The Women’s Legal Education and Action Fund (LEAF) is a national non-profit organization with a long history of advancing the equality rights of all women, girls, and people who experience gender-based discrimination through litigation, law reform, and education. LEAF National is located in what is now known as Toronto, Ontario, in the Dish with One Spoon Territory.
Position overview
LEAF’s Catalyst Internship will provide a Black law student studying in Canada with the opportunity to gain first-hand experience in feminist advocacy, receive valuable on-the-job training and mentorship, and learn more about advancing substantive equality rights through litigation, law reform, and education.
The student will also be connected with a Black legal scholar and/or practitioner as a mentor to assist with building the student’s confidence and capacity as a future member of the legal profession and/or advocate for Black communities.
The Catalyst Internship will run from May to August 2025 (16 weeks total). The student can work out of LEAF’s National Office in Toronto, remotely, or on a hybrid work arrangement.
Duties and responsibilities
Working with LEAF’s legal team, the Catalyst Intern will have the following duties and responsibilities:
- active involvement in all areas of LEAF’s legal work (litigation, law reform, and public legal education) through legal and academic research, case monitoring, and preparing legal memos and advocacy statements;
- if opportunity permits, the student may be involved in drafting court documents including facta, and may have the opportunity to attend court with LEAF’s legal team; and
- assist with administrative legal tasks, including preparing meeting minutes, and communicating LEAF’s legal work to the public.
Qualifications and experience
- The student must be a first- or second-year law student enrolled in an accredited law school
- The student must self-identify as Black
- Strong legal research and writing skills
- Prior knowledge of constitutional law and feminist legal theory is desirable
- Time-management and organizational skills
- Excellent interpersonal skills
- Self-motivated individual who works well with others
- Good written and oral language skills
- Demonstrated knowledge of LEAF’s mandate and legal activities
- Demonstrated commitment to feminism and social justice
- Proficiency in both English and French is an asset
Compensation
The Catalyst Intern will receive a salary of $16,827 plus 4% pay in lieu of vacation, paid in bi-weekly instalments.
Application process
This program is open to law students who self-identify as Black. We welcome applications from Black students who may also identify as Indigenous (First Nation, Métis, Inuit) Peoples or multi-racial persons.
LEAF welcomes and encourages applications from people with disabilities for all available positions. Where possible, accommodations will be made available upon request for candidates taking part in all aspects of the selection process.
Applications will be accepted by email only. In the subject line of your email application, reference “LEAF Summer Law Student – Catalyst Intern” and your name. Send applications to [email protected].
Please submit the following as a single PDF attachment:
- Your cover letter
- Your curriculum vitae
- A list of up to three academic and/or employment references (contact name, phone number, and email address)
- A list of the courses in which you are currently enrolled
- Your law school transcript (or for first year students, your mid-term grades)
In your cover letter, please ensure that you explain why you would like to work at LEAF in particular, and why you are qualified for the position as tied to the duties, responsibilities, qualifications, and experience listed above.
Please do not submit multiple applications or send additional documents. Please do not use AI tools to create your application.
Applications for this position will be accepted until 11:59 pm EST on January 25, 2026.
Applicants selected for interviews will be notified on February 3, 2026.
Interviews will be held between February 17 and 19, 2026.
We thank all applicants for their interest, but only candidates selected for an interview will be contacted.
This position has been made available through The Law Foundation of Ontario.