Research, Writing and Legal Innovation
Criminal Defence Essentials | Work from anywhere in Canada
Criminal Defence Essentials is looking for an exceptional lawyer who loves criminal law, thinks carefully and writes exceptionally well. Working directly with Peter Sankoff, you will help develop a new initiative combining sophisticated legal research, practical drafting and the responsible use of AI.
This is an opportunity to spend your working day tackling difficult legal questions and turning the answers into work that helps defence lawyers across Canada. If you enjoy puzzling through an evidentiary problem, identifying the strongest foundation for an argument or making a complicated legal issue understandable and useful, we would like to hear from you.
You can be based anywhere in Canada, provided you are available to travel to Edmonton occasionally for training and collaboration. The position is with Criminal Defence Essentials, with research, analysis and writing at its centre.
The opportunity
CDE creates practical criminal-law resources used by lawyers across the country, including seminars, Case Alerts, The Beacon and legal guides. We are expanding our work and looking for someone who can help translate deep subject-matter knowledge into clear, accurate and usable legal assistance.
You will work closely with Peter on questions involving criminal law, evidence, procedure and the Charter. Assignments may range from a focused answer to a specific question to a substantial research memorandum or a carefully developed application, factum, Charter notice or sentencing submission.
The objective is to produce work that helps another lawyer act. That means explaining what the law supports, how it applies, what information is missing and what the lawyer should do next. Clear, practical, step-by-step instructions will be an essential part of the work.
Further details about the new initiative will be shared confidentially with shortlisted candidates. The successful applicant will have a meaningful opportunity to shape how it develops.
Working with AI
AI will be an important part of your working process. You will use tools and research methods developed with Peter to help investigate questions, organize material and produce drafts efficiently.
That work requires close attention and independent judgment. You must be willing to check authorities against original sources, test whether a case supports the proposition attributed to it, identify missing qualifications and recognize when a confident answer is wrong. An interest in improving how legal work is done is essential; technical expertise or programming experience is not required.
What you will do
Your responsibilities will include:
- Researching criminal-law, evidence, procedural and constitutional questions.
- Preparing focused legal answers, research memoranda and written arguments.
- Drafting applications, factums, Charter notices, sentencing submissions and related materials.
- Checking authorities, citations, quotations and substantive legal propositions.
- Identifying weaknesses, competing interpretations and issues requiring further consideration.
- Developing practical instructions that explain how counsel can use the work.
- Working with Peter to refine analysis, improve drafts and resolve difficult questions.
- Helping develop effective research methods, templates and quality-control processes.
- Contributing, as capacity permits, to CDE’s publications and educational resources.
You will be expected to take ownership of assignments and bring them forward in a developed, organized form. Knowing when to seek direction—and explaining precisely what needs to be resolved—is as valuable as being able to work independently.
Learning and professional development
You will receive detailed feedback from Peter on research, legal reasoning, writing and persuasion. The work will expose you to a wide range of criminal-law problems and require you to think carefully about both doctrine and its practical application.
This position should appeal to someone who wants to become an exceptionally strong legal analyst and writer. There is no expectation that you arrive with clients or build a personal client roster, and your performance will focus on the quality, usefulness, efficiency and reliability of your work.
Opportunities for litigation
Court appearances are not part of the core CDE position. Applicants who want a career centred on research and writing are welcome.
For someone who also wishes to develop or maintain advocacy experience, there may be opportunities to undertake legal work through Sankoff Criminal Law, subject to separate arrangements and available capacity. An interest in that work is welcome but is not a requirement of employment with CDE.
Who should apply
We welcome applications from lawyers with approximately 0–4 years of experience, although a candidate with greater experience and a strong fit for the work is also encouraged to apply. Applications from Crown counsel, Legal Aid lawyers, judicial clerks and lawyers already working in defence practice are welcome.
The successful candidate will bring:
- Strong legal research and writing skills.
- A solid understanding of criminal law, evidence and criminal procedure.
- Intellectual curiosity and an interest in difficult legal problems.
- Careful judgment about accuracy, uncertainty and the limits of the available information.
- The ability to turn legal analysis into clear practical guidance.
- An interest in using AI thoughtfully and critically.
- Strong organizational skills and the ability to manage competing deadlines.
- A willingness to receive detailed feedback and use it to improve.
- The ability to work independently while remaining engaged with a small team.
- Membership in good standing in a Canadian law society, or eligibility for admission before starting.
- Availability for occasional travel to Edmonton.
Judicial clerking, criminal litigation, legal publishing and French-language research or drafting experience would all be assets. We are particularly interested in evidence that you can think clearly, write persuasively and take responsibility for the quality of your work.
Compensation and working arrangements
We intend to offer competitive compensation that attracts a strong candidate. Salary will depend on experience and qualifications, with a starting salary of at least $85,000 for a newly called lawyer and a range of $100,000–$180,000 for experienced applicants.
In addition to salary, the position will include profit sharing tied to the success of the new initiative. We want the successful applicant to share directly in the value they help create, with an opportunity for compensation to grow as the initiative develops. The structure and terms will be discussed during the hiring process.
Benefits and professional-development support will also be discussed during the hiring process. The position can be performed remotely from anywhere in Canada, with working arrangements that support regular collaboration and occasional visits to Edmonton.
The standards will be high and the work intellectually demanding and rewarding. We also value reasonable working hours, clear expectations and a life outside work.
How to apply
Please send your CV, a legal writing sample and a cover letter to [email protected]. Your letter should explain:
- Why this particular role interests you.
- What demonstrates your ability to research, analyze and write well.
- Which aspects of criminal law most interest you.
- Your experience with, or interest in, AI-assisted legal work.
- Where you are based and your availability to travel occasionally to Edmonton.
Please use a writing sample you are authorized to share, with confidential information removed, and identify any substantial contributions by others. There is no need to repeat your CV in the letter: we want to understand how you think, why this work appeals to you and what you hope to develop as a lawyer.
Applications will be considered as they arrive, and recruitment will close when the right candidate is found. All inquiries and applications will be treated in confidence.
Executive Assistant — Sankoff Criminal Law & Criminal Defence Essentials
Edmonton | In Person
Salary: $42,000–$55,000, depending on qualifications and experience
We are looking for someone exceptional.
This is not a traditional Executive Assistant position, and we are not looking for someone who simply wants to manage a calendar, answer emails, and wait for the next assignment. We are looking for someone smart, curious, highly organized and energetic who wants to become the glue that helps two growing organizations run better.
This is an unusually broad role with direct exposure to the operation and growth of two established legal and educational organizations. For the right person, it offers significant responsibility, autonomy and room to grow. We want someone who is interested not only in supporting the work, but in understanding how both organizations function and helping make them better.
The successful candidate will work closely with Peter Sankoff while also coordinating with our Director of Operations for Criminal Defence Essentials, and our Legal Assistant and Office Manager of Sankoff Criminal Law, while supporting work across both Sankoff Criminal Law and Criminal Defence Essentials. The role will touch virtually every part of our operations: scheduling, project management, publishing, technology, communications, administration and the development of new initiatives.
This is an in-person permanent position based in Edmonton. We are specifically looking for someone who wants to work alongside us, understand how both organizations operate, and become part of the day-to-day team.
What We’re Looking For
Above all, we want someone with a “say yes” attitude: someone whose instinct when confronted with something unfamiliar is, I can figure that out.
You should be:
- A very quick learner who enjoys mastering new tasks, systems and technology.
- Exceptionally organized, with the ability to understand both immediate priorities and what is coming weeks or months down the road.
- Proactive. You notice a deadline approaching before anyone reminds you. You see when something has fallen between the cracks. You look for ways to help without waiting to be told.
- Comfortable taking an incomplete instruction, figuring out what information is missing, and determining the next steps.
- Genuinely curious about our businesses. You should enjoy reading our materials, learning what we do and developing a strong understanding of every aspect of our operations.
- Someone who learns enough about a project to recognize what is missing, what might go wrong and what needs to happen next.
- An excellent written and verbal communicator, capable of communicating professionally on Peter’s behalf when appropriate.
- Comfortable with AI and emerging technology, or intensely interested in becoming very good at using it.
- Excited by a role that will change and expand as your capabilities grow.
- Someone who enjoys responsibility, variety and being relied upon.
Experience with Adobe InDesign is a significant asset, but aptitude and willingness to learn matter more to us than checking every box on a résumé.
The ability to speak French is also a significant asset, as is previous experience with criminal law or the criminal justice system, including legal assistant work.
A university degree or applicable college diploma is an asset.
What You’ll Do
A major responsibility will be owning Peter’s schedule and workflow. That means considerably more than putting appointments into a calendar.
You will be expected to develop a detailed understanding of Peter’s professional commitments, deadlines, projects and priorities and actively help organize his time around them. You will anticipate what is coming, identify competing demands, protect time for important work, and help maintain a live picture of what needs to happen today, this week and in the weeks ahead.
The goal is not simply to know where Peter is supposed to be. It is to understand enough about what he is doing to help him use his time more effectively.
You will also help manage projects across both organizations, follow up on outstanding items, coordinate with other team members and make sure good ideas actually get completed.
Technology will be a significant part of the position. We increasingly use ChatGPT and AI as operational tools, and we want this person to help us get much better at it: organizing information, maintaining project materials, developing workflows, uploading and structuring content, and helping turn ideas into finished products.
You will assist with document and content production, potentially including InDesign, publications, course materials, internal documents and other digital products.
You will also provide broader operational support to both organizations, working alongside our existing team and helping wherever extra coordination, organization or execution is needed.
And there will always be a healthy dose of:
“Can you figure this out?”
Those projects are an important part of the job. We want someone who enjoys being handed something unfamiliar, finding the answer and making it happen.
Who might Thrive Here?
We are not hiring based primarily on years spent in a traditional Executive Assistant role. We care much more about judgment, adaptability, technological confidence, initiative and demonstrated ability to learn quickly.
You might currently be an executive or administrative assistant, project coordinator, operations coordinator, office manager, or working in a startup, professional organization or small business where you have learned to wear several hats.
We are particularly interested in people who are relatively early in their careers but have already demonstrated unusual initiative, judgment and capacity to learn.
You do not need to know how to do everything on your first day. In fact, we would be surprised if you did.
We want someone who loves learning how to do things they could not do before.
If you want a narrowly defined position where every responsibility is established in advance, this probably is not the job for you.
If you want a high-trust, high-autonomy role with real operational responsibility, and the idea of becoming an indispensable part of two interesting, growing organizations sounds exciting, we would very much like to hear from you.
How To Apply
Please email your application to [email protected] with the subject line:
Executive Assistant Application
Your application should include:
- Your CV;
- A cover letter explaining how you meet the attributes described in this posting, why this particular position interests you, and any additional skills, experience or background you believe would be useful in the role; and
- If you are within five years of graduating from university or college, a copy of your academic transcript.
We are particularly interested in concrete examples demonstrating your initiative, organizational ability, written and verbal communication skills, capacity to learn quickly, comfort with technology, and willingness to take on new and unfamiliar challenges.
Only candidates selected for an interview will be contacted.