Twenty-eight law students will be selected to work as judicial law clerks at the Superior Court of Justice for the 2028–2029 articling year.

Qualifications of a Judicial Law Clerk

The court seeks applicants who possess strong academic records, excellent legal research and writing skills, and the ability to produce high-quality work under strict deadlines.

Clerkships are reserved for student candidates seeking to fulfil the articling requirements from the provincial law society (or analogous students from Lakehead University or Toronto Metropolitan University enrolled in the Integrated Practice Curriculum). The court only considers applicants who are in their second year of a 3-year program or their third year of a 4-year program. Clerkship positions are not intended for individuals who have already been called to the bar.

The Office of the Chief Justice is committed to building a diverse workforce. The court encourages people from diverse backgrounds, with varied life experiences and who are members of equity-seeking groups to apply. This includes those who identify as Indigenous, racialized, 2SLGBTQIA+, or as having a disability. We are dedicated to fostering a respectful and inclusive workplace.

Clerkship Locations

Clerkships are spread across the province in the court’s eight judicial regions:

You may apply for more than one region. If applying for more than one region, please submit a single application and indicate in your cover letter the order of your preferred regions.

If applying to a region with more than one work location (for example, in the Southwest Region where the work locations include London and Windsor), candidates should also indicate in the cover letters the order of the preferred work locations or whether they do not wish to apply for a particular work location.

Your chances of getting your first choice are not impacted by applying for more than one region.

Applications for each region are considered separately.

There are two (2) dedicated positions for bilingual clerks in Toronto and Ottawa. Please indicate in your cover letter if you are applying for a bilingual position and follow the steps below for including bilingual application materials. Bilingualism is an asset in all other locations.

The Application Process

Clerkship applications are due by 5:00 pm on Friday, January 15, 2027. Late applications will not be accepted.

Candidates for the 2028-2029 year should submit their application through the VI Law Portal (viRecruitPortal). In the VI Portal, select “Superior Court Clerkship” for location. Note, as the VI Portal purges their systems on December 1st each year, do not submit any application materials until after December 14, 2026.

If for technical reasons applicants are unable to submit their application materials through the VI Law Portal, please email your materials to SCJ.clerkship@ontario.ca.

Candidates must submit the following materials with their applications:

1. a cover letter. The cover letter must indicate your preferred region (or the order of preference if you are applying for more than one region – see the section on “Clerkship Locations” above);
2. a current resume;
3. one legal writing sample (maximum 10 pages). Your writing sample should not exceed 10 pages, but it is permissible to submit an excerpt from a longer document. Your writing sample demonstrate your knowledge of legal issues within the court’s jurisdiction;
4. two letters of reference referring to your research and communication skills (please note: if a referee has requested that a letter of reference remain sealed, it may be sent by email to clerkship@ontario.ca or regular mail to the address found on our website); and
5. official transcripts for all post-secondary studies (originals not required, as these can be downloaded with application materials to VI Law Portal or sent to clerkship@ontario.ca when available). If official transcripts for the fall term are not available by the application deadline of January 15, indicate in your cover letter when they will be available and forward a copy as soon as they are released. Students may wish to include an unofficial copy of any mid-term marks. Students must submit an updated copy of their transcript to complete their application.

In addition, applicants for the dedicated bilingual positions in Ottawa and Toronto must:

1. submit a cover letter in French and another in English (one can be a translation of the other); and
2. in addition to one legal writing sample in English (maximum 10 pages), submit one legal writing sample (maximum 10 pages) in French (one can be a translation of the other or they can be different texts).

Cover letters and letters of reference should be addressed “To the Honourable Justices”.

Interviews

Interviews will take place in February and March 2027. Candidates may be invited to interview in more than one region. Applications for each region are considered separately.

Interviews in each region are held on different days. With the exception of the Northeast and Northwest regions, where interviews are held virtually, interviews in the remaining regions are held in person.

The SCJ is an accessible employer and offers accommodation in all aspects of employment, including in the recruitment process. If you are contacted for an interview, please let the court know of any accommodation required to support your full access and participation in a fair and equitable manner. Information received relating to accommodation measures will be treated confidentially.

Interviews are typically conducted by at least one judge and counsel from the Office of the Chief Justice. They last approximately 25 minutes.