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Criminal Lawyer — Sankoff Criminal Law / Criminal Defence Essentials

Peter Sankoff is looking for an exceptional young lawyer with 0-4 years of experience to join Sankoff Criminal Law and Criminal Defence Essentials in Edmonton.

This is an unusual and rare opportunity for someone who loves criminal law and wants to become great at practicing it and teaching it.

You will work closely with Peter on complex criminal cases from across Canada, including major appeals, constitutional litigation and Supreme Court of Canada matters. You will research difficult legal questions, write factums and other arguments, help develop litigation strategy, and gradually take on increasing responsibility for your own cases.

You will also work with Criminal Defence Essentials, researching and writing about developments in criminal law, evidence and procedure and helping create Case Alerts, seminars, The Beacon and other resources used by criminal lawyers across the country.

Most importantly, this is a job built around learning.

You will receive extensive feedback on legal writing, research, strategy, oral advocacy and persuasion. You will see how difficult cases are developed from the ground up and work directly on them. You will second-chair proceedings before taking on more of your own advocacy as your experience grows.

And you can do all of this without worrying about billable-hour targets or the need to find and retain new clients.

There is no criminal law practice in Canada quite like this one.

 

The Practice

Sankoff Criminal Law is a small, specialized criminal defence practice with a strong national appellate focus. Approximately 85% of our work is appellate rather than trial work, though more trial work is coming in the door all the time.

Peter regularly assists lawyers across Canada with complicated criminal law, evidence and constitutional issues and is frequently brought into significant cases at the appellate stage. Although based in Edmonton, the practice regularly involves matters in British Columbia, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario and Quebec, as well as appearances before the Supreme Court of Canada.

Because the firm is deliberately small, you will not be one junior lawyer among dozens. You will work directly with Peter and be involved in the substance of all files. You will deal with clients regularly as primary point of contact, however.

Through Criminal Defence Essentials, the work extends beyond individual cases. We create seminars, case commentary and practical legal resources for criminal defence lawyers across Canada.

If you are the sort of person who enjoys talking about a new Supreme Court decision, puzzling through an evidentiary problem, or spending an afternoon trying to make a legal argument better, you will probably enjoy working here.

 

Who Should Apply?

Applications are welcome from lawyers in approximately years 0–4 of practice, although the position may be particularly attractive to lawyers in the earlier stages of their careers.

Clerking experience is a significant asset, particularly appellate or Supreme Court of Canada clerking experience, but it is not required.

The ideal candidate is intellectually curious, ambitious about becoming an excellent criminal lawyer, and genuinely interested in criminal law, evidence and procedure.

You do not need to arrive with a bunch of clients, and will not be expected to maintain a large roster of clients. Nor will your day be spent in docket/assignment court – ever.

And you will not be evaluated according to how many hours you can bill, or how much you are billing.

What matters is whether you love the law, can think, research and write well, whether you care about the quality of your work, and whether you want to keep getting better.

 

What You Will Do 

 Your work will include:
  • Conducting sophisticated legal research;
  • Working with AI tools to create materials;
  • Writing factums, bail applications, constitutional notices and other written arguments;
  • Helping develop strategy in complex trials and appeals;
  • Working on ongoing criminal law book projects;
  • Assisting with Criminal Defence Essentials Case Alerts, The Beacon, seminars and other resources;
  • Second-chairing trials and appeals and progressively taking on more advocacy responsibility;
  • Conducting trials and appeals yourself as your experience permits; and
  • If you are interested, developing a modest trial practice of your own over time.

Junior lawyers who want trial experience can begin with a small trial practice, ordinarily no more than approximately 12-15 active clients at a time. Lawyers arriving with greater advocacy experience will naturally progress more quickly. There is no expectation that you bring in your own clients.

 

Compensation and Benefits

This is intended to be a highly competitive position to attract great candidates.

Salary will depend on experience and qualifications. A newly called lawyer can expect a starting salary of at least $85,000, with experienced lawyers starting between $100,000 and $180,000 depending on year of call, experience and qualifications. Lawyers are also eligible for a year-end bonus beginning in their second year, based on individual and firm performance.

 

Other benefits include:

  • Opportunities for travel to hearings outside Alberta;
  • A company retirement savings matching program (after 1 year of service);
  •  Health benefits
  • Law Society membership and ALIA contributions;
  • Support for conferences and other professional-development opportunities;
  • Paid vacation, increasing with seniority;
  • An annual holiday closure over the Christmas/New Year period in addition to regular vacation; and
  • Firm outings, including Oilers games.

 

What Life Here Looks Like

You will work hard. The files are intellectually demanding and the standards are very high. But this is not a culture built around being at the office simply to demonstrate that you are at the office.

Regular hours matter. So does having a life outside work.

The goal is to give you challenging work, substantial responsibility and exceptional training without requiring you to sacrifice every evening and weekend to the practice of law.

If what you really want is to be in trial court every day, this probably is not the right position. The heart of this practice is legal analysis, writing, strategy and appellate advocacy.

If you want to become an exceptionally strong criminal lawyer — particularly one who can handle difficult legal issues and serious appellate work — it may be a very good fit.

 

What We Are Looking For

The successful candidate must have:
  • A genuine passion for criminal law, and not just the practice of criminal law;
  • Strong legal writing skills;
  • Excellent legal research ability;
  • A strong understanding of criminal law, evidence and criminal procedure;
  • The confidence to work independently while also seeking direction when appropriate;
  • The ability to receive detailed feedback and use it to improve;
  • Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to work collaboratively;
  • A Canadian law degree or NCA qualification;
  • Strong academic credentials, ordinarily a B+ law-school average or better; and,
  • A willingness to live in Edmonton or Calgary. There is a strong preference for Edmonton (or Edmonton willing) applicants, but Peter will entertain other options for the right candidate. 

You should also be comfortable around dogs. We have a small office dog.

 

The following are assets, but none is absolutely required:
  • Judicial clerking experience;
  • Membership in the Law Society of Alberta;
  • Prior criminal litigation experience;
  • Familiarity with Alberta Legal Aid;
  • Spoken and written French
  • Experience with criminal law scholarship or legal publishing; and
  • A personality that fits a small, collaborative and occasionally irreverent workplace.

 

Interested?

Send applications to info@sankoffcriminallaw.com. 

Please include your CV and a letter telling Peter:

  1. Why this particular job interests you;
  2. Why you think you would be good at it;
  3. What it is about criminal law that interests you; and
  4. If you do not currently live in Edmonton or Calgary, whether you are prepared to relocate.

There is no need to repeat your CV in the letter. We are much more interested in learning something about you, why you want to do this kind of work, and what you hope to become as a lawyer. Though transcripts are not required, you should advert to how you meet the B+ minimum requirement in your cover letter and, if you don’t, why this should not be an impediment.

 

All inquiries and applications will be treated in confidence. Questions before applying are welcome.