Staff lawyer, Legal Clinic Programs

Lincoln Alexander School of Law at Toronto Metropolitan University

About Toronto Metropolitan University At the intersection of mind and action, Toronto Metropolitan University (formerly known as Ryerson University) is on a transformative path to becoming Canada’s leading comprehensive innovation university. Integral to this path is the placement of equity, diversity, and inclusion as fundamental to our institutional culture. Our current academic plan outlines each as core values and we work to embed them in all that we do.

Toronto Metropolitan University welcomes those who have demonstrated a commitment to upholding the values of equity, diversity, and inclusion and will assist us to expand our capacity for diversity in the broadest sense. In addition, to correct the conditions of disadvantage in employment in Canada, we encourage applications from members of groups that have been historically disadvantaged and marginalized, including First Nations, Metis and Inuit peoples, Indigenous peoples across North America, racialized persons, persons with disabilities, justice-impacted individuals and those who identify as women and/or 2SLGBTQ+. Please note that all qualified candidates are encouraged to apply; however, applications from Canadians and permanent residents will be given priority. If you identify as being part of a historically disadvantaged or marginalized group and you would like the hiring committee to be aware of this, we encourage you to identify as such in your resume and/or cover letter.

As an employer, we’re working towards a people first culture and we’re proud to have been selected as one of Canada’s Best Diversity Employers and one of Greater Toronto’s Top Employers for 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018. To learn more about our work environment and innovative educational environment, visit torontomu.ca, check out @TorontoMetHR on Twitter, and visit our LinkedIn company page.

The Lincoln Alexander School of Law

The Lincoln Alexander School of Law is a different kind of law school designed to create a different kind of lawyer – one who is equipped with the contemporary skills and legal experience required to respond to the evolving challenges in our society. We seek to become a model for legal education that drives the legal profession to become more equitable, accessible, and technologically advanced.

The Opportunity

We are seeking an experienced, dynamic, and equity-oriented lawyer to join the Lincoln Alexander School of Law as the second Staff Lawyer, Legal Clinic Programs. The ideal candidate will have either some familiarity with or openness to learning the skills necessary to work within a legal clinic culture that incorporates a healing justice lens, inclusive of movement and community lawyering, decolonial and anti-racist ways of thinking and working, anti-oppressive and trauma-informed lawyering, and abolitionist and transformative justice frameworks.

This is a unique and rare opportunity to be part of the early stages of building a student legal clinic program, within a law school that is deeply committed to equity. Working alongside the other members of the Legal Clinic Programs team, the Staff Lawyer will play an essential role in shaping the culture, practices, and substantive legal focus of the law school’s student legal clinic, and in forming relationships with communities and partner organizations. The Staff Lawyer will provide comprehensive and holistic supervision and mentoring to students, starting in the areas of housing and social assistance law; will participate in the implementation, refinement, and expansion of the law school’s student legal clinic model; and will work collaboratively with local organizations on community development, law reform, and public legal education initiatives. The Staff Lawyer will infuse all aspects of their work with an equity-oriented, anti-oppressive, and trauma-informed approach to student supervision, community and client interaction, and legal practice.

Key responsibilities include:

Supervision of Students on Advice, Representation, Community Facing Projects, Public Legal Education, and Law Reform Activities of Legal Clinic Programs: Supervises students on the day to day activities of the student legal clinic, which may include provision of legal advice, case file representation, community facing projects, public legal education, and law reform activities. Provides regular consultation and mentoring to students, ensuring accurate legal advice is given with a client-centered, holistic, and empathetic approach.
Legal Clinic Model Implementation: Assists the Legal Clinic Programs team with the implementation of a student legal clinic model. This may include conducting research on legal clinic models and legal needs within relevant communities; assisting with development of legal clinic policies, procedures, and systems; developing student engagement, recruitment, and training strategies and processes; and assisting with the development and delivery of an academic legal clinic seminar.
Special Projects Management: Undertakes short-term special projects or assignments as requested by the Director, Legal Clinic Programs, which may include conducting research and building community relationships and partnerships for prospective project collaborations; preparing and delivering public legal education for diverse equity-seeking communities; leading and/or participating in special events relating to Legal Clinic Programs or hosted by the law school; preparing content and communication materials relating to Legal Clinic Programs; and providing administrative and operational support as required.

Qualifications

To help us learn more about you, please provide a cover letter and resume describing how you meet the following required qualifications:

Bachelor of Laws (LL.B.), Juris Doctor (J.D.), or equivalent law degree
Membership in good standing with the Law Society of Ontario
Minimum of 4 years of relevant legal experience after call to the bar, ideally with experience working in a legal clinic or a social justice related legal workplace
Knowledge of / working experience in areas of legal clinic law, with knowledge required in social assistance and housing law, and other areas of legal clinic law being an asset (for example, some of human rights, employment, and immigration/refugee law)
Understanding of legal and socioeconomic issues and barriers that equity-seeking communities in Toronto and Ontario face, and commitment to equitable outcomes and social justice in relation to same
High level of comfort with technology and ability to learn new technologies
Excellent oral and written communication skills
Strong organizational and time management skills
Strong supervisory and leadership skills
High level of attention to detail and strong analytical skills
Ability to work effectively with students and to interact with students from diverse backgrounds and circumstances in a sensitive and equity-oriented manner
Ability to build relationships of trust with external and internal partners and stakeholders
Ability to work in a team towards broader common goals and to support colleagues and students in their work and goals

Additional details

Position #20004735
Reports to: Director, Legal Clinic Programs

Vacancy type: Term 24 months

Start date: ASAP
End date: 2 years from the start date
Employee Group: MAC
Hours of work: 36.25
Grade: C51
Salary Scale: $74,376 to $118,80 (hiring range up to $96,592)
HR Contact: Mylene Barrette
Posting date: June 5th 2023
Closing date: June 22, 2023

Qualified MAC employees will be interviewed before members of other employee groups.

We encourage all First Nations, Metis and Inuit peoples or Indigenous peoples across North America, to self-identify in their applications and also reach out to Tracey King, Indigenous Human Resources Lead for support during the selection process.

As part of the selection process, candidates may be required to complete an occupational assessment.

Applications will only be accepted online through Toronto Metropolitan University’s career site. Toronto Metropolitan University is committed to the principles of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA), and aims to ensure that independence, dignity, integration and equality of opportunity are embedded in all aspects of the university culture.

We will provide an accessible experience for applicants, students, employees, and members of the Toronto Metropolitan University community. We are committed to providing an inclusive and barrier-free work environment, starting with the recruitment process. If you have restrictions that need to be accommodated to fully participate in any phase of the recruitment process, please reach out to: hr@torontomu.ca. All information received in relation to accommodation will be kept confidential.