Counsel

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ELIGIBILITY FOR THIS COMPETITION IS RESTRICTED TO STEP 1 CANDIDATES INCLUDING OPS ALOC AND OCAA LAWYERS living or working within 125 km of this location. Note: Eligible lawyers from outside the Area of Search may apply but will not be entitled to relocation or travel expenses for the transfer as set out below.

 Step 1: All regular/fixed-term OCAA and ALOC lawyers on staff, current Redeployment List Members and current Articling Student Hireback Pool Members. 
Step 2: In the absence of qualified applicants at Step 1 the competition may be reposted so that external applicants or non-members of the above-mentioned groups would then be eligible to apply.

The Ministry of the Attorney General, Civil Law Division, seeks experienced counsel for an exciting and challenging opportunity to join the legal team at the Ministry of Indigenous Affairs and First Nations Economic Reconciliation (“IAFNER-LSB”). This is an opportunity to work on a varied practice in a small legal branch with a wonderful office culture and very interesting and fast-paced work.

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About the job

Duties will include:

• Providing legal advice and client support on high-profile, complex files including: land claims negotiation and litigation; governance issues; major development projects and matters involving section 35 Aboriginal and treaty rights including consultation and accommodation.
• Providing advice and supporting the development of policy and/or legislative initiatives
• Assisting clients by negotiating and drafting agreements, terms of reference, memoranda of understanding, community partnership agreements and other legal documents such as transfer payment and procurement related documents with third parties including Indigenous communities and organizations
• Providing in-depth legal research and analysis through oral and written opinions and presentations on complex legal issues
• Providing support and peer review to counsel at partner ministries who are providing advice to their clients regarding consultation with Indigenous communities
• Briefing clients at the Ministry of Indigenous Affairs and First Nations Economic Reconciliation (IAFNER), the Ministry of the Attorney General and across government, including senior management through in-person briefings and/or the preparation of briefing materials
•Drafting briefing notes and other documents
•Taking on special projects
•Providing litigation support to Constitutional Law Branch and Crown Law Office - Civil in cases involving IAFNER and Indigenous legal issues
•Providing training and education to IAFNER clients
•Participating on committees, in training, projects and administrative duties as assigned
•Travelling throughout Ontario as required

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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 experience in Aboriginal law, including knowledge and understanding of the law relating to Aboriginal rights claims, title claims, self-government, treaty claims, and consultation with Indigenous communities, and supporting policy and program development
• You have demonstrated experience supporting complex negotiation and litigation matters involving Indigenous issues, including on major development projects
• You have demonstrated experience in drafting complex legal documents, such as contracts and legislative instruments
• You have demonstrated ability to work independently and lead significant and high-profile files
• You are comfortable and effective in briefing senior officials
•You have a working knowledge of public law
• You have a proven ability to develop expertise quickly in a new subject area, conduct in-depth legal research in complex and evolving areas of law, provide cogent legal advice, draft legal opinions, agreements and other legal documents
• You are able to work under pressure within tight timeframes in a high-volume environment and effectively and collaboratively work with a team in multi-disciplinary and negotiating environments
• You have knowledge of Indigenous culture, communities and history and/or experience with Indigenous communities
• You have demonstrated exceptional judgment, analytical, interpersonal skills, and written and oral communication skills
•You have demonstrated exceptional client service with a proven record of building strong relationships with clients and colleagues, and and fostering a workplace creating a culture grounded in diversity, anti-racism, equity and wellness

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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.