Law student summer jobs in Canada: Where to find real experience

If you're wondering whether last summer as a law student was productive or still thinking about what to do next summer, this article is for you. Here, we will discuss law student summer jobs that might pique your interest and make your summer more productive.

Start planning your summer planning – and even your future legal career – with some of the law student summer jobs from the institutions we've listed below.

Where to find law student summer jobs in Canada

Several law firms, law schools, civic organizations, and even the government offer summer jobs for law students. Here are some examples of law student summer jobs that are regularly or currently offered across Canada:

• government offices (federal and provincial):
  • Alberta government's summer law student programs
  • City of Toronto's Legal Services Division
  • Federal Student Work Experience Program (FSWEP)
• law firms:
  • Baker McKenzie's Summer Associate Program
  • Blake's 2026 First Year Summer Law Student
• legal aid clinics, law schools, and law societies:
  • Legal Aid Alberta students program 
  • Legal Aid Ontario's Summer Law Student
  • Queen's Law Clinics
  • Law Society of Alberta's Indigenous Summer Student Program
• on-campus interviews (OCIs): for law students applying for summer jobs in various law firms

We'll go into more detail on these law student summer jobs below. You can also use the table of contents above to go directly to any of them.

You can also check out this post from one of the women's law associations in Canada for summer job postings in 2026:

If you're an aspiring law student, you can go over our list of Canadian law schools, which has all the important details you need before entering law school.

Alberta government's summer law student programs

The Government of Alberta offers two law student summer programs in civil law and criminal law for 1L and 2L students. These programs run from May to August each year.

Civil law

When hired, Alberta Justice's Legal Services division will assign you to teams organized by practice area, such as:

• Aboriginal and Constitutional Law Team
• Employment and Labour Law Team
• Family and Surrogate Court Litigation Team

Interested students can apply through the Government of Alberta's website. If chosen, 1L students will be hired in the winter, while 2L students are hired in the fall.

Criminal law

For criminal law, hired law students can choose one or more locations for summer employment across Alberta. The work varies from court appearances with a lawyer to conducting traffic prosecutions.

If you want to apply to this program, you can check the positions posted on the viLawPortal every fall and winter. Just like the civil law student summer program, 1L students are hired in the winter and 2L students are hired in the fall.

Baker McKenzie's Summer Associate Program

One law firm that offers law student summer jobs is Baker McKenzie. The firm's North America Summer Associate Program runs for 14 weeks, on a non-rotational basis, allowing you to explore your chosen practice area. You can also join the Summer Associate Pro Bono Project during your time under this program.

You can apply for the Summer Associate Program by sending your application to The Student Committee through the viLawPortal. Your application must include:

• cover letter
• complete résumé
• transcripts of law school, undergraduate, and graduate grades

Baker McKenzie says that they do not regularly participate in the articling student recruitment process and only hire articling students from their summer associate class. This means that being hired into this summer program can open the door to future opportunities with the firm.

Check out the summer associates for the 2025 North America Summer Program of Baker McKenzie:

Looking for firms to apply to for a law student summer job? Head over to our Special Reports page, which features a list of the best law firms in Canada.

Blake's 2026 First Year Summer Law Student

Blakes is another law firm offering law student summer jobs, with its 2026 First Year Summer Law Student program. Here, you will complete two rotations and be assigned a mentor in each. There will also be social events that you can participate in.

If interested, you can apply through the viLawPortal by submitting the following documents:

• cover letter
• resume
• law school official transcripts
• other post-secondary official transcripts
• list of proposed upper year courses

City of Toronto's Legal Services Division

Government offices are a go-to not only for those who need legal services, but also for law students looking for employment. An example of this is the City of Toronto's Legal Services Division, which is looking to hire three to six 2L law students for 2026 summer contract positions.

This job opportunity runs from mid-May to mid-August, with a bi-weekly salary of approximately $2,800 for a 13-week contract. Applications are through the viLawPortal, with the following requirements:

• cover letter
• resume
• undergraduate, graduate, and law school transcripts
• one letter of reference

Although the application deadline for 2026 has already passed, the same position may open in 2027.

Federal Student Work Experience Program (FSWEP)

The FSWEP is one of the programs by the Department of Justice for both law and articling students. The other two are the:

• Legal Excellence Program: for articling students, whether in civil law, common law, or in a combined civil/common law national program
• Cooperative Education (Co-op)/Internship Program: for post-secondary students completing their academic program's requirements

In the FSWEP, you can learn about the federal government by working either:

• full-time during a non-academic term (during the summer)
• part-time during an academic term

To be eligible, you must:

• be registered as a full-time student in a secondary or post-secondary accredited academic institution
• meet the minimum age requirement in the province or territory where you will be employed
• return to your full-time studies in the next academic term

If interested, you can apply through the student recruitment system, which is open year-round for other federal departments and agencies.

Law Society of Alberta – Indigenous Summer Student Program

The Indigenous Summer Student Program (ISSP) of the Law Society of Alberta (LSA) is another opportunity for law student summer jobs. Through the ISSP, the LSA connects prospective employers, such as law firms and organizations, with 1L and 2L Indigenous law students.

To be eligible, you must:

• be of First Nations, Inuit, or Métis descent
• have completed 1L or 2L of law school by April of the year being applied for

Eligible 1L and 2L students can apply through the LSA's website.

Legal Aid Alberta students program 

“The LAA has a robust student program and offers several opportunities for law students to gain practical, real-world experience during the summer months and year-round,” says Andrea Doyle, Senior Advisory Counsel at Legal Aid Alberta (LAA). 

Below are the law student summer jobs that LAA currently offers: 

• LAA Summer Students Program: LAA has several summer law student positions in Edmonton and Calgary, where law students spend four months (May to August) getting exposure to child welfare, family, immigration, youth and adult criminal defence, and criminal duty counsel 
• Indigenous Summer Students Program: LAA has participated in the LSA Indigenous Summer Student Program since 2020, where positions are offered in Edmonton and Calgary for a 1L and 2L Indigenous student to spend four months (May to August) working at LAA, getting exposure to child welfare, family, youth and criminal law 

Doyle also provides a list of the other LAA opportunities for law students, even beyond the summertime: 

• articling student positions in Edmonton and Calgary, with four-month rotations in different practice areas 
• low-income law student placements, in partnership with the Edmonton Community Legal Clinic 
• mentorship with Student Legal Services – Family and Civil supervising lawyers in Edmonton 
• Mental Health and the Law student placements, in partnership with University of Alberta's Faculty of Law in the Mental Health and the Law Course 
• Pro Bono Students Canada student placements with the Alberta Court of Justice Emergency Protection Order Program 

Interested law students can learn more about these programs by going to the website of LAA. 

Legal Aid Ontario – Summer Law Student

Legal Aid Ontario (LAO) offers several summer and articling placements. It hires law students for a four-month Summer Law Student position within the province.

Currently, it offers the same position in Pembroke, with a salary of $28.71 per hour. The application period closes on February 24, 2026. Applications can be sent through LAO's website by submitting the following:

• cover letter
• résumé
• law school transcripts (web-based unofficial transcripts or grades listings are acceptable)
• two to three reference letters (work, school, or volunteer related)

Queen's Law Clinics

Queen's University – Faculty of Law is among the several law schools in Ontario that offer law student summer jobs. 1L and 2L students at Queens can apply for the summer employment or course enrolment at its law clinics, such as:

• Business Law Clinic
• Elder Law Clinic
• Family Law Clinic
• Prison Law Clinic
• Queen's Legal Aid

For summer employment, you will work for 14 to 17 weeks from May 2026 through August 2026, with a pay of $21 per hour. Although the deadline for both summer employment and course enrolment for 2026 has already passed, future candidates can expect these law student summer jobs to open next year.

Similar employment opportunities may be available at your law school's legal aid and law clinics.

On-campus interviews (OCIs)

Doing well during on-campus interviews is one way to secure a summer job. However, getting a spot in the OCIs is another matter; it's important that you coordinate with your law school on OCI dates, including application deadlines.

Whether you're hired or not, OCIs can still open up valuable opportunities and learning experiences. For instance, you'll get the hang of how to apply for jobs in the legal world. More importantly, OCIs can be a bridge for another job next summer, or even employment opportunities after you become a lawyer.

Law student summer jobs: Planning the next step of your career

Law student summer jobs are more than a way to fill a few months; they are also opportunities where classroom theory meets client issues, tight timelines, and office life. With the right employer, a summer role can grow into an articling position, a first associate job, or a long-term professional network. As such, now is the time to think carefully about what you want to do next summer.

Bookmark our Legal Education page for more updates on law student summer jobs and other resources to help Canadian law students.