Legal Assistant (Secretary 2)

Competition # : 30481

Department: Justice

Location: HALIFAX

Type of Employment: Permanent

Union Status: NSGEU - NSPG

Closing Date: 5/12/2021 (Applications are accepted until 11:59 PM Atlantic Time)

Designation Status

This opportunity is designated for applicants that identify as either an Indigenous Person, an African Nova Scotian or Other Racially Visible Person.

About Us

The Legal Services Division is the government's law firm, providing a full range of legal advice and services to support government operations and help government achieve its corporate priorities. With a staff of more than 150 lawyers, paralegals, researchers and administrative professionals, the Division is one of the largest law offices in the Province.

We are skilled in administrative law, negotiation and drafting of agreements, commercial transactions, corporate governance, property transactions, the development of legislation and regulations to implement the public policy goals of government, support in employment and labour matters, and day to day advice on routine legal matters.

We represent government in all legal proceedings, except prosecutions. This includes formal litigation on behalf of the Crown before all levels of courts in the Province, the Federal Courts, and the Supreme Court of Canada. Typical cases brought before these courts include judicial review applications, statutory appeals, contractual disputes, constitutional issues, class actions, child and adult protection proceedings, and other claims made by or against government.

We also represent government before administrative bodies and tribunals, and in arbitrations and mediations. We assist government departments and agencies navigate the procedural and substantive aspects of these proceedings and help them resolve disputes.

As well we are home to the Registry of Regulations, which is responsible for filing, consolidating, and publishing Nova Scotia regulations. The Registry is responsible for the publication of the Royal Gazette Part 1 and Part II. The Registry reviews all draft regulations to ensure the regulations meet the required plain language standards, and to ensure that the regulations are consistent in form, style and content with current legislation and regulations.

For more information on the Department of Justice Legal Services please visit our website: https://novascotia.ca/just/Legal_Services/

About Our Opportunity

As the Legal Assistant, you will provide high quality, specialized legal administrative assistance, and file management support under the direction of two or more lawyers. You will utilize strong secretarial/administrative skills, knowledge of legal terminology and specialized procedures pertaining to certain areas of law. You will perform effectively under the pressures and strain of inflexible deadlines in a highly confidential office setting under minimal supervision.


You will be responsible for creating, tracking, and managing Solicitor Service files. The opportunity requires you to be able to adapt to shifting priorities, balance your efforts between providing legal assistance and administrative support, respond in a timely and appropriate manner to inquiries and to be organized in your day to day file management.

Primary Accountabilities

Legal Assistance / Support to Lawyers

• Provide specialized legal assistance for lawyers who provide legal advice/litigation services to government departments and various agencies, boards, and commissions
• Ensure documents assigned by a lawyer are prepared, filed, and/or served within prescribed or assigned deadlines
• Query and retrieve legal case law, precedent materials/documents, or other relevant information as identified by a lawyer

Secretarial / Administrative Support

• Prepare correspondence, presentations, and documents of a legal and non-legal matter
• Respond to inquiries from internal and external clients and the public
• Schedule appointments and maintains lawyers’ calendar and schedule and book rooms, court reporters, travel, discoveries, witnesses, interpreters, case conferences
• Books travel and related accommodations when necessary
• Works in a team environment, providing coverage to assistants on their team and other teams as assigned by the Legal Services Coordinator

Responding to Inquiries and File Management

• Acts as a point of contact to ensure clients have the appropriate information including file updates, process or procedural changes, Division updates and other general matters
• Responds to inquiries from the public to ensure appropriate and relevant information is provided
• Manages files in the Central Registry filing system, electronic shared directory and in the file/document management databases
• Organize all hard copy and electronic files including filing of documents, data entry and the use of the STAR/STOR classification system
• Ensures that files/filing is up to date and brought forward for review by lawyers as required

Qualifications and Experience

To be considered for this opportunity, you will possess a certificate/diploma from a Legal Assistant or Paralegal program and 3 years of experience in a legal practice or an acceptable combination of education/training and experience.

You have experience and competency in an automated environment, with proficient and accurate typing, dicta typing, MS Word, and data entry skills. You have knowledge of legal terminology, procedures, and documentation, as well as excellent research, analytical and organizational skills. Your excellent communication skills both written and oral giving you the ability to deal with clients, lawyers and co-workers in a fair, caring, and impartial manner communicating in a clear and concise manner while maintaining confidentiality and impartiality.

Assets include:

• Experience preparing Executive Council forms
• Knowledge of provincial government departments and agencies
• Knowledge of legal terminology, procedures, and documentation
• Experience utilizing STAR/STOR record classification system, or other file management systems

We will assess the above qualifications using one or more of the following tools: written examination, standardized tests, oral presentations, interview(s), and reference checks.

Equivalency

Applicants relying on education and experience equivalencies must demonstrate such equivalencies in their application.

Benefits

Based on the employment status and union agreement, the Government of Nova Scotia offers its employees a wide range of benefits such as Health, Dental, Life Insurance, Pension, General Illness (Short and Long Term), Vacation and Employee and Family Assistance Programs.