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.

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

Recent significant cases Legal Service Branch lawyers have conducted

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

  • Carter v Canada (Attorney General), [2015] 1 SCR 331, 2015 SCC 5
    • Leading decision on physician assisted suicide
  • Vancouver (City) v Ward, [2010] 2 SCR 28, 2010 SCC 27
    • Leading case on Charter Damages in Canada
  • Li v British Columbia, 2017 BCSC 1616
    • Constitutional challenge to the additional transfer tax on foreign purchasers of residential property.
    • The court found the dominant purpose of the tax provisions was the affordability of housing in certain areas of the province.
  • Cambie Surgeries v Medical Services Commission, 2022 BCCA 245
    Constitutional challenge to provisions of the Medicare Profession Act. Supreme Court of Canada decision on application for leave to appeal is pending.
  • 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 motor vehicle changes on whether the Province can move minor injury claims to the Civil Resolution Tribunal.
    • There is also the challenge to Enhanced Care, but I don’t think there is any interim decision that we could reference.
  • Yahey v British Columbia
    • Challenge to the cumulative impacts of development on Treaty 8 territory.