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Articling with the BC Prosecution Service

Last updated on December 14, 2020

Articled Student Program

If you would like to learn more about articling with the Ministry of Attorney General, you can visit the Articled Student Program page, or send an email to: AGArticling@gov.bc.ca.

For more information about articling with the BC Prosecution Service please visit the Articles with the Prosecution Service page.

Articling Opportunities in the Northern & Interior Regions of British Columbia

Many BC Prosecution Service (BCPS) offices in B.C.'s Northern and Interior Regions offer articling positions. Due to the smaller office size, these locations often provide articling students with a broader range of experiences which they are unlikely to get in larger offices. Communities in the Northern and Interior Regions are inviting, friendly, and have a lot to offer outside of work. Living there is both affordable and enjoyable. With all that these two regions have to give, we invite you to consider articling and working with the BCPS in B.C.'s Northern and Interior Regions.

Experience & Work-Related Opportunities

Many articled students working in BCPS offices in the Northern and Interior Regions gain experience quickly. A smaller office can often provide articling students and new Crown Counsel the opportunity to work on a variety of prosecutions with varying degrees of complexity. Lawyers who continue on to stay in the North and Interior often move up quickly as they gain experience. Below are some testimonials from Crown Counsel who have gained valuable skills and experience in the short time they have worked in this area:

"I am a Crown in the Prince George office, and I started my career with the BC Prosecution Service here in 2014. The Prince George Crown office is a really great place to work, and since it's not a large office, I have had the opportunity to work on a variety of files including a number of larger, more complex prosecutions. The files I work on are varied, interesting, and challenging, and the office brings together a number of experienced lawyers and legal support staff who are always willing to provide guidance and support!"

A. Norlund
Crown Counsel, Prince George

"I articled with the Prince George Crown office in 2016. I am currently practicing out of the Quesnel office, but I will be moving to a permanent position with the Vanderhoof Crown office shortly. Articling with the Prince George office was an exceptional experience. Many of the Crown in Prince George are very experienced and I had excellent mentors, and being able to network with and learn from them was invaluable. I have been supported and challenged, the files I work on are both varied and engaging, and the experience I have gained so far has been instrumental to my career moving forward. I am very happy with my decision to article and work in the North."

S. O'Connor
Crown Counsel, Quesnel

"Since starting with the Crown in 2013, I have worked in the Terrace and Smithers offices. I enjoy the fast pace of a smaller office and living in a small town. During our day, we could be doing a bail hearing in the morning, a sentencing in the afternoon, and everything else in the middle. The work is varied and our office has carriage of a number of large, serious files. With only four Crown Counsel in the office, we are collegial and are asked to take on difficult trials. One of the best things about being in the Smithers office is the circuit courts, where we get to run court in even smaller communities on a weekly basis."

N. Purewal
Administrative Crown Counsel, Smithers

Accessible & Affordable Real Estate

The real estate market in B.C.'s North and Interior is exceptionally reasonable - even affordable! Purchasing a home in the North and Interior is an attainable goal. For example, the Northern BC Real Estate Board has assessed that the average cost of housing in the North is significantly more affordable than that of the average cost in Vancouver, or across the province generally. Of note, the proportion of median household income needed to cover a single-family home averages 26.8% for Northern BC compared to 125.4% for Vancouver.

What Northern & Interior Communities Have to Offer

Northern and Interior communities with BCPS offices all have something different to offer - each community is unique with a variety of different activities, clubs, and amenities available. Some examples include: skiing and snowboarding at the various resorts, hockey, curling, hiking, kayaking, snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, golf, camping, snowmobiling - just to name a few.

To see what each community offers, see the Northern and Interior Community links at the top right of the page.

Education Opportunities in the North

Having quality educational opportunities in your local community is an important consideration for many. There are a number of colleges and universities throughout the Northern and Interior that offer recognized and accredited educational programs.

The Interior, in addition to various colleges, has at least two university campuses. Thompson Rivers University (TRU), with its main campus located in Kamloops, offers a variety of programs and, according to Maclean's Magazine, is the third-largest university in British Columbia. The University of British Columbia also has an Okanagan campus in Kelowna which offers both undergraduate and graduate programs.

The North has a number of local colleges as well as the University of Northern British Columbia (UNBC), which has its main campus in Prince George. UNBC has consistently ranked at or near the top among Canadian universities of its size by Maclean's. The campus is picturesque and the university offers smaller class sizes which provide enhanced opportunities for students to interact directly with their instructors.