Since 2007, the Provincial Court and the Peter A. Allard School of Law at the University of British Columbia have partnered in a Judicial Externship Program. The program provides an opportunity unique in Canadian law schools for third-year students to spend a term working with Provincial Court judges for credit towards the completion of their law degree. The Court benefits from research assistance not otherwise available.
Students are assigned to a courthouse (or a rotation of courthouses to ensure exposure to all aspects of the Court’s work) and work with judges from Monday through Thursday of each week. Friday mornings are devoted to a workshop held at UBC.
Students receive training from judges on topics including judicial independence, judgment writing, sentencing, Youth Court, and child protection. Students’ work includes research, memorandum preparation, attendance at trials and other judicial processes, and other tasks to assist the judiciary. Students may also have the opportunity to accompany a judge and a court party to a remote registry in B.C. for a “Circuit Court” sitting.
For more information on the Externship program visit the Allard School of Law and search for “Judicial Externship”.
See these eNews articles for more stories and information about the Program and the Circuit Court experience.
• Provincial Court welcomes interns for autumn 2020
• Law student’s choice for most interesting and significant court decision
• Provincial Court Judges invest in the future through work with students
• An intern’s perspective on Circuit Court
• Judging in BC’s Northern Region
• The Dease Lake Circuit Court: bringing justice with humility
• Wanted: Judge, cook, teacher and long distance driver
• Circuit Courts: serving remote communities by plane and boat
• Bella Coola Circuit Court gets warm community welcome
• Circuit Courts - inspiration in Anahim Lake
• Haida Gwaii Circuit Court – community involvement key
• Justice North of 59: B.C.’s most Northern Circuit Court - Atlin, Good Hope Lake and Lower Post
• In Our Ancestors’ Footsteps – Kwadacha and Tsay Keh Circuit Courts and Restorative Justice
• Judging in BC’s Interior Region