Frequently Asked Questions

Applicants must self-identify as Black and/or Indigenous, show they are in the process of pursuing or will have completed an undergraduate degree program as of May 2026 at a recognized Canadian university or are enrolled in GEGEP and be legally entitled to work in Canada for the duration of the internship. Current law students are not eligible to apply. Past program participants are not eligible to apply again.

The internships are a paid job opportunity, lasting a minimum of 12 consecutive weeks between May and August.

The internships are paid $21/hour by the participating law firm or organization. In addition to receiving a competitive salary during your internship, if you enroll in an LSAT preparation program or apply to law school within three years from the end of your summer internship, you will receive a grant of up to $3,000 to cover the cost of your LSAT preparation course or law school expenses.

You can expect to do a broad variety of tasks and develop valuable skills during the program. No placement will be exactly the same, but you could be doing legal-related work like assisting with closing of transactions, organizing electronic deal rooms and assembling record books for completed transactions. You could also be involved in proofreading documents, factual research projects and preparing materials as part of document management. Depending on where you are placed, you could also be working on projects with different teams, including marketing and business development, knowledge management and library services.

As part of this internship, you will attend workshops focused on topics such as careers within the legal profession, applying to law school, inclusive leadership, and strategic communications. Sessions will engage leaders from the Black and Indigenous community and the legal profession, and will provide the opportunity for you to deepen your understanding of the legal profession.

You will benefit from one-on-one mentoring during your placement. You will be paired with a host-mentor who will arrange placement-specific resources, including onboarding technical support. The host-mentor will provide you with opportunities for networking and professional development and formal and informal education, with the aim of providing you with exposure to a range of future career paths in the legal industry.

For your application to be considered, please submit your application form by final deadline of January 10, 2025. Applications should not be directed to individual participating organizations.

Click here to access the online application form

You will need to complete an application consisting of:

• Resume;
• Personal Statement;
• Most recent transcripts; and
• (Optional) Up to two letters of reference if available (personal, academic or professional).

Personal statements should be no longer than 750 words and should address your interests in pursuing a legal education or a legal career, your extra-curricular activities or community involvement, your personal circumstances, and what you hope to gain from the Avenue program.

Letters of reference are completely optional. Due to technical and administrative limitations of the submission portal, reference letters must be submitted by you, together with all other application materials; there is no separate submission portal for reference letters.

Applications will be assessed holistically, and strong grades will not be determinative of acceptance.

No – it’s free to apply.

Applications will be accepted until December 5, 2025. The internship interview and offer period will run from February 16 – April 3, 2026. Only candidates selected for an interview will be contacted. If you choose to withdraw from our process, please let us know (see below).

Organizations will reach out to candidates to arrange interviews directly and offers will be extended by individual organizations. Candidates may receive an invitation for an interview from one or more organization, however to ensure maximum opportunities for all that apply, candidates must accept the first offer they receive.

Should you have any questions or if your participation in the program changes, please reach out to our Recruitment Co-Chairs. The Recruitment Co-Chairs are volunteer positions, staffed from our member organizations, and will change every year. For information and questions about Avenue’s 2026 internship cycle, please reach out to the Canadian Association of Black Lawyers with email subject line “Avenue 2026”.