Counsel - Advisory Services Group

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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 Crown Law Office – Civil (CLOC) is the central litigation and advisory office for the Government of Ontario.

CLOC advisory counsel, acting as solicitors, provide legal advice to the Ministry of the Attorney General as well as other ministries and government agencies on a wide range of legal issues with cross-government significance. Advisory counsel practice in all areas of public law including administrative law, Crown liability, statutory interpretation, freedom of information and privacy, conflict of interest matters and the role of the Attorney General.

CLOC requires one (1) junior counsel for its Advisory Group.

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About the job

Duties will include:

• Working as a junior counsel within CLOC Advisory, researching and analyzing complex legal issues to provide sound, solution-oriented advice
• Providing written and oral legal advice, opinions, and legal services to the Ministry of the Attorney General, other Ministries, agencies, boards and tribunals, both as part of a team as well as independently, with appropriate peer review
• Reviewing and providing advice regarding draft legislation and regulations.
• Drafting documents including both long and short form legal memoranda, and briefing notes.
• Briefing senior management at the Ministry of the Attorney General and other Ministries across government.

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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

• Knowledge and experience in providing written or oral legal advice and opinions, including on an urgent basis
• Knowledge and familiarity with all aspects of public law including administrative law, Crown liability, statutory interpretation, , freedom of information and privacy, conflict of interest matters and the role of the Attorney General
• Knowledge of theCrown Liability and Proceedings Act, 2019, theJudicial Review Procedure Act, Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act, and theMinistry of the Attorney General Act.
• Demonstrated ability to conduct legal research in complex areas of law, to support senior counsel, to handle own files and to work effectively in a team environment with counsel, articling students and other staff
• Demonstrated ability to write strong legal opinions that are legally sound, clear and practical
• Ability to handle urgent matters and work to strict deadlines in a high volume work environment
• Demonstrated flexibility to adapt to a changing work environment
• Proven judgment and analytical ability
• Experience working constructively on teams of diverse members and demonstrated interest in Ontario Public Service priorities relating to diversity.

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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.