Immigration Lawyer
Parkdale Community Legal Services (PCLS) is one of Legal Aid Ontario’s network of community legal clinics providing poverty law services. PCLS is also a teaching clinic for Osgoode Hall Law School, and law students are our primary caseworkers working under the supervision of PCLS staff. We serve low-income clients in a diverse community on the west side of Toronto. We provide legal services in the areas of housing, immigration and migrant rights, workers’ rights, and social assistance, as well as on issues of violence, health, and human rights. We do casework and test litigation in conjunction with community development and organizing work to address systemic issues of poverty and social exclusion.
PCLS is seeking a skilled and experienced immigration lawyer to provide summary advice and representation on a wide range of immigration and refugee law matters. We welcome applicants with at least seven years of experience in immigration and refugee law. The successful candidate will work in a team to supervise students and advance social justice, and be actively involved in community outreach, public legal education, and law reform initiatives. This is a permanent, full-time position.
The preferred start date is early- to mid-January 2024, with the possibility of a start date as late as the end of February 2024.
As the position requires the lawyer to teach, mentor, and supervise five law students, the position is full-time in-person subject to any accommodation pursuant to the Ontario Human Rights Code.
Qualifications
- Membership in good standing with the Law Society of Ontario
- At least seven years of legal experience in the areas of immigration and refugee
law (called to the bar in 2016 or earlier) - Substantial experience representing community members before the Immigration
and Refugee Board (IRB) of Canada, in particular the Immigration Division (ID)
and Immigration Appeal Division (IAD), as well as the Federal Court (FC) and
Federal Court of Appeal (FCA) - Experience assisting community members with refugee claims or appeals before
the Refugee Protection Division and Refugee Appeal Division, as well as
Humanitarian & Compassionate, Pre-Removal Risk Assessment (PRRA),
citizenship applications, and applications to seek and maintain temporary status
in Canada - Demonstrated skills in mentoring and/or teaching
- Experience or ability to supervise students with full caseloads, meeting tight
deadlines - Demonstrated ability to work in a fast-paced environment requiring quick and
appropriate judgment calls while supervising students with full caseloads - Ability to work under little supervision managing and serving sensitive community needs
- Demonstrated commitment to working from an anti-racism, anti-oppression and
social justice framework - Experience with trauma-informed practice
- Experience working with a diversity of clients from low income and marginalized
groups, in particular clients with mental health challenges - Awareness of and support for community organizing for migrant rights and
systemic change - Ability to diffuse tense situations and to assist people in crisis in a calming and
helpful manner
Assets
- Familiarity with resources in the community
- Understanding of the Osgoode Intensive Program in Poverty Law
- Advanced online casefile management skills and related IT skills
- Familiarity with the Legal Aid Ontario Clinic Information Management System
(CIMS) - Knowledge of a second language pertinent to serving the Parkdale-Swansea
community - Experience or knowledge in other clinic areas of law (i.e., social assistance,
housing, and employment)
Compensation
Annual salary of $101,000 plus a defined pension plan, health benefits package, twenty vacation days, eighteen paid sick/wellness days, employee assistance program, and paid time off from December 25 – January 1.
Application
Please send your CV and cover letter in one PDF by email, with “Immigration Lawyer Application” in the subject line, to Kara.Gillies@pcls.clcj.ca.
Please apply by 5:00 PM on Friday, December 8, 2023. We regret that only those selected for an interview will be contacted.
As an employer, PCLS is dedicated to building an organization that reflects the diversity of our clients and the communities we serve. This includes diversity in languages spoken, culture, race, sexual orientation and gender identity. We encourage applications from individuals from diverse, marginalized and racialized communities and backgrounds. PCLS promotes the principles of anti-oppression and adheres to the tenets of Ontario’s Human Rights Code. Please advise if you have any accommodation needs regarding the submission of your application or at any stage of the hiring process.