Applying and Interviewing for Law Student Jobs in Government

This is an article in a series of articles called Your Ultimate Guide to Law Student Recruitment. Don’t forget to read the previous article here: Questions to Ask Interviewers at the End of Your Law Firm Interview

Introduction

Up until now, we’ve been talking about applying and interviewing for private law firms. Although I would argue that most of the insights in previous blogs apply to other law jobs, the focus has been private law firm positions, and there’s a reason for that. Most law students, when they think of getting a job after law school, they think private practice. Plus, the bulk of firms that participate in the law student recruit are private law firms. That said, there are other options like government and in-house. This article will talk about law student jobs in government. Government can be a great career option for law students, especially if you have an interest in public service. And even if you’ve never really considered government before, it’s always good to explore your options.

I personally never thought about doing government but applied anyway during the recruit and I ended up getting an offer from both the federal and municipal government (the provincial government didn’t want me lol), so you never know. I ultimately declined the government offers I did receive and decided to pursue a career in private practice but the experience of going through the interview process and giving myself the opportunity to figure out whether or not public law was for me, was invaluable. So unless you have a violent (negative) reaction to it, I suggest giving government a shot!

Applying for Government Positions

A lot of what I’ve already talked about in this series including Building Your Law Student Recruit Application Package equally applies to government. You can also use the same resume and cover letter templates. However, if you’re applying for a government position, I recommend slightly tweaking your application materials to include a statement of interest in public service and any related experiences. For example, any work and/or volunteer experiences in the public sector like if you’ve ever volunteered at a non-profit organization, sat on a tribunal, or helped organize a political campaign.

If you don’t have any work or volunteer experience in the public sector, it’s not the end of the world. Just focus on why you’re interested in public service. You can also speak to values the government embodies and anything in particular that has drawn your attention to the particular government office that you’re applying to. When I applied to the Department of Justice, for instance, I talked about the importance of access to justice and having taken courses in tax law and Indigenous law which are two of their main practice areas in my cover letter. The key is to be specific and express a genuine interest, so find something that truly fascinates you about government and focus on that.

Government Interviews

In my experience, government interviews tend to be more formal and structured compared to private law firm interviews. Instead of the “get to know you” approach where law firms assess your personality and whether you would be a good “fit” that you might see in private practice, government follows a more standardized format. Now, I’m not in government so this is just an assumption on my part but I suspect this is because government is held to a higher standard to make sure that all candidates are equal and given the same opportunities. To do this, they try to eliminate as much bias as possible in the interview process by asking the same set of questions rather than going off of vibes (for lack of a better term).

The good news is, that means you can prepare nicely for government interviews as they will mostly ask you behavioural type of questions. Check out a few examples of behavioural questions here: Common Law Firm Interview Questions. In addition to the generic behavioural questions, you might also want to prepare for the question “why government” or “why public service.” And remember, when preparing answers for your government interview, use the STAR method!

Tips for Government Interviews

1. Like with all things, I suggest doing your research on the government office that you are applying to. Look at their website, review their mission/vision, involvement, and any information pertaining to their law student summer or articling program.
2. Reach out to someone in government. Even if you don’t have any connections in government, make one! If you heard that so and so works at or worked for government, consider contacting them and inviting them out for coffee or a virtual meeting. I did this. I came across someone on LinkedIn who was articling in government so I sent them a message and requested to meet. I was then able to reference our meeting during my interview.
3. Expect a more intense interview than what you’re used to in private practice. Because government interviews are more formal, they are also a bit more intense (I found, anyway). From my experience, it’s usually with a panel of at least 3 interviewers.

Is Government Right for You?

If you apply for government and ultimately get an offer, you might have to make a decision about whether or not government is right for you. To make this decision, consider these factors:

1. The differences between government and private practice – government usually offers stability i.e. more predictable hours and good benefits, and better work-life balance. The downside to that is lesser pay or maybe a flatter growth trajectory. Does that align with what you want? Or are you looking for a place where you can earn a higher income at the cost of longer hours, more demanding billable targets, etc.? If so, then private practice may be more suitable for you.
2. Your interests – what practice areas are you interested in? Government positions often focus on very specific practice areas. Obviously, it depends on the department but generally the practice areas in government are administrative law, municipal law, tax law, criminal law, Indigenous law, etc. Do any of those areas interest you?
3. Whether or not you’re business oriented – in one of my government interviews, an interviewer pointed out that I had a lot of business-related experience/interests in my resume. I was cautioned that there’s not much opportunity for business in government. If, like me, you have a business background or you’re passionate about business, this is something to think about.
4. Long-term career flexibility – from what I know talking to other lawyers, it’s generally easier to go from private practice to government than the other way around. Of course, it’s not impossible to transition from public to private but it might be more difficult so also think about where you want to be 5 or maybe 10 years from now.

Conclusion

Government can be an incredibly rewarding start to your legal career. While it’s not the path I chose, I have friends in government who are doing quite well for themselves and they are a testament to that. If you’re interested in applying and interviewing for government, I hope this article is helpful. Make sure to take the time to reflect on your goals (are you interested in public service? Do you want stability? Do you see yourself practicing in the areas of law that government focuses on?), tailor your application materials, and prepare thoroughly for your interview. Best of luck! 

This is an article in a series of articles called Your Ultimate Guide to Law Student Recruitment.

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