Summer Law Student

WHAT IS THE JOB?

Engineers and Geoscientists BC is hiring three Summer Law Students to assist with investigation, discipline and unauthorized practice & misuse of title.

LEGISLATION, ETHICS AND COMPLIANCE DEPARTMENT

Engineers And Geoscientists BC Is Looking To Hire Three Law Students To Join Our Legal Department To Fill The Following Positions

• Investigation Student: Reporting to the Associate Director, Investigation and Discipline, and working closely with the Complaint Intake Manager and the Investigation Manager, you will assist in intake and investigation of complaints made against individual engineers and geoscientists, or engineering or geoscience firms. Your duties will include, for example, summarizing complaint documents, interviewing witnesses, researching legal principles related to investigations, communicating with expert reviewers, staff investigators and volunteer committee members, assisting in drafting complaint intake memoranda and investigation reports, and applying the Bylaws in analyzing evidence and providing recommendations to statutory decision makers.
• Discipline Student: Reporting to our internal Discipline Counsel (a practicing lawyer), you will assist in managing files referred for discipline following the conclusion of an investigation. Your duties will include, for example, negotiating and drafting Consent Orders to resolve files, drafting precedent memos, communicating with external parties and legal counsel, and assisting with pursuing outstanding costs and fines orders in the Provincial or Supreme Court of British Columbia. You will also research specific issues that arise in the discipline process and provide advice on the general strategy for dealing with files.
• Unauthorized Practice & Misuse of Title Student: Reporting to the Legal Counsel, Enforcement Manager (a practicing lawyer) and working with the Unauthorized Practice Investigators, you will work on unauthorized practice and misuse of title complaints. You will collect evidence, including using your internet search skills and familiarity with social media platforms, and will write to non-registrants suspected of engaging in unauthorized practice or misuse of title contrary to the Professional Governance Act. You will also work with investigative staff to design and implement proactive enforcement campaigns and compliance monitoring processes. Occasionally, our unauthorized practice and misuse of title files result in referrals to external counsel for applications to the Supreme Court of British Columbia and you may have exposure to this process, depending on timing.
  
  

Elements Common to All Roles: Students will be joining a busy legal department overseen by the Director of Legislation, Ethics & Compliance (a practicing lawyer). In total, there are 6 lawyers in the department. You may be asked to assist with researching professional regulatory issues, reviewing documents for FOI responses, developing policy related to the regulation of professional engineers and geoscientists, advising on internal governance, or addressing new issues that emerge in relation to the Professional Governance Act. The department will make efforts to allocate additional work based on the interests and capacity of each student. The needs of the legal department can be fluid so students should expect to broadly assist the department and not be limited to their initial role.

WHO ARE WE LOOKING FOR?

We prefer law students that have completed at least two years of law school, although first year students with high grades and prior career experience will be considered. Completion of courses in administrative law and civil litigation are helpful but not required. Most importantly, we are looking for students that are skilled in research and analysis and have the ability to write clearly. Knowledge of engineering or geoscience is not required but students with prior training in engineering or geoscience are encouraged to apply.

We also hire articling students after 3L. We have a history of hiring articling students from among our strong summer law students.

Only those selected for interviews will be contacted. The positions run from May 5, 2025 to August 29, 2025 (with flexibility on the end date, if required by the student). Compensation will be the equivalent of $26.50/hour based on a 36-hour work week.

What's In It For You

Each member of our team contributes to public safety in BC and helps us deliver on our vision of “modern regulation for a resilient world.” We serve the public as an inclusive, progressive, and future-focused regulator. Our Strategic Plan also places priority on our role to advance climate action, foster equity, diversity and inclusion, and move towards reconciliation with Indigenous peoples. At Engineers and Geoscientists BC, we are committed to demonstrating our values of collaboration, excellence, integrity, and innovation.

Benefits

This role offers a competitive compensation and benefits program including a salary of $26.50/hour. For contract employees on a short-term contract, we offer:

• 8% additional pay in lieu of benefits.
• 10 vacation days per annum (pro-rated based on the length of contract).
• A flex day program offering additional paid days off (usually alternating Fridays) as the result of a compressed work week.
• A hybrid work model with an assigned schedule confirming days worked remotely and days worked in-office. This role will be required to work in-office a minimum of 2 days per week during regular business operations.
• The required tools, equipment, and technology for employees to work remotely are provided.
• Free parking is available at the office. Transit reimbursement is offered to employees who take transit to work; we are centrally located near bus and Skytrain stops.
  
  

Who We Are

Engineers and Geoscientists BC is proud to be recognized as one of BC's Top Employers.

Engineers and Geoscientists BC regulates and governs these professions under the authority of the Professional Governance Act. We are charged with protecting the public interest by setting and maintaining high academic, experience, and professional practice standards for over 40,000 registrants. Individuals licensed by Engineers and Geoscientists BC are the only persons permitted by law to undertake and assume responsibility for engineering and geoscience projects in BC.

We are a not-for-profit organization governed by a board of elected registrants and government appointees. Board is accountable to the public through the Ministry of Post-Secondary Education and Future Skills under the Office of the Superintendent of Professional Governance, for both the governance and management of the organization.

To learn more about our work please visit us at https://www.egbc.ca.