The Women’s Legal Education and Action Fund (LEAF) is a national non-profit organization with a longstanding history dedicated to advancing the equality rights of women and girls through litigation, law reform and education. Our National Office is based in downtown Toronto, Ontario.
Position Overview
LEAF is hiring a summer law student from May to August 2020. This position will provide a qualified student with the opportunity to gain first-hand experience in feminist legal advocacy, receive valuable on-the-job training and learn more about advancing the equality rights of women through litigation, law reform and education.
The summer student will work with LEAF’s legal program generally and also provide support to the Project Director of LEAF’s Feminist Strategic Litigation Project.
Duties and Responsibilities
- The summer student will be involved in all areas of LEAF’s legal work: litigation, law reform, and public legal education.
- The summer student will be actively involved in legal and academic research, case monitoring, and preparing legal memos.
- If opportunity permits, the summer student may be involved in drafting court documents including facta, and may have the opportunity to attend court with LEAF’s legal team.
- The summer student will assist the Feminist Strategic Litigation Project Director with the following tasks:
- Planning for a Fall 2020 conference on using the law to advance gender equality; and
- Providing research and analysis to support the creation of LEAF’s new five-year Feminist Strategic Litigation Plan.
- The summer student will assist with administrative legal tasks, including filing, docketing, preparing meeting minutes, and communicating LEAF’s legal work to the public.
Qualifications & Experience
- Law student enrolled in accredited law school
- Strong legal research and writing skills
- Prior knowledge of constitutional law and feminist legal theory is desirable
- Strong time-management and organizational skills
- Warmth, excellent interpersonal skills
- Self-motivated individual who works well with others
- Good written and oral language skills
- Knowledge of LEAF’s mandate and legal activities
- Demonstrated commitment to feminism and social justice
Compensation: $20.00 per hour plus 4% vacation pay, 36.25 hours per week
How to Apply:
LEAF encourages applications from candidates who reflect the diversity of our communities. Applications will be accepted by email only. In the subject line of your email application, reference “LEAF Summer Law Student” and your name.
Please submit the following as a single attachment: your cover letter, your curriculum vitae, a list of three academic and/or employment references (contact name, phone number and email address), and a list of the courses you are currently enrolled in to [email protected].
Please also include your law school transcript as part of your application.
LEAF is an equity employer and we encourage applications from all qualified individuals including women, persons with disabilities, BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and People of Colour) candidates, and people of all sexual orientations and gender identities.
Applications should be submitted in Word format or PDF. Please do not submit multiple applications or send additional documents.
Applications for this position will be accepted until 11:59 pm EST on January 31, 2020. Applicants selected for interviews will be notified on or before February 10, 2020.
We thank all applicants for their interest, but only candidates selected for an interview will be contacted. No telephone enquiries please.
