Legal Services Society of BC

The Opportunity: LSS has received funding from the provincial government to expand a new child protection service, the Parents Legal Centre (PLC), throughout the province. As part of the Indigenous Services Division, the PLCs will have a focus on serving Indigenous people. As the Administrative Legal Assistant/Intake Legal Assistant (ALA/ILA), PLC, you will be part of a team working to assist parents with child protection matters to reach early collaborative resolutions where appropriate. The Parents Legal Centre take s a holistic approach early in the child protection process to help families stay together where possible. The PLC supports parents to resolve not only their legal matter but also the underlying non-legal issues, such as housing or addictions, which often contribute to protection concerns in the first place. Better outcomes may be achieved when parents access legal advice and support at the early stages in their interaction with child protection authorities. Who We Are: The Legal Services Society (LSS) is the provincial legal aid provider in British Columbia. As a non-profit organization, our goal is to provide legal information, advice, and representation services to people with low incomes in BC. We assist some of BC’s most vulnerable and marginalized citizens: those who do not have the financial, educational, social or health resources to effectively access the justice system when their families, freedom, or safety are at risk. As PLC Administrative Legal Assistant/Intake Legal Assistant you will: provide administrative support to the PLC lawyers and advocates/paralegals; provide front line services to the public and intake services, including taking client information, identify legal problems and urgency, assess eligibility, give legal information and verify legal advice, check conflicts and make appointments; draft, produce routine correspondence and legal documents, answer telephone inquiries, provide information on services offered or direct to other services; manage client filing system (paper and electronic); process and maintain program data, databases, data input and reporting; liaise with other agencies in the community that provide assistance to our clients; work in collaboration with PLC team (managing lawyer, lawyer(s), paralegal/advocate(s) and other administrative legal assistant(s)) and liaise with other LSS intake assistants. The Ideal Candidate: You have completed Legal Administration courses or program, or courses in Law or Sociology supplemented by a minimum of five (5) years of administrative experience in a law environment and one (1) year of intake experience. You have a strong desire to assist disadvantaged clients, including those experiencing family violence or addiction issues, those with low income, or those with mental disabilities. You have an awareness of a community’s cultural diversity, particularly Indigenous cultures. You strive to exceed expectations and are a team player. We Offer: A competitive annual salary, as well as a comprehensive benefits package, including: four weeks paid vacation to start that grows the longer you are with LSS an excellent employee benefits package, where premiums are 100% paid by LSS a generous pension plan support for training and development an Employee and Family Assistance program the opportunity to participate in various Employee programs (Employee Wellness, etc.) generous leave provisions (sick time, special leaves) 13 paid statutory holidays For more information please see LSS website for the position(s) posting with full job requirements : https://www.lss.bc.ca/general/currentVacancies.php Interested candidates should submit a covering letter, together with a résumé, outlining how their qualifications meet the position requirements and quote which competition they are applying for, to: Legal Service Society Human Resources Department 400-510 Burrard Street Vancouver, BC V6C 3A8 VISIT OUR WEBSITE AT www.legalaid.bc.ca Deadline for applications is April 25, 2019. The Legal Services Society is committed to building a skilled, diverse workforce reflective of Canadian Society. We are committed to employment equity and encourage applications from indigenous people, visible minorities, women and persons with disabilities. We would like to thank all external applicants for their interest but regret that only those shortlisted will be contacted.

The Opportunity Located primarily at LSS’ Vancouver Regional Centre, this position supports LSS’ Family Law advice services. Working as part of a team to provide intake and legal administrative support to Family LawLINE and Family Duty Counsel, you will work directly with clients and lawyers on a daily basis. This rewarding position includes front-line client service by telephone, email and occasionally in person. The successful candidate must demonstrate compassion, good interpersonal skills and attention to detail in a fast-paced environment. Who We Are The Legal Services Society provides legal aid to people with low incomes in BC. As a non-profit organization, our goal is to provide legal information, advice, and representation services to some of BC’s most vulnerable and marginalized citizens: those who do not have the financial, educational, social or health resources to effectively access the justice system when their families, freedom, or safety are at risk. The Ideal Candidate You have post-secondary education supplemented by completed Legal Administration courses or program as well as courses in Law, Sociology or related disciplines, and five years of Administration experience in a law environment. An equivalent combination of training, education and experience may be considered. You strive to exceed expectations and are a team player. Qualifications Demonstrated ability to communicate effectively by active listening, question and reading to obtain relevant information; to communicate positive or negative information both verbally and in writing, in a tactful and empathetic manner, to internal and external audiences. Demonstrated ability to provide quality customer service in a timely and professional manner while exhibiting diplomacy in a stressful and deadline driven environment. Demonstrated ability to manage a telephone system and provide services over the telephone in a professional manner. Demonstrated ability to act as a representative of the organization by assuming responsibility for providing courteous, empathetic, knowledgeable service to meeting the expectations of clients and service providers. Demonstrated ability to proactively identify and analyze problems and make decisions within policy, procedures, and guidelines while exhibiting sound judgment and using discretion where required. Demonstrated ability to establish and maintain professional and effective relationships with co-workers, clients, external agencies, and service providers in an environment which includes competing demands, sensitive issues and potential conflict. Demonstrated ability to both independently and within a team environment, plan, coordinate, organize and prioritize a diverse, high volume workload to effectively multi-task and meet deadlines, changing demands and priorities while maintaining accuracy in order to achieve goals and objectives. Demonstrated ability to train, orient, motivate, and provide guidance, and act as a resource to others. Working knowledge of Family, Child Protection and Criminal Law practices and procedures. General knowledge of methods available to stay current with family, child protection and Criminal Law and procedure changes. Demonstrated ability to type 45 wpm. Working knowledge of English grammar and spelling. Basic Working knowledge of database systems (SharePoint). Intermediate Working knowledge of MS Office Suites (word, excel, PowerPoint). Intermediate Working knowledge of Outlook. We Offer In return for your hard work and experience, you will be rewarded with a competitive annual salary based on your skills and experience, as well as a comprehensive benefits package, including: Four weeks paid vacation to start that grows the longer you’re with LSS An excellent employee benefits package, where premiums are 100% paid by LSS A generous pension plan Support for training and development An Employee and Family Assistance program $300 a year towards Employee Wellness programs A healthy work/life balance Social events where employees are given the opportunity to have fun, relax and network with each other Generous leave provisions (sick time, special leaves) 13 paid statutory holidays If you are interested in joining us – visit our careers page for the full job posting at www.lss.bc.ca and apply now! Please indicate competition #, position title , and whether you are an internal or external applicant in the posting in the subject line. We would like to thank all external applicants for their interest but regret that only those shortlisted will be contacted. The Legal Services Society is committed to building a skilled, diverse workforce reflective of Canadian Society. We are committed to employment equity and encourage applications from indigenous people, visible minorities, women and persons with disabilities.

The Opportunity As the Managing Lawyer , PLC, you will manage an office and lead a team consisting of staff lawyer(s), paralegal/advocate(s) and administrative legal assistant(s), working to assist parents with child protection matters to reach early collaborative resolutions where appropriate. The Parents Legal Centre take s a holistic approach early in the child protection process to help families stay together whenever appropriate. The PLC supports parents to resolve not only their legal matter but also the underlying non-legal issues, such as housing or addictions, which often contribute to protection concerns in the first place. Better outcomes may be achieved when parents access legal advice and support at the early stages in their interaction with child protection authorities. Who We Are: The Legal Services Society (LSS) is the provincial legal aid provider in British Columbia. As a non-profit organization, our goal is to provide legal information, advice, and representation services to people with low incomes in BC. We assist some of BC’s most vulnerable and marginalized citizens: those who do not have the financial, educational, social or health resources to effectively access the justice system when their families, freedom, or safety are at risk. As a PLC Managing Lawyer, you will: Provide advice and representation to PLC clients on child protection matters; Assess cases for their appropriateness to the PLC and endeavour to resolve appropriate cases prior to the trial scheduling date; Be familiar with identifying both the issues that clients face outside the traditional legal context and the resources available to assist clients with these issues; Work collaboratively with Director’s counsel, social workers, family support workers, and other participants in the child protection system; Attend at collaborative processes, including mediations; Attend at case conferences and court appearances; Work in collaboration with PLC team, including management, supervision and mentorship of staff reporting to you (PLC lawyer(s), paralegal/advocate(s), and administrative legal assistant(s)); Oversee and assist in outreach activities and building relationships with Indigenous communities and other service providers; Ensure adherence to policies, procedures and performance metrics and preparing reports; Travel as required to provide services in select satellite locations; Be familiar with practices and procedures at the relevant Provincial Court(s) (desirable); Be familiar with local support resources for parents involved in child protection matters (desirable). As the Ideal Candidate you will have: a degree from a law school of recognized standing; membership in good standing with the Law Society of British Columbia, or be eligible for membership; minimum of five (5) years experience primarily in family and child protection law; experience in supporting clients to prepare for and participate in mediation or other collaborative processes; minimum three (3) years management/supervisory experience or equivalent combination of education and experience; familiarity with practices and procedures at the relevant Provincial Court(s); familiarity with local support resources for parents involved in child protection matters; an understanding of Indigenous issues, culture as well as Indigenous community groups and agencies, and current issues affecting Indigenous communities. We Offer: A competitive annual salary, as well as a comprehensive benefits package, including: Four weeks paid vacation to start that grows the longer you are with LSS An excellent employee benefits package, where premiums are 100% paid by LSS A generous pension plan Support for training and development An Employee and Family Assistance program The opportunity to participate in various Employee programs (Employee Wellness, etc.) Generous leave provisions (sick time, special leaves) 13 paid statutory holidays For more information please see LSS website for the position(s) posting with full job requirements : https://www.lss.bc.ca/general/currentVacancies.php Interested candidates should submit a covering letter, together with a résumé, outlining how their qualifications meet the position requirements and quote which competition they are applying. VISIT OUR WEBSITE AT www.legalaid.bc.ca Open until filled.

The Opportunity As the Managing Lawyer , PLC, you will manage an office and lead a team consisting of staff lawyer(s), paralegal/advocate(s) and administrative legal assistant(s), working to assist parents with child protection matters to reach early collaborative resolutions where appropriate. The Parents Legal Centre take s a holistic approach early in the child protection process to help families stay together whenever appropriate. The PLC supports parents to resolve not only their legal matter but also the underlying non-legal issues, such as housing or addictions, which often contribute to protection concerns in the first place. Better outcomes may be achieved when parents access legal advice and support at the early stages in their interaction with child protection authorities. Who We Are: The Legal Services Society (LSS) is the provincial legal aid provider in British Columbia. As a non-profit organization, our goal is to provide legal information, advice, and representation services to people with low incomes in BC. We assist some of BC’s most vulnerable and marginalized citizens: those who do not have the financial, educational, social or health resources to effectively access the justice system when their families, freedom, or safety are at risk. As a PLC Managing Lawyer, you will: Provide advice and representation to PLC clients on child protection matters; Assess cases for their appropriateness to the PLC and endeavour to resolve appropriate cases prior to the trial scheduling date; Be familiar with identifying both the issues that clients face outside the traditional legal context and the resources available to assist clients with these issues; Work collaboratively with Director’s counsel, social workers, family support workers, and other participants in the child protection system; Attend at collaborative processes, including mediations; Attend at case conferences and court appearances; Work in collaboration with PLC team, including management, supervision and mentorship of staff reporting to you (PLC lawyer(s), paralegal/advocate(s), and administrative legal assistant(s)); Oversee and assist in outreach activities and building relationships with Indigenous communities and other service providers; Ensure adherence to policies, procedures and performance metrics and preparing reports; Travel as required to provide services in select satellite locations; Be familiar with practices and procedures at the relevant Provincial Court(s) (desirable); Be familiar with local support resources for parents involved in child protection matters (desirable). As the Ideal Candidate you will have: a degree from a law school of recognized standing; membership in good standing with the Law Society of British Columbia, or be eligible for membership; minimum of five (5) years experience primarily in family and child protection law; experience in supporting clients to prepare for and participate in mediation or other collaborative processes; minimum three (3) years management/supervisory experience or equivalent combination of education and experience; familiarity with practices and procedures at the relevant Provincial Court(s); familiarity with local support resources for parents involved in child protection matters; an understanding of Indigenous issues, culture as well as Indigenous community groups and agencies, and current issues affecting Indigenous communities. We Offer: A competitive annual salary, as well as a comprehensive benefits package, including: Four weeks paid vacation to start that grows the longer you are with LSS An excellent employee benefits package, where premiums are 100% paid by LSS A generous pension plan Support for training and development An Employee and Family Assistance program The opportunity to participate in various Employee programs (Employee Wellness, etc.) Generous leave provisions (sick time, special leaves) 13 paid statutory holidays For more information please see LSS website for the position(s) posting with full job requirements : https://www.lss.bc.ca/general/currentVacancies.php Interested candidates should submit a covering letter, together with a résumé, outlining how their qualifications meet the position requirements and quote which competition they are applying. VISIT OUR WEBSITE AT www.legalaid.bc.ca Open until filled. The Legal Services Society is committed to building a skilled, diverse workforce reflective of Canadian Society. We are committed to employment equity and encourage applications from indigenous people, visible minorities, women and persons with disabilities. Preference will be given to applicants of indigenous ancestry that meet the requirements for the position. We would like to thank all external applicants for their interest but regret that only those shortlisted will be contacted.