Director of Legal Services

Legal Assistance of Windsor (LAW)

Legal Assistance of Windsor (LAW) is seeking a permanent, full-time Director of Legal Services to practice in the area of social benefits law, with a start date on or after May 1, 2024.

About LAW

LAW is an interdisciplinary community legal clinic combining legal and social work professions to meet the multi-faceted needs of the low-income community in Windsor and Essex County. We strive to be an inclusive organization committed to fostering diversity in every aspect of our work, including hiring.

About the Position

The Director of Legal Services will provide supervision to legal staff and non legal staff in accordance with professional standards as set by the Law Society, and Legal Aid Ontario.

• Direct clinical staff and students to ensure effective delivery of services and programs to the community.
• Delegate work responsibilities and tasks to selected staff to ensure work is completed on schedule, within budget and according to relevant standards and procedures.

The lawyer will be part of our multi-disciplinary legal and social work team and will engage in our clinic activities including case work, public and continuing legal education, law reform, community development, and student supervision. The Director of Legal Services is responsible to the Executive Director.

Additional Requirements and Competencies

• Regularly evaluate law employee performance goals and discuss performance with employees to provide feedback and address performance-related issues.
• Ensure appropriate training opportunities are available for staff to ensure high quality service, ongoing learning and professional development.
• Develop, implement and manage Human Resource Policies in consultation with the Executive Director.
• Report complaints relating to potential breaches of professional conduct or ethics on behalf of the staff to the Law Society and the Ontario College of Social Workers.
• Report potential error and omissions insurance claims.

• Experience in immigration and refugee law, with particular experience in the following areas being an asset:

  • one-year window applications;
  • family class sponsorships for spouses,
  • dependent children or parents
  • permanent resident card issues
  • extensions of work permits and visitor records
• The successful candidate will be a lawyer in good standing with the Law Society of Ontario.
• Experience working in a legal clinic setting, or similar, is also an asset.
• A collaborative approach to legal work, strong interpersonal skills, and an ability to integrate into a multi-disciplinary practice are necessary.
• An awareness of trauma-informed practice and an understanding of the principles of intersectionality and anti-oppression are essential.

Job Benefits

• Annual salary between $115,000 and $120,000, commensurate with experience.
• After a 3-month probationary period, employees are entitled to join our clinic’s healthcare benefits program and receive an employer-funded RRSP contribution.
• Vacation entitlements start at 3 weeks per year and increase with seniority.

To apply

Only those applicants selected for interviews will be contacted. Interested candidates must apply by April 15, 2024 at 4:30 p.m. in writing (including a cover letter and resume) to:

Shelley Gilbert, Interim Executive Director
Legal Assistance of Windsor
2-443 Ouellette, Windsor, Ontario N9A 4J2
E-mail: shelley.gilbert@law.clcj.ca