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 Legal Services Branch, Ministry of the Solicitor General (SOLGEN), has an immediate challenging opportunity for an intermediate or senior counsel to provide legal advice and opinions to ministry clients.

Our Values: Integrity, Judgment, Commitment, Justice, Accountability, Courage, Collaboration

The Legal Services branch welcomes applications from candidates who can contribute to the goal of promoting a diverse, respectful and supportive workplace.

It is mandatory to quote the job ID in your cover letter and resume.

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About the job

The Legal Services Branch of the Ministry of the Solicitor General has an immediate need for one (1) counsel to deliver strategic legal advice and support to the Ministry of the Solicitor General (SOLGEN) and its broad range of divisions and program areas, including Correctional Services, Public Safety Division, the Ontario Provincial Police, the Office of the Chief Coroner, the Office of the Centre of Forensic Sciences, Animal Welfare Services and the ministry's Strategic Policy and Infrastructure Divisions as well as other corporate divisions and ministry agencies. Duties of this position will include:

• Providing written and oral legal opinions and advice to support the operational, policy and legislative requirements of SOLGEN.
  
• Leading the development of legislative and regulatory amendments, including the provision of drafting instructions to the Office of the Legislative Counsel, advising and briefing senior management within SOLGEN and providing legal support through all steps of the government approvals process.
  
• Supporting program area client policy development, including assessing the legal implications of policy and operational proposals.
  
• Drafting and reviewing ministerial directions and Orders-in-Council.
  

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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

• Demonstrated commitment to providing excellent client service and ability to produce high-quality work under tight deadlines with changing and competing demands.
  
• Demonstrated ability to achieve effective outcomes through individual work and as part of a team
• Demonstrated experience in:
  
  
  
  • Advising ministry program and policy clients on the development of legislation and regulations, and providing legal support on high-profile and complex legislative initiatives.
    
  • Effectively briefing senior government officials on complex legal principles and concepts.
    
  • Providing written and oral legal advice and opinions on an urgent basis on varied legislative and regulatory regimes.
    
  • Identifying, evaluating, and assessing legal risks and implications of proposed and existing programs and initiatives and providing innovative, strategic, risk-based and solutions-oriented legal advice on time-sensitive issues.
    
  • Developing expertise quickly in a new subject area and conducting in-depth legal research in complex and evolving areas of law to deliver cogent legal and strategic advice.
    
  •Knowledge of SOLGEN legislation and regulations, including statutes relevant to the public safety, policing, and corrections operations of SOLGEN, and administrative law, generally.
  •Proven analytical skills, political acuity and judgment
  •Demonstrated ability to provide excellent client service, with a proven record of building relationships with clients and colleagues and of fostering and creating a culture of diversity, anti-racism, equity and wellness in the workplace.

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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.