Legal Assistant – Virtual Indigenous Justice Center (VIJC)
Indigenous Justice CentresFull TimeBritish Columbia
About BCFNJC
Empowered by the First Nations Leadership Council and in partnership with the provincial and federal governments, the BC First Nations Justice Council (BCFNJC) is responsible to 204 First Nations in BC. Our mandate is to reduce the overrepresentation of First Nations Métis and Inuit people in the criminal justice system and the child protection system, and to support Nations as they move to sovereignty over justice.
The BCFNJC is growing rapidly. Indigenous people in BC deserve world-class legal services and programs. To this end, we are seeking team members who share our vision, understand the gravity of the work, are excited by the opportunity and will not stop until we reach our goal. We take our mandate seriously but also strive for a balanced, caring work environment that is respectful and supportive.
Indigenous Justice Centres
The Indigenous Justice Centers (IJCs) are spaces where those facing involvement in the colonial justice systems can come for legal support. BCFNJC recognizes that Indigenous people are significantly overrepresented in both the correctional and child welfare systems and often face intersecting systemic and social barriers to navigating the colonial systems. Indigenous women, girls and 2SLGBTQQIA+ peoples are among the most impacted as victims, survivors, and families of gender-based violence and of MMIWG2S+.
The IJCs houses Legal and Outreach teams that bring together a range of community, cultural and professional expertise that are available to people navigating criminal and child protection cases. The interdisciplinary team works together with a client-centered approach to access the legal and social supports that effect their housing, employment, physical and mental health and wellness, necessary to address the challenges facing them in the child protection and criminal justice systems.
IJCs integrates staff wellness into daily operations, recognizing that IJC teams may carry the weight of IJC clients’ experiences of injustice and trauma. All staff are part of a proactive approach to wellness that includes access to cultural supports, attention to physical and mental health and reasonable workloads. Staff are expected to take vacation and personal leaves and work collaboratively to cover absences, ensuring that the team remains healthy and able to provide high quality services.
Position Summary:
The Legal Assistant’s primary responsibility is to provide legal administrative support to the Virtual Staff Lawyers. Law practice in the VIJC has a strong focus on criminal defence work with some child protection matters. The Legal Assistant must be a self-motivated individual with the ability to work with minimal supervision and in a virtual environment. At times, the Legal Assistant may be exposed to sensitive information and must maintain confidentiality.
Job Duties and Responsibilities:
• Work collaboratively with and provide support to multiple Virtual Staff Lawyers in the Virtual Indigenous Justice Centre.
• Work alongside the Virtual Client Navigator to ensure timely intake of clients and arrange for appointments in accordance with Staff Lawyers’ schedules.
• Communicate with potential clients (who may at times be under emotional stress) and complete intake interviews with a focus of isolating legal issues and obtaining required information for file and reporting purposes.
• Coordinate multiple outlook calendars when booking appointments.
• Open, update, maintain, index, assemble, and close digital files and records.
• Prepare a variety of legal documents as directed by the Staff Lawyer and arrange for filing of court documents in multiple court registries located across the province.
• Prepare electronic trial books as directed by the Staff Lawyer and arrange for printing and/or shipping to the Staff Lawyer.
• Arrange delivery / receipt of documents with clients by email, fax and / or courier.
• Communicate with organizations such as court registries, Crown Counsel, Ministry of Children and Families (“MCFD”) as well as Indigenous self-governed child protection entities, social and support workers, among others.
• Order and log receipt of document disclosure and transcript requests.
• Maintain a Bring Forward system for the Virtual Staff Lawyers to ensure timely response to correspondence, compliance with limitation periods and attendance at appointments.
• Maintain and update precedent records and files.
• Conduct records management functions by classifying and storing records.
• Arrange telephone and video conferencing for court appearances, appointments with clients and various other meetings.
• Communicate with the Virtual Staff Lawyers and other BCFNJC Staff in a virtual environment.
• Compile and submit statistical data with regard to clients served and services delivered, in accordance with the BCFNJC’s Data Collection Framework
• Ability to problem solve and find resolutions using a forward-thinking approach demonstrating tact and respect.
• Maintain existing file procedures and structures to maintain file organization established across the IJCs.
• Contribute to the collaborative approach to wrap-around services in the Indigenous Justice Centres.
• Work together with the IJC team to maintain a welcoming, high function virtual centre by supporting colleagues and community partners, as assigned.
• Attend team meetings to ensure a collaborative team approach to legal services.
• Comply with BCFNJC policies and procedures.
• Other tasks and duties as required at the discretion of the Legal Support Supervisor.
Qualifications & Work Experience:
• 3+ years’ experience working as a legal assistant or paralegal.
• Legal Administrator and / or paralegal certificate from accredited institution.
• Experience in criminal law or child protection is an asset.
• Knowledge of First Nations practices and culture and experience working with diverse communities.
• Experience preparing and filing legal documents and maintaining criminal and / or child protection files.
• Proficiency in record keeping, Quicklaw and / or CanLii, Adobe, Outlook, Teams, Zoom and standard computer applications in MS Office.
• Experienced in working in a virtual environment with a focus on maintaining and developing electronic file management.
• Ability to use tact, diplomacy, discretion and good judgment when dealing with sensitive situations, confidential material and demanding and difficult people.
• Knowledge of Clio practice management software is an asset; and
• A clear criminal reference check (CPIC) and Vulnerable Sector Clearance will be a condition of employment.
Job Title: Legal Assistant – Virtual Indigenous Justice Center (VIJC)
Pay Range: $60,000 - $70,000 annually
Reporting: Reports to the Legal Supports Supervisor; daily operations oversight by local Managing Lawyer
Location: Any Indigenous Justice Centre or Westbank Head Office
Hours: Full-time (35hours / week); Mondays to Fridays
While we recognize the value of diversity in the workplace and welcome applications from people of all backgrounds, preference will be provided to Indigenous applicants in accordance with section 41 of the BC Human Rights Code. Candidates of Indigenous background are encouraged to self-identify on their application.