Applications open for rural and regional clinical experience for students
Students at the University of Saskatchewan College of Law (USask Law) can apply now for a new experiential learning opportunity – the Rural and Regional Legal Externship.
In this pilot program, 2L and 3L (second and third year) students can choose a semester-long clinical experience in a rural legal setting at a Legal Aid Saskatchewan (LAS) or Public Prosecutions office.
The externship is being offered in both Term 1 and Term 2 starting this fall and a $6500 stipend is available for participating students.
Applications for Term 1 will be accepted until Monday, Aug. 19. Application deadline for Term 2 is Monday, Nov. 18.
During their placement, students will work with a principal/mentor and perform a variety of hands-on tasks, such as:
- meeting with clients, including correctional centre visits
- reviewing disclosure and preparing documents
- researching legal matters
- attending court (youth court, therapeutic court, Court of King’s Bench, Provincial Court of Saskatchewan), as well as experience other court initiatives such as Judicial Case Conferences and mediation
The Rural and Regional Externship is a partnership between USask Law, Public Prosecutions, Legal Aid Saskatchewan and the Saskatchewan Ministry of Justice.
Public Prosecutions is offering student placements for the Rural and Regional Legal Externship program in La Ronge, North Battleford, Yorkton, Melfort, and Swift Current.
Law students in the program will have the chance to work directly with an experienced Crown Prosecutor to gain first-hand knowledge about the practice of adult and youth criminal law in Provincial Court and Court of King’s Bench. The program offers insight into building relationships with justice partners and the career opportunities available for prosecutors in rural and northern communities.
At Legal Aid, participants will have the potential to work in both family law and criminal law. The experience will allow them to gain a deeper understanding of various legal challenges specific to rural communities.
“LAS has six rural area offices that are prepared to take a law student for this program, including Battlefords, Prince Albert, Moose Jaw, Yorkton, Melfort and Estevan,” explains Joanne Khan, Practice Management Counsel at Legal Aid Saskatchewan. “In addition, students will have an opportunity to spend a week in LAS’s Northern Area Office where they will experience legal matters in northern jurisdictions.”
“We are pleased to partner with the College of Law to expand the range of practical work placements for credit and, we hope, eventually attract the best and brightest graduates to Public Prosecutions, the Ministry of Justice and Legal Aid,” Justice Minister and Attorney General Bronwyn Eyre said when the government announced it was investing $100,000 in the program.
“This new, diverse range of placements will promote legal careers in the public sector, including in rural Saskatchewan, improve access to justice and build important professional capacity for the future,” she added.
Expanding experiential learning opportunities for its students is a priority for the College of Law.
“The practice of law is increasingly interdisciplinary and requires graduates who are adaptable, innovative, and collaborative," said Martin Phillipson, dean of the college. “Practical learning experiences build and enhance students’ skills and capacity, preparing them for a career in a complex and ever-changing legal profession. We appreciate the government’s support and its commitment to the future development of the legal profession in Saskatchewan.”
More information about the program is available on the College of Law website or by emailing the college’s experiential learning coordinator, Stephanie Marshall, at law.EL@usask.ca
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