Counsel

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The Ministry of the Attorney General, Civil Law Division, Ministry of Transportation, Legal Services Branch (MTO LSB) is seeking an experienced and team oriented lawyer who is well organized, a self-starter, and who can work in a fast-paced environment.

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About the job

Reporting to the Director and/or Deputy Director, you would:

•Provide excellent solution oriented legal advice primarily in the area of Aboriginal law, including the duty to consult, but also in the areas of environmental law, expropriations law and administrative law, to support the advancement of MTO's capital highway and infrastructure projects and other Ministry work.
•Support the development of legislation, regulations and Orders in Council
•Provide support to the Ministry of the Attorney General, Crown Law Office Civil in respect of legal challenges
•Provide written and oral advice to support the development of key MTO policies, and MTO approaches to operational matters that are complex and have cross-government implications. This would include collaboration with other legal branches such as Ministry of Indigenous Affairs and First Nations Economic Reconciliation and Ministry of Attorney General, Constitutional Law Branch in respect of Aboriginal law matters including the duty to consult
•Provide written and oral opinions in respect of legislation applicable to the Ministry of Transportation including the Public Service Works on Highways Act, the Public Transportation and Highway Improvement Act and the Expropriations Act
•Brief Ministry officials
•Participate in committee and administrative duties as assigned

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What you bring to the team

Mandatory requirements

• Membership in good standing as a lawyer with the Law Society of Ontario

Knowledge and Skills

•You have demonstrated knowledge of Aboriginal law, including the duty to consult, and have experience advising clients on related matters.
•You have experience negotiating agreements with Indigenous communities
•You understand the relationship between Indigenous peoples and the government, and have the cultural competency/proficiency to work with Indigenous communities
•You have a working knowledge of environmental law, expropriations law and administrative law
•You have experience in contract drafting, procurements and transfer payments
•You have experience providing advice to statutory decision-makers in respect of permits and approvals
•You are familiar with the Public Service Works on Highways Act, the Public Transportation and Highway Improvement Act, the Expropriations Act, Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act, and other legislation relevant to MTO
•You have proven judgement and ability to work under pressure to provide excellent solution-oriented advice that fully considers clients' policies, programs, objectives and interests
•Proven ability to handle multiple tasks while working under tight deadlines
•Demonstrated analytical and clear writing ability
•Ability to contribute and work effectively as part of a team
•Demonstrated communication and interpersonal skills
•Demonstrated computer skills

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How we support diversity, inclusion and accessibility

We are building an inclusive workforce that reflects the communities we serve. We encourage everyone interested in working with us to apply, including people with disabilities, Indigenous, Black and racialized individuals, as well as people from all ethnicities, cultures, sexual orientations, gender identities and gender expressions.

Our hiring process is accessible, consistent with Ontario's Human Rights Code and the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005. We are working to prevent and remove barriers in our hiring processes and can offer  accommodation to address specific needs related to Code-protected grounds such as disability, family status and religion. For more information about accommodation during the hiring process please  contact us.

Learn more about the work the OPS is doing to create an inclusive, anti-racist, accessible and diverse workplace:

• diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives
• accessibility
• Anti-Racism Policy

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Additional information:

Note:

• About security checks:
  A criminal or other federal offence record does not automatically disqualify you from the position. We consider each situation based on the position's responsibilities.
  If a check is needed and you've lived outside of Canada in the past 5 years for 6 or more months in a row, or if you are not a Canadian resident, you'll need to provide an out-of-country police clearance certificate from the country you lived in.
  Employment screening checks are only reviewed and evaluated by the Transition and Security Office, which also maintains them and keeps them strictly confidential.
• For issues with submitting applications, or questions, please contact CSMD.HR.LegalCompeti@ontario.ca

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How to apply:

1. You must apply online.
2. Your cover letter and resume combined should not exceed five (5) pages. For tips and tools on how to write a concise cover letter and resume, review the Writing a Cover Letter and Resume: Tips, Tools and Resources.
3. Customize your cover letter and resume to the qualifications listed on the job ad. Using concrete examples, you must show how you demonstrated the requirements for this job. We rely on the information you provide to us.
4. Read the job description to make sure you understand this job.
5. OPS employees are required to quote their WIN EMPLOYEE ID number when applying.
6. If you require a disability related accommodation in order to participate in the recruitment process, please Contact Us to provide your contact information. Recruitment services team will contact you within 48 hours.

Language requirements and assessment:
All external Ontario Public Service (OPS) job ads are posted in English and French. Check the "position(s) language" section at the top of each job ad for the language requirements. For all roles, candidates are assessed in English, the business language of the OPS. If the position is bilingual (English/French), you'll also need to pass a French-language proficiency test.

Exigences en matière de langue et évaluation:
Toutes les offres d'emploi externes de la fonction publique de l'Ontario (FPO) sont affichées en français et en anglais. Consultez la section « Langue du ou des postes » en haut de chaque offre d'emploi pour connaître les exigences linguistiques. Pour tous les postes, les candidats sont évalués en anglais, la langue d'affaires de la FPO. Si le poste est bilingue (anglais/français), vous devrez également passer un test de compétences linguistiques en français.