Public Interest Articling Fellow (2026-2027)

hybrid
Ottawa, Toronto, Ontario, Canada .
contract . May 14, 2025

Description

PUBLIC INTEREST ARTICLING FELLOW

SUPERVISOR: Manager of Human Rights Law, Campaigns and Advocacy

LOCATION: Ottawa or Toronto

DATE: Articling Year – 2026-2027

SALARY: $63,240 plus benefits for the Articling term

TERM: 10 Month Articling Term beginning June 2026-August 2026

DEADLINE: Applications are accepted until 5pm (eastern time) May 30, 2025

Amnesty International Canadian, English Speaking, (AICES) is looking for an Articling Fellow to support Amnesty International Canada’s human rights work, legal advocacy, and litigation files.

Reporting to the Manager of Human Rights Law, Campaigns and Advocacy, this role will contribute to Amnesty’s work on legal advocacy by conducting legal research and writing and working closely with cross-functional teams at Amnesty, external partners, and rights-holders. The Articling Fellow will also assist with the preparation of risk letters in immigration and refugee protection cases.

The successful candidate must bring a lens of anti-racism, anti-oppression, gender mainstreaming, intersectionality, inclusivity, and accessibility to external and internal work, to all interpersonal interactions and in line with any organization policies and protocols.

WHAT YOU’LL DO

Strategic litigation:

Support the legal work for the Branch which includes court interventions, helping to liaise with Amnesty’s pro bono lawyers and the International Secretariat in preparing litigation, and supporting the drafting of legal documents.
Review proposals from community members seeking assistance with legal intervention in court proceedings and provide advice to the Manager.
Undertake casework to assist refugee claimants who fall within Amnesty’s mandate and to assist Canadians detained abroad.
Act as a Branch Liaison with the relevant International Secretariat teams.

Research, Advocacy and Government Engagement:

Undertake ongoing monitoring and analysis of relevant information from the International Secretariat, the media, relevant Canadian networks and partners, and governments and other official documents, to inform and regularly update campaign plans, specifically related to the rights of refugees and migrants.
At times conduct secondary and primary research as an evidence-base for campaigning in support of Operational Plans and branch strategic goals.
Monitor the human rights violations in Canada in coordination with the human rights team, including reviewing parliamentary debates, government statements, media articles and submissions by civil society organizations to United Nations bodies.
Prepare briefings, reports, or submissions in support of key cases and themes related to our Strategic Plan including racial justice, Indigenous rights, refugees and migrants, international crisis response, and gender justice.
Draft submissions for international human rights treaty bodies and other human rights mechanisms on human rights issues in Canada.
Prepare, where necessary, high-level advocacy briefings, reports or submissions in support of key cases and thematic areas of work, amplifying the voices of rights-holders.

Connecting movements:

Participate in the Branch’s engagement with rights holders and civil society organizations to develop solidarity on the rights of refugees and migrants, and in support of other strategic litigation cases.

Engaging the base and mobilizing the public:

In collaboration with the mobilization division, co-create the development of campaign strategies to mobilize AICES’s membership and members of the public on priority issues as noted above.
Identify and develop action opportunities and content for a variety of audiences and methods of engagement, including advising and providing content for the Branch’s website or social media channels.
Collaborate with the mobilization and communications teams in developing social media posts, e-actions, open letters, media articles, and blog posts, and contribute to newsletters, e-magazines and other public engagement assets.
Develop content for Branch publications, including but not limited to the annual Human Rights Agenda for Canada and Activism Guide.
Respond to enquiries from members, the press and the public as needed.
Collaborate with the fundraising division, meet with donors, and prepare briefings for volunteers.

Other responsibilities:

Ensure that diversity, equity, inclusion (DEI) and anti-oppression principles and practices are regularly considered and integrated into strategic litigation, as well as refugee and migrant rights-related strategies and materials.
Ensure that DEI and anti-oppression principles are reflected in day-to-day interactions with colleagues, rightsholders, members, donors, and supporters.
Participate in and support the ongoing monitoring and evaluation of the above-noted areas of work.

WHAT WE’RE LOOKING FOR IN A CANDIDATE

Amnesty International Canada is seeking an individual who can contribute to the diversity of Amnesty’s workforce and its inclusive, anti-racist and anti-oppressive practices. The successful candidate will meet the following qualifications and competencies.

QUALIFICATIONS

Undergraduate degree with general or specialized background in human rights;
Law degree from Canada, or equivalent education that is completed or will be completed prior to the commencement of the post;
A minimum of 2 years of equivalent experience and education working with an NGO in human rights field OR a university degree with some general or specialized background in human rights with minimum of 1 years of experience in a relevant position;
Knowledge of international human rights law and related international bodies, mechanisms and policies, and their application in Canada;
Knowledge of core human rights issues related to the rights of refugees and migrants in a broad range of regions and countries;
Knowledge of and relationship with civil society and social justice movements, networks, and stakeholders in relevant areas an asset;
Knowledge, training and experience in intersectionality, anti-racism, anti-oppression, anti-Black racism, discrimination, and decolonizing practices required.

COMPETENCIES

Ability to think plan and communicate strategically, including advocacy and strategic thinking skills, and ability to collaborate with rights holders, partners, staff and members in developing strategy;
Ability to conduct and draft legal research materials for strategic litigation activities;
Ability to write accurate and compelling content for a variety of audiences;
Strong interpersonal skills including collaboration and consultation as part of a team;
Proven ability to work successfully with a diverse population and in applying anti-racism, anti-oppression, diversity, equity, and inclusion principles;
Proven commitment to self-development in the principles of anti-racism, anti-oppression, diversity, equity and inclusion;
Proven ability to apply an intersectional lens to your work to achieve anti-oppression in practice;
Ability to contribute to the diversity of Amnesty’s workforce and its inclusive, anti-racist and anti-oppressive practices.
Passion for Amnesty International’s mission in the protection and promotion of human rights for all people.

WHY WORK FOR AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL CANADA?

ABOUT US

Amnesty International is a movement of 10 million ordinary people in more than 150 countries who come together to achieve extraordinary results in defending and promoting human rights. We get discriminatory laws changed and prisoners of conscience released. We’ve helped stop torture, commute death sentences and worked to end violence against women. We are in solidarity with Indigenous peoples demanding that their rights be respected.

OUR COMMITMENT TO ANTI-RACISM, ANTI-OPPRESSION, DIVERSITY, EQUITY & INCLUSION (ARAO-DEI)

Amnesty International Canada is committed to employment equity, actively seeks diversity in the workplace, and welcomes and encourages applications from members of equity seeking groups including women, transgender, non-binary, and LGBTQ+ individuals; First Nations, Metis, and Inuit individuals, persons with disabilities, and members of racialized and marginalized groups. We believe our work is stronger when it benefits from the experience, knowledge and wisdom of people who have faced systemic barriers, and encourage applications from qualified candidates who have lived experience as a member of historically underrepresented communities.

AICES values qualified diverse candidates who bring skills that contribute to our anti-racist and anti-oppression transformational journey. At AICES, employees are expected to contribute to an inclusive environment and bring the knowledge, experience, and ability to incorporate anti-racism, anti-oppression, intersectionality, gender mainstreaming, inclusion, and accessibility practices to external and internal work and to all interpersonal interactions. Click to learn more about our Equity Journey.

WHAT WE OFFER

At Amnesty International Canada, we are passionate about what we do, and we are proud of our achievements as a movement. To compensate our employees for the critical work they undertake, we reward them with an attractive, sector competitive salary and benefits package plus the opportunity to develop professionally.

If you are talented, passionate about human rights and want to use your skills, knowledge, and experience to change the world, we encourage you to join us.

APPLICATION PROCESS

Please include the following in a single .pdf file in the order in which they are listed:

· Resume

· Cover letter*

· Undergraduate transcripts

· Law transcripts

· 2 Letters of reference

· Writing sample no longer than 10 numbered pages (excerpts from longer papers may be sent but sending writing samples longer than 10 pages will disqualify the application)

*In your cover letter, please also include your responses to the following questions:

1. How do you relate to Amnesty International Canada’s mission?

2. How would your skills and experiences (personal and professional) translate into success specifically in the context of human rights law and policy?

3. What does a commitment to ARAO and DEI mean or look like to you?

Applications must be submitted electronically through our Work With Us careers page.

We thank everyone for their expression of interest-and truly appreciative of the time individuals put into applying-but with the limitation of time only those selected for an interview will be contacted. Amnesty International Canada is committed to providing an inclusive and barrier free experience to applicants with accessibility needs. Requests for accommodation can be made at any stage during the recruitment process.

This position has been made available through The Law Foundation of Ontario Public Interest Articling Fellowship Program.

Know someone who would be a perfect fit? Let them know!