Resolution Counsel

Job Requisition: Edmonton/ Calgary
Full or Part-Time: Full Time
Hours of Work: 36.25 hours per week
Regular/Temporary: Temporary - 3 years
Scope: Open
Closing Date: October 30, 2023
Classification: Justice Legal Counsel 3
Salary: Legal Officer 3 - $5,688.83 to $6,646.18 biweekly ($148,478 to $173,465 / year)

Role Responsibilities

Resolution Counsel are senior legal dispute resolution specialists helping parties with legal issues arising from family restructuring to reach a mediated agreement by consent; or prepare a litigation plan. In addition to a consent order or litigation plan, Resolution Counsel prepare a report to assist Justices presiding over unresolved family legal issues.

Referrals are made to Resolution Counsel in cases where:

• One of the parties earns less than $90,000;
• No other or limited forms of alternative dispute resolution are available to the parties;
• Prior efforts at resolution have not been successful; and/or,
• The parties are experiencing high conflict or prolonged litigation.

Resolution Counsel may also appear as a Friend of the Court in Regular Family Chambers to assist with matters where at least one of the parties is self-represented. In this context, Resolution Counsel first help the parties in attempting to reach consent on procedural and substantive matters, and when this is not possible, summarize the parties’ positions and provide relevant law to help the sitting Justice in their decision-making process.

Resolution Counsel are also responsible for:

• Leading parties through negotiation and compromise to find a solution to the family issue/conflict.
• Leading and facilitating parties to prepare litigation plans for Court to facilitate the most effective use of Court resources and judicial time.
• Providing parties and legal counsel direction and guidance to services and programs to facilitate earlier and lasting resolutions.
• Acting as a Referee pursuant to Rule 6.44 of the Alberta Rules of Court and a Deputy Clerk of the Court pursuant to s. 17 of the Court of King’s Bench Act.
• Providing a broad range of legal services including legal advice to the Chief Justice, Associate Chief Justice, other Resolution Counsel and other members of the judiciary and court staff to identify opportunities to improve the operational effectiveness of the justice system and Albertans’ access to justice.

Qualifications

The position requires a Bachelor of Laws (LL.B.) degree and active membership in good standing with the Law Society of Alberta , with a minimum of 11 years of related experience in applying, interpreting and analyzing complex fact patterns and multiple areas of law.

The position requires extensive knowledge and understanding in the following areas:

• Alternative dispute resolution methodology (mediation/negotiation) and related processes.
• Services and programs offered by the Court and by governmental and non-governmental agencies and organizations (legal assistance services, counselling services, financial assistance services and parenting courses and programs).
• Civil procedures (e.g.: Alberta Rules of Court), legislation, regulations, policies and case law.
• An expertise of family law and procedures as well as other core aspects of law and legal procedures.

Bilingualism/Fluency in French is considered an asset.

Competencies

Competencies are behaviors that are essential to reach our goals in serving Albertans. We encourage you to have an in depth understanding of the competencies that are required for this opportunity and to be prepared to demonstrate them during the recruitment process.

The link below will assist you with understanding competencies:

The successful candidate will demonstrate the following competencies:

Agility: Ability to anticipate, assess, and readily adapt to changing priorities, manage resilience in times of uncertainty and effectively work in a changing environment.

Build Collaborative Environments: Lead and contribute to the conditions and environment that allow people to work collaboratively and productively to achieve outcomes.

Creative Problem Solving: Ability to assess options and implications in new ways to achieve outcomes and solutions.

Systems Thinking: Keeps broader impacts and connections in mind in an integrated environment.

Notes

This is a one-year contract position that will be located in either Edmonton or Calgary depending upon the successful incumbent.

The hours of work for this position are Monday to Friday 8:15AM-4:30PM, 36.25 hours a week. This position will work remotely using online meetings, Sharepoint and other technology. This position may also require in-person and/or remote attendances in Chambers.

Final candidates will be asked to undergo security screening.

What we offer:

• Comprehensive benefits plan:
• Pension plan:
• Leadership and mentorship programs
• Professional learning and development
• Positive workplace culture and work-life balance

How To Apply

Current employees should access the Career tile in 1GX to submit their application in order to be recognized as an internal applicant.

Applicants are advised to provide information that clearly and concisely demonstrates how their qualifications meet the advertised requirements, including education, experience and relevant examples of required competencies.

Closing Statement

This competition may be used to fill future vacancies, across the Government of Alberta, at the same or lower classification level.

We thank all applicants for their interest. All applications will be reviewed to determine which candidates' qualifications most closely match the advertised requirements. Only individuals selected for interviews will be contacted.

If you require any further information on this legal job board posting or a copy of the role profile, please contact Marie Paterson at Marie.Paterson@gov.ab.ca