Staff Lawyer

STAFF LAWYER

Primary Practice Area: Housing Law

Secondary Practice Area: Employment Law

SCLS is seeking a lawyer to join our team! We are a non-profit community based legal clinic funded by Legal Aid Ontario. We provide clinic law services to low-income individuals in a culturally diverse community. Our work includes individual casework, public legal education, law reform, and community development activities mainly in the areas of housing law, social assistance law, immigration law, and employment law.

Duties and Responsibilities

Casework

· Provide summary advice, brief services, and casework. At the commencement of employment, the primary area of practice will be housing law and the secondary area of practice will be employment law. However, the practice areas are subject to change and will be determined based on the needs of the employer. The employee may be required to practice in the other areas of poverty law including social assistance and/or immigration law.

· Undertake court appeal, judicial review, and other complex legal actions, as approved by the Executive Director.

· Conduct legal research and collaborate with legal teams.

· Supervise the legal work of other members of the team as directed by the Executive Director.

Law Reform & Community Organizing

· Identify and carry out law reform and community organizing initiatives in collaboration with the legal teams.

· Represent the Clinic to community groups by providing resources and expertise on housing law, employment law, and poverty law issues.

· Monitor policy changes, government initiatives, research studies, reports etc. on poverty law issues that have an impact on, and implications for, our client community.

Public Legal Education

· Speak to community agencies and community members on housing law, employment law, poverty law issues, clinic services, and other topics within expertise.

· Write, edit, and review clinic produced PLE materials .

Qualifications and Experience

· You are a lawyer in good standing with the Law Society of Ontario.

· You have 1 - 5 years of relevant legal experience.

· You have knowledge of related legislation, including but not limited to the Residential Tenancies Act, Housing Services Act, Employment Standards Act, Employment Insurance Act, Occupational Health and Safety Act, and Human Rights Code.

· You have experience litigating matters before administrative tribunals or courts.

· You have a demonstrated commitment to social justice and working for positive social change on issues that affect low-income individuals and groups.

· You have the strong communication and interpersonal skills that are required to address the needs of clients from a variety of social and cultural backgrounds.

· You have a collaborative work approach and the ability to work well in a team-based environment.

· Knowledge/experience in multiple areas of clinic law and the ability to speak a second language are assets.

Terms of Employment

This is a permanent full-time position that is part of the OPSEU bargaining unit. It offers a competitive benefits package and enrolment in the CAAT DB Plus pension plan.

The salary range is $76,000 to $85,000 commensurate with qualifications and experience.

We have a Remote Work Policy that permits a hybrid work arrangement for this position after completion of a probationary period.

How to Apply

All applicants are asked to submit the following, in PDF format, through the FactorialHR web portal at

• cover letter,

• resume; and,

• contact information for two professional references

Your cover letter should outline any experience you have working with low income and diverse communities, relevant employment, and lived experiences.

Applications will be accepted until February 28, 2025 at 11:59 PM. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis before the deadline.

Additional Information

We thank all applicants for their interest however only those selected for an interview will be contacted.

SCLS welcomes applications from diverse individuals who self-identify on the basis of any of the protected grounds under the Human Rights Code. Lived experience and intersectional identities are merit factors for hiring for this position. We are committed to full compliance with the Human Rights Code, the Accessibility For Ontarians With Disabilities Act, the Occupational Health and Safety Act, and all other applicable legislation. We will provide accommodation during the hiring process upon request. Information received relating to accommodation measures will be addressed confidentially.

In recognition of the time and labour of preparing for and attending an interview, SCLS will financially compensate interviewees at a rate of $40 per interview (expected time – one hour). If the candidate is asked to prepare a presentation or assignment during the hiring process, SCLS will financially compensate the candidate for that work at a rate of $40 per hour, based on the time the hiring committee believes the task should reasonably take to complete.

We encourage candidates to learn more about the land on which we live and the nations who have been the stewards of this place since time immemorial, including the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation and the Chippewa, the Wendat, and the Haudenosaunee Confederacy. Please see scarboroughcommunitylegal.ca/thisland for more from which to learn.