U of S Law Students Immersed in Legal Aid Life Through Innovative New Externship Program

This spring, the Government of Saskatchewan announced a $100,000 investment into new practical learning placements at Legal Aid Saskatchewan (LAS) and Public Prosecutions for University of Saskatchewan law students. LAS welcomed two students for fall semester credit through the Rural and Regional Legal Externship program – one in the Moose Jaw Area Office and one in the Prince Albert Area Office. The first few days of this exciting opportunity have already kept the students busy!

“When I first applied to the program, I was interested in gaining work experience in a legal setting and understanding exactly what Legal Aid does,” says Taran Sahl, LAS Rural Externship Law Student placed in the Moose Jaw Area Office. “I had the opportunity to go to a trial yesterday and witness questioning and cross examination. I saw the different styles the lawyers have, how they structured and organized their questions, and how a lawyer can effectively manage a difficult client. I am excited to learn more about the client management and the skills you need outside of the law to be a good lawyer.”

Joanne Khan, Legal Aid Saskatchewan’s Practice Management Counsel, remarks, “I am extremely pleased with the enthusiastic interest from the students in this externship in both Prince Albert and Moose Jaw as they get to experience working in rural legal aid offices with our staff, clients and attending rural courts.”

Amy Lalonde, LAS Rural Externship Law Student working in the Prince Albert Area Office, says, “I want to pursue family law when I complete my J.D. However, being a law student, I can’t do much in the Court of King’s Bench, making it difficult to find family law opportunities before articling. Legal Aid provides services for family law and criminal matters, so I knew I would get to see a type of law that is often not experienced in law school (family law).”

The program offers second- and third-year law students the chance to gain first-hand experience by applying their legal studies to real-world scenarios. The purpose of the externship is to promote legal careers in the public sector, especially rural areas, and to improve access to justice for the people of Saskatchewan.

“I live at Wakaw lake. When I complete my J.D. I hope to work in smaller communities,” explains Lalonde. “This rural externship provided me with an opportunity to work in a smaller community. It is also a shorter commute to Prince Albert than it is to Saskatoon!”

“Legal Aid Saskatchewan is extremely pleased with the initial response to the Rural and Regional Externship program offering with the College of Law," LAS CEO Jayne Mallin says. "This opportunity allows us to expand our student programs. We believe that exposure to our organization, the collegial and supportive working environment in our rural offices, along with the experience of practice in rural and remote communities, will create a keen interest in students seeing LAS as an exciting and rewarding place to practice.”

Lalonde is excited for the semester to unfold. “I aim to take in as much information as I can from Legal Aid. I learn best by doing, and I have already experienced lots in my first couple of days. I hope to get even more experience in court, with clients, and overall get more comfortable in the legal world.”

Sahl shares the same enthusiasm about the externship experience. “My main goal is to get a better understanding of what it means to be a lawyer, work in Legal Aid, and gain the foundations so that I can deliver exceptional client service when I become a lawyer. I want to learn about the common issues we see in law and the challenges that people face. For instance, files with assault charges where the accused was in an abusive relationship, or files where drug use played a role in the actions of the accused. I want to learn how a person in that situation can take themselves out and the resources available to them.”

Both LAS and Public Prosecutions have students enrolled in the winter semester of the rural externship. There is still time for others to participate. Applications from second- and third-year students will be accepted until November 18, 2024 (https://bit.ly/3Xg9jyl).

“I look forward to continuing and expanding this program by having more law students work with other legal aid offices who are excited to share their experiences in rural locations,” said Khan.

Read the full press release here: https://bit.ly/3B1esTs