Manulife is seeking two Articling Students for a 10-month articling placement within its in-house legal department for the 2027-2028 articling term, providing hands-on experience in commercial, corporate, regulatory, and litigation matters. This articling opportunity, beginning in July 2027, will appeal to individuals interested in business and financial services law who love to take initiative, are client-focused, and are exceptionally strong in delivering high-quality results.

As part of the placement, you will work with a high-caliber legal team in a leading global financial services organization.

Our articling program offers:

• Comprehensive mentorship and training from senior legal professionals.
• Exposure to complex and high-profile legal matters in financial services law.
• A collaborative and inclusive environment with a strong focus on professional development.

Responsibilities:

You will work closely with experienced in-house counsel on a broad range of legal matters. Some of the key responsibilities of the Articling Student in their placement are to:

• Support Manulife lawyers in providing strategic and risk-informed legal advice. 
• Conduct legal research and legal writing.
• Assist with contract drafting, policy reviews, regulatory compliance, corporate matters, and litigation strategy.
• Participate in regular meetings with the Articling Principal, and other internal meetings as the need arises and in-house training opportunities.
• Travel to different Manulife offices as required.

Education and Experience:

• Law degree and a strong academic background.

• Demonstrated interest in commercial, corporate, regulatory, litigation, and/or insurance law, with prior experience in a legal setting considered an asset.

Who We’re Looking For:

• Highly motivated and proactive self-starter with a strong work ethic.

• Strong legal research, writing, and analytical skills, with the ability to communicate complex legal concepts clearly and effectively to both legal and business audiences.

• Advocacy, problem-solving and conflict resolution skills.

• A high level of comfort working with technology and a keen passion for learning new systems, including digital literacy of MS Office and web-based legal research tools and other web-based resources.

• Excellent interpersonal skills and ability to work cross-collaboratively.

• Strong client service mindset.

• Demonstrated attention to detail.

• Critical thinker able to work well independently with minimal supervision as well as in a team environment.

• Proven time management skills and ability to deal with conflicting priorities and deadlines.

• Ability to investigate facts, identify issues, determine organizational objectives, consider alternative solutions, analyze risk and advise clients on the appropriate course of action.

Compensation:

The salary range for this position is $80,000 to $90,000 CAD per annum, which will be prorated for the 10-month articling term.

Placement Application Process:

To apply for one of these placements, you will be required to submit the following:

• Cover letter (please address your letter to the Manulife Articling Committee).
• Resume.
• Law school transcripts, plus final year course selection.
• Two professional/academic reference letters.

Please submit all applications materials in one single PDF file. All application materials must be submitted by 11:59 PM EST on October 19.

The role being advertised is an existing vacancy.

We use data and analytics technologies, such as artificial intelligence (AI), and automated processing tools, to analyze and process the information you provide to us or third parties in the application process. For more information, please refer to our personal information collection statement.

About Manulife and John Hancock

Manulife Financial Corporation is a leading international financial services provider, helping people make their decisions easier and lives better. To learn more about us, visit https://www.manulife.com/en/about/our-story.html.

Manulife is an Equal Opportunity Employer

At Manulife/John Hancock, we embrace our diversity. We strive to attract, develop and retain a workforce that is as diverse as the customers we serve and to foster an inclusive work environment that embraces the strength of cultures and individuals. We are committed to fair recruitment, retention, advancement and compensation, and we administer all of our practices and programs without discrimination on the basis of race, ancestry, place of origin, colour, ethnic origin, citizenship, religion or religious beliefs, creed, sex (including pregnancy and pregnancy-related conditions), sexual orientation, genetic characteristics, veteran status, gender identity, gender expression, age, marital status, family status, disability, or any other ground protected by applicable law.

It is our priority to remove barriers to provide equal access to employment. A Human Resources representative will work with applicants who request a reasonable accommodation during the application process. All information shared during the accommodation request process will be stored and used in a manner that is consistent with applicable laws and Manulife/John Hancock policies. To request a reasonable accommodation in the application process, contact hr@manulife.com.

Working Arrangement