589 Alberta Utilities Commission Internship
LAW589
Alberta Utilities Commission Internship
Prerequisite courses:
Prerequisite for:
Instructor(s): JP Mousseau, General Counsel at Alberta Utilities Commission
Course credit: 3
2023-2024 academic year: internship available in Winter 2024 term only, for 2 students.
METHOD OF EVALUATION
The Course is a pass/fail course. The grade will be dependent on the feedback received from the Alberta Utilities Commission.
COURSE DESCRIPTION
The AUC internship course is a 3-credit course offered during the Fall and/or Winter semesters. Typically 1 student intern per semester for about 12-13 weeks, 6 hours per week (for a total of 75 hours). The internship is unpaid. The internships will be based in Edmonton.
Interns work with members and staff of the Alberta Utilities Commission on various projects, and get an opportunity to experience administrative law in action. Past projects have included actual proceedings pending before the AUC as well as research projects on current legal challenges facing utility regulators. As an intern, you will gain firsthand knowledge of the role of the AUC in the regulation of public utilities. You will have the opportunity to:
work with members of the AUC’s law division to get a sense of what it is like to work as in-house counsel for an administrative tribunal
attend interdisciplinary meetings of AUC staff and Commission members on a variety of topics
conduct research and provide input into legal opinions to Commission members and staff
attend any ongoing hearings and / or attend any permission to appeal applications or appeals related to AUC decisions
Attend regular seminars on the AUC’s role in setting rates, approving electric and gas utility facilities, enforcement matters, the role of the Alberta Electric System Operator and the role of the Market Surveillance administrator.
SPECIAL COMMENTS
Winter 2024 update: Students will set aside time every Wednesday afternoon to attend at the AUC’s office, either virtually or in person. Wednesday is our anchor day when all our lawyers are in the office and we have staff meetings where we discuss new developments, emerging issues, etc. We also have weekly, mini-seminars for the interns where we will review, in some detail, the different aspects of our regulatory responsibilities from a practical and legal perspective.
The seminars are most but not all weeks and are included in the Wednesday afternoon timeframes. Because there is a research paper some of the time allotted for the course is “out of office” research that does not need to take place on Wednesday afternoons
HOW TO APPLY
This course is closed to online registration. Selection is at the discretion of the instructor. To apply, submit your unofficial transcripts and a 1 page cover letter indicating why you are interested to vicedeanoflaw@ualberta.ca; title your email "AUC internship application".
Applications for Winter 2024 will open following the info session.
Info session: Wed, Oct 4, 12pm in LC113
Applications due Sunday, October 15, 2023.
REQUIRED TEXTS (IF ANY):
N/A