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 and will be selected based on availability of positions. All external placement participants in SA1L will be required to complete an anti-oppression and cultural sensitivity module before beginning the program.
All students hired for Legal Clinics will be required to complete mandatory training and respect the confidentiality requirements.
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 offered annual internships 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), 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?
To give the student the best experience, all Western Law summer opportunities for Legal Clinics, Law Internship Program, Legal Research Assistant and External Placements will follow the same timeline for applications and offers.
Clinics at Western Law
December 1 – January 8: Accepting applications
January 8: Applications are due @ midnight
January 13 – February 11: Interviews
February 12 – February 14: Offers are extended.
Research Assistant and External Placements
December 1: Students invited to apply
January 8: Application deadline
January 10: Grade submissions and anti-oppression course deadline
February 12: Completion of student-host matching
March 1: Connect students and hosts
May 4: Earliest commencement date
June 15: Latest commencement date
August 24-28: Final week of the program
Western Law Internship Program (WLIP)
December 1: Applications open
January 8: Applications close at 11:59 AM
January 23 - February 4: Interviews
February 12 - 14: Offers are extended
How does the application and selection process work?
To give the student the best experience, all Western Law summer opportunities for Legal Clinics, Law Internship Program, Legal Research Assistant and External Placements will follow the same timeline for applications and offers. Students may apply for each type of placement separately following the process below. However, it will be required that you accept only one offer. Concurrent placements are not allowed.
Western Law Internship Program (WLIP)
TO APPLY, submit your application online via ATLAS by selecting the program page of your first-choice internship opportunity.
Go to the ATLAS site
Under the “Program” tab, use the following “More Filters”:
Under “Provider”, choose “Faculty of Law”, and
Under “Type”, choose “Internship”.
Click on the desired program link to view information about that internship opportunity.
Press “Apply Now” at the bottom of your first-choice internship opportunity to log-in and apply.
If you have questions about the WLIP internships, the WLIP application procedure or ATLAS, please contact Western Law’s International Programs Office (lawintl@uwo.ca).
Accepting applications on WERC for clinics (Community Legal Services (CLS), Pro Bono Students Canada (PBSC), Sport Solution Clinic (SSC), Western Business Law Clinic (WBLC), Western Intellectual Property & Innovation Legal Clinic (WIPILC). Applications will be open from December 1, 2024 – January 8, 2025 via the WERC platform. Successful applicants will be invited for interviews. Interviews will take place between January 13 – February 11. Offers will be extended February 12 – 14.
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
We are now accepting applications for the following SA1L Program Streams: Externship Placements, Research Assistantships, and Self-Proposed Projects. Applications will be open via this form until January 8, 2025.
- Externship Placements provide opportunities to work alongside legal professionals in advocacy groups, legal clinics, and organizations specializing in human rights, environmental law, and other areas.
- Research Assistantships allow students to collaborate with faculty on legal research projects.
- Self-Proposed Projects enable students to pursue unique initiatives under supervision.
What program deliverables will I be required to complete?
All external placement 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.
WLIP interns provide a mid-way report in addition to an extensive final report at the end of their internship, summarizing their experience.
Will I be compensated for my SA1L placement?
Successful external placement and research assistant 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.
Students hired for summer clinic positions will work for no more than 15 weeks (up to a maximum of 525 hours). Students are paid hourly, with vacation entitlement paid as per the Employment Standards Act.
WLIP internships last 10-12 weeks and include a stipend of $10,000 - $15,000 to cover basic expenses, including travel, accommodation, and visas.
