Articled Clerk Positions

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NOVA SCOTIA LEGAL AID COMMISSION

ARTICLED CLERK POSITIONS

 

Type of Employment: 1-Year Articled Clerk Term
Positions: One (1) position available for 2026-27; three (3) positions available for 2027-28
Salary: $49,012.60*
Closing Date: Monday, January 19, 2026

Who We Are:
The Nova Scotia Legal Aid Commission (NSLAC) delivers quality legal aid services throughout the Province, providing some level of help to all Nova Scotians with a focus on assisting those who are systematically disadvantaged. NSLAC’s focus is in the practice areas of criminal, family, and social justice law.

NSLAC employs staff in 25 offices and 3 sub-offices throughout the Province. Our staff are comprised of Staff Lawyers, Legal Assistants, Paralegals, Court Support Workers, Social Workers, a Social Justice Support Worker, and a Prison Law Support Worker. Our staff help thousands of clients every year. We are committed to helping overcome historical and ongoing barriers to accessing justice and our Staff Lawyers have litigated many important cases to protect the rights of individuals.

At Nova Scotia Legal Aid, you’ll gain hands-on experience in a collaborative, client-focused environment while helping ensure legal support is available to those who need it most.

We value a workplace where diversity, in all its forms, is encouraged and recognized for its contribution to a more creative, rewarding workplace that is representative, at all job levels, of the citizens and communities we serve. We welcome applications from individuals of all backgrounds, including those from historically underrepresented and equity-deserving groups such as Indigenous Peoples, African Nova Scotians and other racialized individuals, persons with disabilities, members of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community, and women in underrepresented roles. If you are a member of one or more of these equity groups, you are encouraged to self-identify in your electronic application, cover letter, or resume.

Positions Available:
This posting is for the following:

One (1) Articled Clerk position (location TBD) is open for the period from June 1, 2026, to May 31, 2027 (not designated). Three (3) Articled Clerk positions (locations TBD) are open for the period from June 1, 2027, to May 31, 2028, with one of these positions designated for a graduate of the Indigenous Blacks and Mi’kmaq Initiative (IB&M Initiative) at the Schulich School of Law. However, we also welcome applications from all individuals belonging to equity-deserving groups such as Mi’kmaq and Indigenous Peoples, African Nova Scotians and other racialized individuals, persons with disabilities, members of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community, and women. These applications will be considered if a successful candidate is not found within the IB&M Initiative.

Closing Date:

Monday, January 19, 2026 (applications are accepted until 11:59 PM Atlantic Standard Time).

Primary Functions:

Reporting to the Principal Lawyer and under the direction of Staff Lawyers, Articled Clerks will perform duties in accordance with the work plan prepared with their appointed Principal, as per the guidelines outlined by the Nova Scotia Barristers’ Society (NSBS). Articled Clerks will gain knowledge of the day-to-day operations of the NSLAC and assist lawyers working on behalf of our clients. Additionally, Articled Clerks will do short rotations in all NSLAC core practice areas (family, criminal [including duty counsel, youth, and mental health legal services], and social justice law).

Benefits:

  • Annual salary of $49,012.60* (please note rate of pay may be subject to change for 2027-28).
  • Paid enrollment fees as an Articled Clerk.
  • Paid enrollment fees in the Practice Readiness Education Program (PREP), including materials.
  • Paid fees for Application for Admission to the NSBS and paid cost of the Bar Admission Dinner.
  • Blue Cross Group Medical and Dental Plan (provided length of contract meets our minimum standard of one year).
  • Three (3) weeks of paid vacation per year.
  • General Illness leave (employees are entitled to a maximum of 126 hours per year as per our policy. They may also use the general illness bank for medical and dental appointments if required)
  • Reimbursement of mileage and other expenses while conducting NSLAC business.
  • Entitled to 12.5 paid statutory and other holidays per year.

At NSLAC, we recognize the value of lived experience and understand that academic performance is not the only indicator of future success.  If you believe that your non-academic challenges and achievements make you an ideal candidate, please tell us about them.

If you want to be a member of a team that is highly experienced, very caring, dedicated and committed to their clients, we would like to hear from you. Please send your resume, cover letter, and law school transcript to NSLA-Careers@nslegalaid.ca. Please indicate the position title in the email subject line.

To avoid duplicate applications, if you are participating in the Virtual Campus Interviews through Dalhousie or UNB Law, you are asked to submit your application through that process only (i.e., via the UNB Law Careers Portal).

NSLAC is committed to the full inclusion of all qualified individuals. As part of this commitment, NSLAC will ensure that Persons with Disabilities are provided reasonable accommodations for the hiring process. If accommodation is needed, please let us know when we call you for an interview.

While we appreciate receiving all applications, only applicants selected for an interview will be contacted.  All applications will be held in strict confidence.