Job Specification

Purpose of Position :

To provide confidential legal secretarial and administrative services to the Court of Appeal of Ontario.

Duties / Responsibilities :

As a member of the Judicial Support Team to provide highly skilled legal secretarial/administrative services to the Justices of the Court of Appeal of Ontario, job requires:

1. Transcribing and typing from shorthand notes, handwritten drafts and/or digital recordings using a network computer and various applications (i.e. Word, Internet Explorer, Quicklaw, Adobe Acrobat, Walkabout Write and Walkabout Transfer) to produce confidential and highly-sensitive documents, such as reasons for judgment and endorsements, appendices, commission of inquiry reports, speeches, minutes, correspondence and other court related documents; checking (at the judicial library, with law clerks or on-line) various law reports, statutes and texts to secure correct citations and quotations, performing editorial and verification functions involving extensive use of Latin maxims and legal terminology wherein a single typographical error could influence their effect or misconvey the Justice's intent and proofreading to ensure accuracy and propriety in all respects.

2. Drafting from verbal instructions correspondence for the justices' signature; faxing extensive judgments, facta, memoranda, documents, to judges and multiple destinations, as required; sending packages and boxes of documents with time sensitive materials locally, nation-wide and/or international by courier service.

3. Reviewing, prioritizing and delivering all incoming mail addressed to the justices, on the basis of own knowledge of justices' current activities and personal requirements. Forwarding other matters for routine processing or referring to other responsible officials (i.e. Senior Legal Officer, Registrar or administrative staff). Releasing to various law publishers reserved judgments and subsequent addendums, supplementary or costs decisions according to set procedures for filing and distribution of justices' decisions and recording the appropriate disposition information into the Court Office System. Returning closed file materials to the appropriate office, removing and shredding the judges' bench memos and personal notes.

4. Liaising with senior government officials, staff, law clerks and floor ushers to ensure justices' instructions/requests are adhered to and carried out; arranging lunch meetings and receiving visitors such as other members of the judiciary and senior government officials, greeting and announcing them in a pleasant and cordial manner, according to protocol consonant with the justices' position. Liaising with the Commission for Federal Judicial Affairs, Minister of Justice and the Attorney General of Canada, Minister of Justice for Ontario and Senior Ministry Officials when required on behalf of the Justices.

5. Maintaining justices' bench books of recorded cases, office diaries (desk diaries and electronic calendar on Outlook) and keeping the justices informed on all matters when required. Coordinating and arranging conference calls, meetings with justices and counsel as required including coordinating with the Appeal Scheduling Unit. Maintaining awareness of court schedules, contacting judges in cases of emergency and seeing that upcoming court case files are delivered to justices.

6. Setting up and maintaining filing system and judicial library, ensuring books, including loose-leaf, are up to date at all times; indexing judgments, cross-referencing by parties/subject-matter for easy access. Ordering legal books and publications and maintaining records, preparing and coordinating bookbinding of legal publications, completing and forwarding expense forms for reimbursement; completing and forwarding expenditure approval forms when ordering new judicial attire or repairs to attire or office equipment


7. Maintaining daily contact with justices when they are in or out of the office, acting as main contact for all judicial inquires, keeping justices informed of scheduled activities for the following week and ensuring that he/she has required court files and related material; answering inquiries from members of the legal profession and the general public, dispensing copies of documents such as judgments to entitled parties at the justices' direction.


8. Making travel and accommodation arrangements; preparing various expense reports in accordance with expenses allowed by the federal and provincial governments, such as travel and conference allowances, determining exchange rate from American dollars to Canadian dollars by accessing the Bank of Canada via internet to complete expense claims as required; monitoring balance of Judge's discretionary book allowance ($500) and incidental allowance ($5000); advising justices of expenditures; submitting expense claims prior to fiscal deadline. Completing and filing medical and dental claims, ensuring benefits are coordinated with justices' spouses' plans, if necessary.


9. Assisting justices and liaising with the various committees that they chair, with respect to emails, correspondence and documents. Setting up justices' educational seminars at Osgoode Hall and arranging logistics, equipment, meals and refreshments. Assisting justices with arrangements for their bi-annual education seminars at various locations throughout the province; arranging for guest speakers, recreational activities, etc.


10. Assisting justices with new appointments to ensure easy transition to the Court of Appeal, communicating with appropriate parties to assist in the moving and setting up of personal items; liaising with the supervisor and judicial administrative coordinator for the Swearing-in Ceremony. Tracking responses to the Swearing-in Ceremony invitations. Setting up of the office, ordering of judicial regalia, stationery and supplies for the new justice as required. Assisting the new justices to deal, were appropriate, with the procedural transition.

11, Upon retirement of a justice, working with the justice by communicating with the Commission for Federal Judicial Affairs, the Minister of Justice and the Attorney General of Canada and the Minister of Justice for Ontario and following through as required; arranging for the cancellation of subscriptions and change of address to all associations, publishers, and all other persons concerned. Coordinating with the justice and the Accommodations Department to ensure that all personal belongings and files are transferred as per justice's directions.


12. Providing secretarial services to visiting justices sitting on the Court of Appeal on an ad hoc basis; providing back-up secretarial support for other secretaries on vacation, illness etc., and, to the Chief Justice and Associate Chief Justice of Ontario as required.

Staffing and Licencing :

Job requires dicta at ministry standards and typing speed of 50 words per minute.

Knowledge :

Job requires knowledge of the Court of Appeal legal/office administrative procedures, legal documents and formats, and rules and regulation that govern the Court of Appeal and related Statutes, Codes, Provincial and Federal Acts to provide secretarial/administrative services to the judiciary; to answer telephone inquiries and relay information by providing factual explanations of the Court of Appeal administrative policies, paper flow and procedures. Job requires knowledge of legal terminology to transcribe from shorthand notes/handwritten drafts, dictaphone tapes/digital recording equipment e.g. ensuring spelling accuracy, performing editorial/verification functions. Job requires knowledge of relevant statutes and references to review typed materials, securing correct citations and verifying quotations. Job requires knowledge of legal secretarial/administrative and internal office procedures to provide support services by performing such tasks as updating files and court schedules, completing conference and travel arrangements, ordering office supplies, legal books/publications. Job requires knowledge of dictaphone/digital recording equipment, including ability to operate a fully programmable personal computer and related software such as Word, Windows, Microsoft Office (Outlook, Word, Publisher, Access, Excel and PowerPoint, Quicklaw), to manipulate text to produce letters, memoranda, reports and legal documents, according to established procedures. Job requires knowledge of database applications (such as Court Office System, Judicom) to enter, track/update data. Job requires knowledge of financial processes to ensure purchasing procedures are followed and invoices and statements of expenses are prepared for payment; to prepare justices expense reports ensuring expenses are within the allowable limits by the federal and provincial governments. Job requires knowledge of courier service and use for local, national/ international delivery to send packages/boxes of documents with time sensitive materials

Skills :

Job requires judgment and initiative in determining/selecting appropriate administrative procedures/processes when typing legal documents and handling correspondence e.g. ensuring correct format, terminology, correct spelling and grammar, and ensuring adherence to correspondence format. Job requires reviewing the mail, recognizing priorities or urgencies and identifying matters to be retained and acted upon. Job requires identifying, resolving and following up on problems such as incomplete documentation, conflicts in scheduling, by requesting additional information e.g. date, location, from source and determining and realigning priorities in response to deadlines. Job requires analytical skills to respond to issues such as inquiries involving explanation of court procedures e.g. documentation required, time lines, clarification of legal terms, and to redirect calls by selecting appropriate referrals e.g. lawyer, police, legal aid. Job requires organizational skills prioritizing own workload, in coordinating logistics for meetings/conferences, establishing and maintaining filing system for judiciary e.g. directives, correspondence, confidential material, case law and to maintain the legal library. Job requires written communication skills to use appropriate of legal terminology, in preparing legal documents; to compose correspondence from oral instructions from the justices and to respond to requests for information from other justices and the legal profession; to proofread prepared materials to ensure accuracy and propriety in all respects. Job requires oral communication skills to set up conference calls, meetings/education seminars, screen telephone calls/messages, and greet and receive visitors. Job requires providing factual explanations of Court of Appeal legal and office administration policies, procedures and terminology to the public. Job requires regular communication with judiciary to discuss court schedules/attendance and responses to inquiries. Job requires tact and diplomacy when dealing with the judiciary, legal profession, senior government officials and the public, observing correct procedures and protocol. Job requires tact and diplomacy when dealing with irate and disgruntled public or unrepresented litigants (in person or on the telephone) and maintaining a calm and patient manner.

Freedom of Action :

Job requires working independently in accordance with established procedures and methods and is directly accountable to the justices and supervisor for all work produced. Job has access to Court of Appeal legal and office administrative procedures, policies, schedules/deadlines. Job requires determining the best layout or presentation format when typing judgments, endorsements, letters, reports, charts. Job is regularly performed with a high latitude in decision-making/problem solving by handling all office activities on behalf of the justices including screening all incoming calls; responding on own or determining urgency to refer to others; prioritizing, planning/managing the justices calendar/schedule, making travel/accommodation arrangements, booking meeting rooms, meal services/special equipment; setting up educational seminars and assisting justices with new appointments including the Swearing-in-Ceremony. Job requires a high degree of discretion and judgment in determining the nature and scope of releasable information such as what information is confidential and whether or not it should be divulged when responding to inquiries (discretionary errors in revealing privileged information could directly prejudice the interests of litigants). Job requires discretion and knowledge of court deadlines and protocol when releasing information to the public and media. Job requires ensuring confidentiality, accuracy, and deadline demands of highly sensitive materials and independently making modifications to completed work to ensure correct spelling and grammar. Job requires ensuring all court documents are kept secure and confidential while preparing draft judgments/endorsements (draft versions are confidential and not part of the court's public files). Job requires resolving most work related problems or issues independently only referring the most contentious issues to the supervisor for resolution (e.g. workload conflicts). Job requires recognizing potential threats to justices' security, either by telephone or mail and taking the appropriate action with the appropriate officials. Job requires performing editorial and verification functions of legal documents involving extensive use of Latin maxims and legal terminology wherein a single typographical error could influence their effect or misconvey the justice's intent. Errors in preparation and proofreading of legal documents, correspondence and reports for the justices has direct impact on the Court of Appeal and could affect the due administration of justice.