Lawyer/Legal Content Developer

Organization: CLEO (Community Legal Education Ontario)

Job title: Lawyer/Legal Content Developer

Reports to: Director, Steps to Justice

CLEO (Community Legal Education Ontario/Éducation juridique communautaire Ontario) (www.cleo.on.ca) is seeking a Lawyer/Legal Content Developer with legal practice experience and strong skills in clear writing, to develop and coordinate legal information for CLEO’s Steps to Justice website (and Justice pas-à-pas) and other CLEO materials. This is a full-time position that currently requires 2 days in the office.

CLEO develops and produces legal information content for people in Ontario who face individual or systemic barriers to participation in the justice system, including barriers relating to income, language, literacy and systemic injustices.

Key responsibilities include:

Content development

• Apply legal knowledge and expertise to write, edit, and update legal information content in a variety of formats (primarily online, but also print, audio, video, and social media) on a range of legal topics
• Willing to apply legal skills to develop legal content across multiple legal topics, including areas where no past knowledge or experience
• Identify, develop, research, and integrate new interactive tools, such as flowcharts, checklists, and videos
• Coordinate external legal review and clear language editing of legal information content, ensuring legal accuracy and practical relevance
• Develop workplans and project plans with timelines, and work to meet completion targets
• Identify and coordinate external content development partners
• Maintain up-to-date knowledge of legal topics, including legislative changes and practical challenges facing CLEO’s audience, for example, through trainings, participation in clinic listservs, and legal research
• Undertake background research to understand and monitor the communities’ changing legal information needs and strategies for meeting those needs
• Ensure sustainability plan is in place, including long-term maintenance and updating of legal content
• Network with community legal clinics, community organizations, and other front-line service providers to identify legal information needs, as well as project partners
• Participate in the development and implementation of user testing and other evaluation methods for content and functionality of Steps to Justice and other CLEO products

Outreach

• Assist in the development and implementation of outreach plans, including social media campaigns, for CLEO materials
• Represent CLEO at trainings and conferences to promote an awareness of CLEO and its publications and services

Other

• Work collaboratively with CLEO staff on legal information projects
• Participate in general meetings as scheduled
• Perform other duties that may be assigned from time to time by the Executive Director or the Director, Steps to Justice

The successful candidate will have:

• LL.B. / J.D. from a Canadian province and current Law Society membership
• Three to five years experience practising law in Ontario in at least one area of law affecting low income communities, in particular:
• Immigration law
• Refugee law
• Consumer law

Although we are also interested in candidates who have experience in:

• Health and disability law
• Family law
• Education law
• Wills and POA
• Excellent writing skills and knowledge of principles of clear language and design
• Excellent understanding of diversity, inclusion and equity including the ability to identify and address barriers and work effectively with diverse community members and stakeholders
• Project management skills and experience, including managing multiple projects and coordinating external service providers
• Proven record of producing creating and innovative ideas, projects, and solutions
• Experience with content management systems, and willingness to adapt to new technologies as required is an asset
• Experience working in a non‐profit or community-based environment is an asset

About CLEO

CLEO is a non‐profit organization and specialty legal clinic that provides information and resources for people and communities that face barriers to participating in the justice system (including low income, racial background, literacy, language, culture, disability, and accessibility). For almost 50 years, CLEO has built a strong reputation for producing and disseminating high quality, effective public legal education and information in digital, print, and other formats.

CLEO is committed to equitable employment and hiring practices. We are dedicated to building an organization that reflects the diversity of the communities we serve. We actively encourage applications from people who identify as Indigenous, Black, a person of colour, a person with a disability, or 2SLGBTQIA+. We value applicants who have demonstrated a commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion and recognize that diverse perspectives, experiences, and expertise are essential to achieving our mission.

We will provide accommodation during the hiring process upon request and all information is treated confidentially.

Starting salary range: $78,000 to $90,000, commensurate with experience. CLEO also offers health and dental benefits, and CLEO staff are eligible to participate in the OPTrust pension plan.

To apply:

Please forward the following documents in PDF format:

• your resume
• a cover letter
• a brief writing sample that demonstrates your ability to write legal information clearly for the public

Please include the above documents in an email with “Lawyer/Legal Content Developer” in the subject line by August 4, 2023 to: info@cleo.on.ca

Thank you to all applicants for their interest in the position. Only candidates selected for an interview will be contacted.