Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I am proud to announce that the Department of Justice has created a bursary program for qualified NWT aboriginal law students. It is called the Department of Justice Career Development Program and will be available to resident aboriginal students who have been accepted or conditionally accepted in a Bachelor of Laws program at a recognized Canadian University Faculty of Law. The program will offer $10,000 bursaries for a maximum of four law students. These law students will also have the benefit of a summer job with the Department of Justice, and mentoring from department lawyers throughout the summer and school year. The department will assist each bursary student in an effort to get an articling position. At least one student each year will have the opportunity to article in the department's legal division. If more than one bursary recipient graduates in the same year, the students will be provided the opportunity to compete for the articling position.
The Deputy Minister of Justice will appoint a selection committee to screen and select the successful students. The committee will include department officials from legal division, legislation division, personnel services and the directorate.
These $10,000 bursaries will be awarded each year and must be used in the year awarded. A student wishing to obtain a bursary for a second or third year will have to reapply before the start of the next school year and must have successfully completed each year of study and had a satisfactory performance appraisal. The committee will develop criteria which it will use to evaluate applications for the bursary, but priority will be given to students who wish to practice law with the Government of the Northwest Territories.
This program demonstrates our commitment to encourage aboriginal students to pursue careers as lawyers in the Northwest Territories and to one day assume professional and senior management positions within the Department of Justice. Anyone wanting to learn more about this opportunity or to submit an application for the 1999-2000 school year can contact the manager of personnel services at the Department of Justice. Thank you.
--Applause