SA1L Student Information
A law degree opens doors to a world of opportunity, but a as first year student you may feel uncertain about what your career path will look like and how you’ll get there. We created the Summer After 1L Program (SA1L) to help. Your placement will allow you to build invaluable professional law-related experience and gain exposure to an area of practice that will broaden your understanding of legal career options and help guide your future choices.
What are the participation requirements for SA1L?
Applicants must be current 1L students at Western Law. All participants in SA1L will be required to complete an anti-oppression and cultural sensitivity module before beginning the program.
What types of placement opportunities are available through SA1L?
Placements available through the SA1L program fall into four categories: positions through the Western Law Internship Program (WLIP); positions at the clinics at Western Law; research assistant positions; and external positions at community agencies, advocacy organizations and firms that were created for SA1L. Please note that each program has different deadlines and requirements.
Western Law Internship Program (WLIP)
Through WLIP you may intern with international organizations, non-governmental and Indigenous organizations, and private industries. Since its inception in 2006, WLIP has grown to provide up to 15 internships annually in the areas of international law, environmental law, business and finance law, Indigenous law, access to justice and sport law. Short-listed candidates participate in an interview as part of a competitive selection process. Internships are 10-12 weeks and occur between May and the beginning of August. Read more about WLIP.
Western Law offers students the opportunity to develop practical skills and gain valuable hands-on legal experience through various clinics and programs that support the community, including Community Legal Services (CLS), the Dispute Resolution Centre (DRC), Pro Bono Students Canada (PBSC), the Sport Solution Clinic (SSC), the Western Business Law Clinic (WBLC) and the Western Intellectual Property & Innovation Legal Clinic (WIPILC). Read more about the clinics at Western Law.
Research Assistant Positions
As a research assistant, you’ll have the opportunity to support Western Law’s world class faculty in their research initiatives and benefit from their direct mentorship. Western Law’s faculty have a broad range of legal expertise from human rights to corporate law, criminal law, and even outer-space law; to learn more about faculty research interests, visit our faculty information page.
External Placements
We’ve focused on partnering with host community agencies, advocacy organizations and firms doing important work in their respective areas of the law, under the broad categories of public interest, social justice, and human rights. We believe that as the world evolves, law and its practitioners need to do the same. We want to contribute to that evolution by positioning our future lawyers as change agents—courageous, ethical, imaginative, and socially responsible. There are also a limited number of placements in the areas of private/civil law, in-house counsel, business, international law, labour and employment law, intellectual property, and criminal law. Partner organizations include: Black Legal Action Centre, Human Rights Legal Support Centre, Income Security Advocacy Centre, and Mothers Against Drunk Driving.
What are the key dates and deadlines?
Clinics at Western Law
January 25 – February 1: Accepting applications on WERC for all clinics (Community Legal Services (CLS), Dispute Resolution Centre (DRC), Pro Bono Students Canada (PBSC), Sport Solution Clinic (SSC), Western Business Law Clinic (WBLC), Western Intellectual Property & Innovation Legal Clinic (WIPILC)
February 1: Applications are due @ midnight
February 15: Some clinics will begin extending offers. Remaining clinics will extend offers starting in mid-March
Note: Positions run from May – August but the employment terms vary depending on the clinic.
Research Assistant and External Placements
January 19: Invitations to apply
February 19: Application deadline
March 15: Award notification
May 1: Earliest commencement date
June 12: Latest commencement date
August 21-25: Final Week of SA1L Program
Western Law Internship Program (WLIP)
Applications are now closed for the Western Law Internship program for 2024.
How does the application and selection process work?
As we work to establish new systems and processes for SA1L, students will continue to apply for clinic positions and the WLIP Program through the existing platforms following the existing schedule for those programs.
Western Law Internship Program (WLIP)
Note: Applications for Summer 2024 internships are now closed.
Applications will be open from January 25 – February 1, 2024 via the WERC platform. Successful applicants will be invited for interviews. Watch the SLS Daily for details.
Applications for clinic positions are separate from the application for research assistants or external placements. You must apply separately to be considered for both.
Research Assistant and External Placements
The application and section process for research assistant and external placements will be as follows:
- Sign into Western Connect: https://connect.uwo.ca/logins/student.htm
- Select Internship/Co-op in the left navigation menu
- Within Intern/Co-op home, select Apply to a Program at the top right of the page
- Select Apply below Faculty of Law
- Upload unofficial grade transcript and CV
- Rank your top 5 thematic areas of law in order of preference and provide rationale as to your selections
- Students will be matched according to position availability and thematic choice
- You will be informed of your position by mid-March
All placement opportunities within SA1L fall into the following categories; students will have the opportunity to rank these preferences:
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- Social justice and human rights
- Private/civil law (contract, tort, property, family)
- In-house counsel
- Business law
- International law
- Labour and employment
- Intellectual property
- Criminal law
- Public interest
What program deliverables will I be required to complete?
All participants in SA1L will be required to complete an anti-oppression and cultural sensitivity module before beginning the program. You will be required to submit: (1) a learning and professional development plan, in collaboration with your host partner (2) a midpoint check-in summarizing your experience, outlining your progress toward the goals listed in the learning and professional development plan, and (3) a final reflection paper detailing your experience in the program and your learning and professional development outcomes.
Will I be compensated for my SA1L placement?
Successful applicants will be awarded $8,000 for their participation in the SA1L program, divided into equal payments. If an applicant does not complete the program or meet the terms, they will be paid only for the period of participation.
