The Articling Student Work

What type of work will I do?

It would be impossible to list all the opportunities available to students during their articles with Legal Services Branch (LSB). If you can think of an area of law, LSB likely has an expert in that area and you can gain experience in it.

To aid in their professional development, students are given opportunities to work in any of our legal practice groups, draft legal memoranda and contracts, as well as advocate for the government’s positions in court. Students will gain experience by working with legal counsel on complex matters while also independently managing conduct of a selection of their own legal files with constant access to support.

Former students have also been given opportunities to:

• Draft leave submissions for the Supreme Court of Canada
• Appear alongside counsel in the BC Court of Appeal and BC Supreme Court
• Engage with clients directly though client meetings
• Participate in mediations and settlements of various actions
• Have primary conduct (with support) of small claims files
• Participate in ministerial briefings

What skills will I learn during my articles?

We are confident that students will learn the skills needed to thrive in the practice of law. These skills include, but are not limited to:

• Communication with professional staff
• Communication with opposing counsel
• Effective legal drafting
• Legislative drafting and interpretation
• Client interaction
• Advocacy before courts and tribunals
• Legal research
• Effective problem solving

Continuing Education Program

The professional development of our students is guided by our continuing legal education program which includes sessions on communication with professional staff and opposing counsel, effective legal drafting, legislative drafting and interpretation, advocacy skills, legal research and effective problem solving. We also offer substantive sessions on topics such as mental health in the workplace, practice management techniques, professionalism and networking, all of which we think are critical to well-rounded lawyers.

Recent significant cases Legal Service Branch lawyers have conducted

The below cases are examples of the types of cases that LSB lawyers have been involved in:

• Li v British Columbia, 2021 BCCA 256
  • Constitutional challenge to the additional transfer tax on foreign purchasers of residential property.
• Cambie Surgeries v Medical Services Commission, 2022 BCCA 245
  • Constitutional challenge to provisions of the Medicare Profession Act.
• Beaudoin v. British Columbia (Attorney General), 2022 BCCA 427
  • Constitutional challenge to COVID-19 public health orders made by the Provincial Health Officer.
• Trial Lawyers Association of British Columbia v AGBC
  • Constitutional challenge to the Province’s decision to move jurisdiction over certain motor vehicle accident claims to the Civil Resolution Tribunal.
• Yahey v British Columbia
  • Challenge to the cumulative impacts of development on Treaty 8 territory.