Solicitor Rotations

Office of the Assistant Deputy Attorney General (ADAG)

Rotation length: 4-8 weeks (6 weeks recommended)

The office of the ADAG provides executive leadership, management and direction to staff in LSB. The Executive Leadership Team includes the ADAG, the Chief of Legal Strategy, and the Chief of Legal Operations.

The ADAG reports to the Deputy Attorney General and is accountable for all legal services provided to the Government of British Columbia. These include civil matters (both legal advice and legal opinions), the negotiation and drafting of agreements, the representation of the Government of British Columbia before courts and tribunals and the drafting of legislation and regulations.

Lawyers in the ADAG’s office provide advice to the Premier, the Premier’s office, cabinet, cabinet operations and other government ministries and agencies. They also assist the ADAG with strategic planning, knowledge management and special projects.

Articled students participating in a rotation in the ADAG’s office will assist with these functions. They may:

• conduct research and write on a variety of legal and policy issues;
• assist with the Branch's reporting obligations; and
• participate in meetings in relation to the functions of the ADAG’s office and its lawyers.

Students should: expect diverse assignments; be prepared to manage their time and workload; and approach the rotation with the flexibility to assist with a wide range of duties.

Central Services Group

Rotation length: 6-8 weeks

The Central Services Group specializes in core areas  of law that are integral to the operations of the B.C. Government, including:

• freedom of information and privacy;
• government finance and risk management;
• crown corporation governance;
• procurement and trade;
• information management and government records;
• information technology and data security;
• intellectual property;
• general corporate and commercial matters;
• employment and labour; and
• complex corporate, commercial, real property, government to government, and technology transactions.

Legal staff in the Central Services Group provide legal services to key ministries and areas within government that provide centralized services to broader government, including specifically:

• Ministry of Citizen’s Services
• Ministry of Finance
• Ministry of Jobs, Economic Recovery and Innovation
• Ministry of Tourism, Arts, Culture and Sport and Destination BC
• Information management branches in other ministries

Central Services Group legal staff also work closely with and support colleagues across LSB who are providing legal services within their respective legal groups.

A student on rotation with the Central Services Group may have the opportunity to:

• draft and review various legal documents related to the core areas of law listed above;
• attend meetings with clients or other counsel;
• draft memos and research diverse and complex legal matters;
• draft submissions and affidavits for inquiries before the Information and Privacy Commissioner;
• interpret and contribute to the development of legislation; and
• draft submissions for and/or attend labour arbitration hearings.

Office of Legislative Counsel

Rotation length: 4-6 weeks

The Office of Legislative Counsel (OLC) includes different groups that provide legislative services to the government. The students would primarily work with the members of the OLC who work as Legislative Counsel (sometimes referred to as drafters). The goals are to improve students’ understanding of the legislative process and statutory interpretation and to introduce students to the issues that arise from a drafter’s perspective when giving legal effect to government policy through the drafting of bills, regulations and other instruments. These are all important skills for any lawyer.

The OLC is responsible for the following:

• drafting government bills and amendments to bills;
• drafting regulations and reviewing regulations and orders in council before they are enacted;
• receiving regulations for deposit under the Regulations Act;
• in co-operation with the King’s Printer, preparing the statutes and regulations for publication; and
• providing a repository for orders in council and providing other services that involve liaison with the Office of the Lieutenant Governor.

Students on rotation with the OLC might be asked to:

• participate in OLC staff or Legislative Counsel meetings;
• participate in drafting meetings with Legislative Counsel, policy officials and LSB solicitors;
• draft amendments to Acts or regulations, or a revision to Acts or regulations;
• draft or review Orders in Council;
• provide advice to enacting authorities respecting proposed regulations and Orders in Council;
• review and provide Legislative Counsel advice to Cabinet on Requests for Legislation;
• contribute to advice on matters of statutory interpretation or parliamentary procedure;
• prepare internal research memos;
• research statutory authority for regulations and Orders in Council; and
• research legislation of other jurisdictions.

Justice Services Branch

Rotation length: 6-8 weeks in either PLD or FPLTD

*Students may choose up to two external rotations

Justice Services Branch (JSB) is responsible for government policy direction, legislation and law reform, and all provincial government family justice programs and services. Students may choose a rotation in either of the Policy and Legislation Division (PLD) or the Family Policy, Legislation and Transformation Division (FPLTD).

Policy and Legislation Division

PLD develops civil and criminal justice policy and leads the development and implementation of the ministry’s core legislation program. The division delivers on government legislation and regulations relating to all enactments for which the Attorney General is responsible under the Constitution Act.

PLD leads BC’s domestic and international human rights legislation and policy and reports out on BC’s obligations under treaties Canada has entered into. PLD is also leading the Province’s participation in judicial compensation commissions and related discussions, as well as providing direction to litigation counsel. PLD holds responsibility for many of BC’s democracy statutes including the Election Act and the Electoral Boundaries Commission Act, and the enabling legislation for many Officers of the Legislature including the Ombudsperson and Conflict of Interest Commissioner.

PLD also provides ongoing policy development and project support in the areas of:

• Alignment of laws within the Attorney General's mandate with UNDRIP;
• Civil and criminal justice, including access to justice;
• Support to the Independent Investigations Office;
• National criminal law reform, including Federal/Provincial/Territorial linkages;
• The specialized courts strategy; and
• General law reform through the Uniform Law Conference of Canada.

Family Policy, Legislation and Transformation Division

FPLTD is responsible for private family justice policy and legislation, and may be of particular interest to students with an interest in family law.

FPLTD leads legislative amendment and reform projects regarding the following private family law statutes and associated regulations: the Family Law Act; the Family Maintenance Enforcement Act; and the Interjurisdictional Support Orders Act. FPLTD provides policy support to ministry executive and the Attorney General throughout the legislative process.

FPLTD has responsibility for developing and leading the ministry’s family justice transformation strategy, to improve the public’s access to information and services related to family justice. FPLTD provides as-needed policy support to the ministry’s Family Justice Services Division and Maintenance Enforcement and Locate Services.

FLPTD also participates as ministry representatives on Federal / Provincial / Territorial committees and working groups related to family justice policy and legislation.

Students rotating through FPLTD have worked on the following:

• caselaw and legal research related to family law;
• projects related to family rules of procedure;
• projects related to families experiencing family violence;
• projects that aim to support families in resolving their family law issues in less adversarial ways;
• policy and law reform development related to family law;
• user and service design projects (for example, previous students worked on the development of the informal trial pilot project); and
• supporting work with stakeholders and partners on family justice reform including Access to Justice BC, the bar, mediators, the judiciary and indigenous organizations.