EMPLOYER: Legal Aid Ontario
JOB DESCRIPTION:
Job Type: Contract - 18 months
Application Deadline: August 29, 2023 at 11:59PM EST
Please apply at: Bilingual Legal Aid Worker (18 months) | Legal Aid Ontario (njoyn.com)
Legal Aid Ontario employees are committed to making a difference in the lives of our clients.
As an integral partner in the Justice system, working at Legal Aid Ontario is more than just a job. It's an opportunity to help people who need it the most; to ensure each client receives the access to justice afforded to them under the law.
If you are looking for a new challenge in your already meaningful career with a team dedicated to justice, and innovation in a flexible and supportive work environment consider this opportunity below.
Primary Function
This position is responsible for supporting the mandate of the Eastern District. The Legal Aid Worker (LAW) works with their manager, staff lawyers, and other LAWs to provide direct client service and administrative support in a busy district office and/or courthouse environment. The legal aid worker will assist with referring clients to appropriate services and resources, providing basic procedural advice to criminal law clients, interviewing sureties, appearances in criminal set date court and video remand court, some preparation and drafting of non-complex family court documents and pleadings, including the drafting and preparation of applications, answers, motions, affidavits, and financial statements and other duties as assigned.
Reports to: Manager, District Operations
Key Accountabilities
Direct Client Services
- Provide services in courthouse locations including client triage and intake
- Assist clients with drafting and service of family law documents under the supervision of duty counsel/staff lawyer
- Assist duty counsel/staff lawyer by triaging/screening clients and provide clients with public legal information including procedural legal information
- Assist clients/duty counsel with bail hearing process (i.e. interview sureties)
- Assist clients/duty counsel with routine administrative matters (i.e. adjournments)
- Assist vulnerable populations such as racialized communities, Indigenous Peoples, youth and those experiencing mental health or addiction challenges and/or homelessness
Client Management and Administration
- Provide general information, including procedural legal information on the status of legal aid applications, appeals, and referrals
- Perform intake by interviewing clients (in-person, phone, video) to gather necessary information (case history) required for decision-making
- Attend provincial and/or federal institutions to provide client supports, to assist with gathering/relaying information concerning pending court dates (i.e. bail hearings) and to perform various intake and other drafting services
- Make entitlement decisions (including ongoing eligibility) based on LAO’s financial and legal eligibility policies and guidelines. This would include complex client and legal/financial matters
- Perform administrative tasks such as data input, ordering supplies, maintaining files, scheduling per diem duty counsel, approving accounts, collecting/compiling information for statistics/performance measures and other tasks as assigned
Communications and Outreach
- Communicate with and respond to clients, lawyers, and other legal system partners in-person, by phone, video, and through written correspondence
- Perform outreach with stakeholders including clinics and other community agencies to promote and expand service co-ordination opportunities
- Liaise with private bar lawyers, duty counsel, mental health workers, and other court workers and administrative staff
- Identify and elevate issues/service trends and seek guidance from management when necessary
Required Skills & Experience
- Written and oral French language skills are mandatory
- Excellent communication and interpersonal skills for dealing with clients, lawyers and other agencies with the proven ability to exercise judgment when encountering stressful situations including the early identification of vulnerable clients so that the appropriate service and referrals can be made
- Good understanding of criminal and family court processes and the rules and practice directions for all levels of court serviced by duty counsel
- Ability to maintain detailed functional and theoretical knowledge of legal aid application processing rules and procedures, financial principles and LAO policies and practices
- Ability to determine legal and financial eligibility based on LAO eligibility criteria and to generate certificates in accordance with office procedures
- Proven ability to learn and adapt to new or modified policies and procedures
- Demonstrated commitment to client service and relationship building skills
- Demonstrated ability to use latest communication technologies including Smartphones, tablets, and videoconference systems
- Must have intermediate knowledge of the following Microsoft programs: Teams, Outlook, Word, Excel
- Access to transportation
Only those candidates selected for an interview will be notified.
This position is collective represented by OPSEU.
Please note that all applicants are encouraged to provide a valid email address forcommunication purposes. Applicants may receive written correspondenceregarding this job posting directly to the email address provided on their resumeor to the one used to set up their Candidate Profile if applying on Njoyn. As anapplicant, it is your responsibility to ensure that you check your email regularly.
First time applying to LAO? You will need to create a profile AND then apply forthe position.
Already have an Njoyn account? Just sign in and select "my jobs" to apply.
Once you have successfully applied you will receive a confirmation email.
If you are having trouble applying, please call 1-877-427-7717.
START DATE: 09/05/2023