USask Law alum selected for Supreme Court of Canada clerkship
Emma Neufeld (JD’25) secures a coveted placement with the Supreme Court of Canada Law Clerk Program.
It was a Friday morning in late February when Emma Neufeld, a 2025 graduate from the University of Saskatchewan College of Law (USask Law), received a phone call that would set a new course for her legal career.
While sitting in the library at the Court of Appeal for Saskatchewan, where she is currently clerking, Neufeld noticed her phone light up with an Ottawa-area number. On the other end of the line was retiring Supreme Court of Canada Justice Sheilah L. Martin, offering Neufeld the opportunity to clerk with her successor for the 2027–2028 term.
Neufeld was ecstatic upon receiving the offer. “I think I blacked out during the call . . . I was just so excited.” She immediately ran down the hall to share the news with her colleagues and the court’s judges.
For each one-year term, every Supreme Court judge selects three clerks based on strong academic achievement, excellent research and writing skills, and diverse perspectives and experiences. The program does not consider regional representation, meaning selection is based purely on merit. During the 2026–27 application cycle, the Court received 172 applications and selected only 27 candidates. Of those, 96.3 per cent had prior clerkship experience.
The rigorous hiring process for the law clerk program begins more than a year before the term starts. Applications open in fall and by January candidates must submit a cover letter, curriculum vitae, four reference letters, and, if applying as a bilingual candidate, a writing sample in both English and French. Selected applicants are interviewed by either an individual judge or a panel, after which offers are made to successful candidates.
“I had lots of support during the application process from family and friends, professors at the college, judges at the Court of Appeal, former clerks, and clerks who are beginning their term soon,” said Neufeld. “The support and guidance I’ve received has made a big difference. I’m so grateful.”
Though she had long been interested in clerking, she also knew how difficult the positions are to land. “When I started law school, it was something that I thought would be such a cool experience, but I didn't know if it was attainable,” said Neufeld, who earned the Law Society of Saskatchewan Bronze Medal for achieving the third-highest average in her graduating class.
She credits her time at USask Law with providing a strong foundation for pursuing clerkship opportunities, particularly through her involvement in the college’s French Common Law Option, earning her Certification in Common Law in French (CCLF), as part of her Juris Doctor degree.
While Neufeld was completing her CCLF, she received strong encouragement to apply for an SCC clerkship from then-director of the program, Justice Caroline Magnan. Justice Magnan, who was appointed to the Alberta Court of King’s Bench in March 2025, offered significant support throughout Neufeld’s application process, as did USask Law associate professor Sarah Burningham, says Neufeld.
That encouragement continued with judges at the Court of Appeal being quick to offer their support to Neufeld. She additionally drew confidence from the valuable experience gained during her internship with Justice Georgina R. Jackson, which she completed while attending law school. This, combined with her sense of determination, reinforced her decision to apply.
“It’s such a unique opportunity that I knew I couldn’t pass it up. I wanted to throw my hat in the ring and see if it was something that I could achieve.”
Before beginning her SCC clerkship in summer 2027, Neufeld will attend the University of Toronto, where she will pursue a Master of Laws program. In the meantime, she will complete her current clerkship at the Court of Appeal, a role she holds in especially high regard.
“Getting the chance to work closely with the judges has been so wonderful. I’ve learned so much from them and from the staff.”
Neufeld now joins more than 20 USask Law graduates who have clerked at the Supreme Court of Canada:
- Isabelle Maclean (JD’22)
- Corbin Golding (JD’22)
- Levi Graham (JD’21)
- Mackenzie Stewart (JD’20)
- Allyse Cruise (JD’20)
- Katherine Starks (JD’19)
- Craig Mracek (JD’16)
- Julia Kindrachuk (JD’16)
- Michelle Biddulph (JD’14)
- Robert Martz (JD’10)
- Kristen MacDonald (JD’11)
- Zoe Oxaal (LLB'06)
- Mark Prescott (LLB'01)
- Dwight Newman, KC (JD’99)
- Brent Kraus (JD’98)
- April Grosse (LLB'97)
- Randal Van de Mosselaer (JD’92)
- Kay Young (LLB'84)
- Bob Leurer (LLB'84)
- Bob Richards (LLB'79)
- Henry Kloppenburg (LLB'71)
- Susan Gibson (LLB'69)
If you are missing from this list, please email law.alumni@usask.ca.