Role Responsibilities

We are looking for a Legal Assistant to provide legal support to the lawyers on the Environmental Law Team within the Legal Services Division.

The Environmental Law team has an exciting opportunity for a motivated individual with excellent interpersonal and problem-solving skills to act as a legal assistant. If you are looking for a new opportunity to use your legal administration skills, take the next step and develop a career with us!  We foster an atmosphere of learning and growth within a supportive, respectful, and healthy work environment.

The responsibilities of the position include but are not limited to:

Supporting lawyers on the Environmental Law team in the Oxbridge Place building, the Legal Assistant job duties include:

• Preparing, formatting and editing a variety of documents from lawyer’s written or verbal instructions, including letters, memos, agreements and reports, contracts, legal documents.
• Uploading and processing documents in ARTS (Action Request Tracking System).
• Maintaining and organizing electronic and paper filing system including opening, closing and uploading documents into the Prolaw system.
• Preparing physical files to be sent or retrieved from the Alberta Records Center.
• Managing files by liaising with a variety of clients, counsel, and stakeholders.
• Working in a team environment, assisting several lawyers and working closely with other legal assistants on the team.
• Managing Outlook calendar, including arranging appointments, scheduling meetings, and making travel arrangements.
• Performing searches (Corporate registry, courthouse, bankruptcy, etc.).
• Drafting external counsel retainers and processing of external counsel invoices.
• Utilizing research tools such as CanLii, Westlaw to pull and cite various cases and statutes.
• Preparing and submitting documentation for appeals before the Environmental Appeals Board (EAB) and Public Lands Appeal Board (PLAB).
• Monitoring EAB and PLAB hearings data and maintaining tracking information, including diarization.
• Assisting in the preparation and review of Director’s Records, ensuring all documentation has been received, vetted for privileged information and bookmarked.
• Assisting in scheduling and compiling agendas for practice groups.
• Other duties as required, including general administrative duties for the office.

To succeed in this role, you will bring a strong attention to detail along with the ability to motivate others and thrive as part of a collaborative team.

You will also be confident working independently, managing a high-volume workload, and supporting multiple lawyers and Executive Directors while consistently meeting deadlines and maintaining high quality standards.

The Job Description is provided for further details on this position. 

APS Competencies

Competencies are behaviors that are essential to reach our goals in serving Albertans. We encourage you to have an in depth understanding of the competencies that are required for this opportunity and to be prepared to demonstrate them during the recruitment process.

Below are the critical competencies required for this role:

• Systems Thinking – Seeks Clarity -   Identifies several analytical techniques and sources of knowledge to break apart complex problems.
• Agility – Seeks out new opportunities - Identifies alternative approaches or courses of action in unclear and complex situations. Supports others to identify, assess, and use alternative approaches.
• Drive for Results – Plan for results - Sets goals and prioritizes work to accomplish them. Follows through on duties and tasks and reports on progress.
• Build Collaborative Environments – Encourages diversity – Promotes collaboration and positive relationships (even in challenging circumstances) within and across groups and builds commitment to reach desired results
• Creative Problem Solving - Have the ability to assess options and implications in new ways to achieve outcomes and solutions.
• Develop Self and Others - A commitment to lifelong learning and the desire to invest in the development of the long-term capability of yourself and others.

Qualifications

Minimum Requirements:

• Two-year Legal Assistant, Paralegal diploma, or any other related degrees, plus 1 (one) year of related experience working as a Legal Assistant, Paralegal or any other similar roles with a Law Firm or other agency; or equivalent as described:
• Directly related experience or education considered on the basis of:
  • One year of experience for one year of education or
  • One year of education for one year of experience.

A cover letter is encouraged along with your application. In your cover letter, please briefly summarize:

• Your legal experience and expertise.
• Relevant strengths and skills.
• Reasons for interest in the position.

Assets include experience with:

• Action Request Tracking System (ARTS) or equivalent tracking system.
• Prolaw
• Legal research
• Microsoft Office 365 program (Word, Excel, Outlook, Lists, SharePoint and PowerPoint) and Adobe.

Minimum recruitment standards outline the minimum education and experience required for appointment to a job classification.

Notes

Hours of work: Monday - Friday, 8:15 am - 4:30 pm (36.25 /week)

Positions Currently Available: One (1) temporary wage position is currently available up to 6 months. There is a possibility of extension in the future, up to 6 more months.

This competition may be used to fill future permanent, temporary, full time and part time and wage vacancies across the division.

Location: This opportunity is located at Oxbridge Place, 820 – 106 Street, Edmonton.

Final candidates will be required to undergo a criminal record. Any costs associated with obtaining the required documents/checks as noted or interview travel expenses will be the responsibility of the candidate. Out-of-province applicants can obtain the required documents/checks from the province they currently reside in.

Links and information on what we have to offer:

As a Wage employee, you receive 11.6% in addition to regular wage earnings in lieu of paid holidays and vacation leave:

• 5.6 percent of regular wage earnings instead of paid holidays.
• 6 percent of regular wage earnings instead of annual vacation pay.
• Professional learning and development.
• Research Alberta Public Service Careers tool.
• Positive workplace culture and work-life balance.