an opportunity to work with the Criminal Trial Group. Students get hands on, real-life experience and insight into the realities of what many disadvantaged Albertans encounter each day.
Students are afforded a unique opportunity to gain insight into the challenges faced by our clients. Client challenges go beyond being low-income and in conflict with the law. Homelessness, addictions, mental health concerns, domestic violence and language barriers are just some of the other complexities that clients experience.
As the future generation of access to justice, law students gain critical knowledge and understanding to incorporate into their practice.
Student involvement at LAA goes far beyond our articling program. LAA has partnered with the University of Alberta’s Faculty of Law to offer students opportunities for hands-on education through its Low Income and the Law Program.
Since 2020, LAA has participated in the Law Society of Alberta’s Indigenous Summer Student Program.
Additionally, LAA offers supervision and support for a variety of programs, including the Student Legal Services’ Family and Civil projects in Edmonton and Pro Bono Students Canada in collaboration with the University of Calgary’s Faculty of Law. We are actively building community partnerships with a variety of programs to attract students for future employment with LAA.
LAA embraces the opportunity to train and mentor young legal minds and recruit for future employment with our team.
LAA students are eager, passionate and committed to pursuing access to justice. Students bring ideas, recent academic training and diverse perspectives, while also benefiting from the expertise of knowledgeable, experienced staff lawyers – many of whom act as Articling Principals and supervisors.
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