FOR STUDENTS

Rise offers opportunities for law and social work students to gain practical experience and training in family law. We offer:

150+ law student clinicians &

30+ social work practicum students

since 2016

Law Students

Rise hosts a year-round Student Legal Clinic, staffed by upper year law students from UBC’s Peter A. Allard School of Law, who receive hands on family law experience and trauma-informed training.

We accept up to six students per semester.

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Social Work Students

Six diverse individuals gathered around a blue round table, engaged in a discussion. They have laptops, papers, pens, and a smartphone on the table, indicating a collaborative work or meeting environment.

Rise hosts a year-round Student Advocacy Clinic, staffed by social work students from social work programs (Bachelor and Master), who are completing their practicum hours.

Our practicum placement is a unique opportunity to learn transferable skills to promote access to justice in all areas of social work. We accept up to four students a semester.

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Articling Student

Rise encourages law students who complete our externship to apply for our full-time articling student position. The articling student provides continuity on client files, minimizes gaps in service between student terms, and works on more complex client files. Our 2026 position is filled. Check the careers page for any upcoming opportunities.

“I had the privilege of being Rise’s first ever articling student and I strongly recommend the program to anyone who is passionate about family law and providing legal services to underserved communities.

The program is truly unique in the level of mentorship and real court experience it provides. During my articles, I ran two trials and appeared in several contested applications, all under the guidance of senior counsel. Through that experience I gained valuable foundational skills that I still draw on today. More importantly, I felt I made a difference in the lives of my clients during my time there. Few articling programs provide the same opportunity for meaningful, rewarding work.”

— Daniel MacNeill - Rise’s first articling student in 2018

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Frequently asked questions

  • No. We encourage all students who are interested in understanding how to do access to justice work focusing on the needs and experiences of women and gender diverse clients to apply to join us.

  • All students at Rise do an introductory three to four week orientation to learn the basics of family law and targeted training opportunities based on their program. This training is interdisciplinary and both law students and social work students will have opportunities to be in training by lawyers and social work staff.

  • Yes. Closely supervised by your supervisors, you will work on client files.

    For law students, you will take on files from the previous semester as well as files that are referred to you through legal clinics.

    For social work students, you will work with your supervisor to come to an agreement about your learning goals and the kind of client work you will do.

  • Rise’s main office is located in downtown Vancouver.

    The staff are approachable and work from a client-centered and trauma-informed lens. We believe deeply in improving access to justice and we recognize that many people, with diverse identities and voices, do not feel that they have a space in law. We work hard to ensure a culture of openness, a focus on challenging conventional ways of being, and a willingness to challenge our own assumptions – we think law can and must be done differently to improve access to justice.