Counsel

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The Constitutional Law Branch of the Ministry of the Attorney General, Civil Law Division, seeks highly skilled lawyers to join a team of specialized counsel providing litigation and legal advisory services to the Government of Ontario on behalf of the Attorney General in respect of constitutional issues arising under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms , the federal division of powers and other matters arising under the Constitution Act, 1867 and matters arising under the Human Rights Code.

This is an opportunity to work on cutting edge constitutional law issues in a medium-sized legal branch in a dynamic, high-output work environment and a collegial and collaborative office culture.

The Ministry of the Attorney General's Civil Law Division is committed to building a diverse workforce that reflects the public we serve. We strive to foster a respectful, inclusive and supportive workplace.

Accommodation is available under the Ontario Human Rights Code. To request it for the purposes of this competition, please contact Virginia DaCosta, Manager of Business Operations, Constitutional Law Branch, at Virginia.Dacosta@Ontario.ca

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About the job

Responsibilities include:

• Providing strategic legal advice on constitutional and human rights issues
• Conducting complex constitutional litigation before all levels of court and tribunal

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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 ability, interest, and experience in constitutional and human rights law
• You have demonstrated ability, interest, and experience in civil litigation and administrative law
• You have proven excellent communication skills (oral, written and advocacy)
• You have demonstrated ability to research and analyze complex issues of law and public policy
• You have the ability to thrive in a high pressure, high volume legal practice
• You have experience working independently and as part of a team. You are collaborative and are committed to a culture of continuous improvement.
• You have demonstrated ability and experience participating in briefings and presenting information to clients and/or decision-makers
• You have demonstrated judgment and analytical 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.