Counsel

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The deadline to apply is now Monday, June 8, 2026, at 11:59 pm.

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.

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About the job

The Office of the Chief Justice, Ontario Court of Justice (OCJ) requires three lawyers to join our fast-paced, collaborative Counsel team to provide clear and concise legal, policy and strategic advice and provide leadership on initiatives working with the Chief Justice, Associate Chief Justices, and other senior judicial officials.
There is a need for both criminal and family expertise. You will be asked to indicate when you apply whether you are applying for criminal, family, or both.
Duties will include:

Reporting to the Deputy Executive Legal Officer under the direction of the Executive Legal Officer, Chief Justice and administrative judiciary, you will:

• Provide timely, concise and authoritative legal research to judicial officials
• Thrive in a collaborative, fast-paced, high-profile environment
• Work with multi-disciplinary teams to drive operational and system-level initiatives that impact the Court
• Collaborate with members of the judiciary, ministry colleagues, and justice partners in meetings and working groups
• Prepare and present briefing materials to judicial committees and justice stakeholders
• Participate in educational programming for judiciary

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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

•Proven knowledge of statute and case law gained through formal training, application and experience criminal and/or family law. Experience or knowledge of other areas of law practiced in the Ontario Court of Justice is an asset, including relevant criminal and family legislation and the Provincial Offences Act
•Knowledge of relevant legislation and regulations, including the Courts of Justice Act and the Justice of the Peace Act, and knowledge and experience with court operations, procedures and practice, including experience practicing in the Ontario Court of Justice
•Demonstrated experience conducting in-depth legal research and providing strategic, legal, operational and policy advice/opinions on a range of court-related matters
•Able to interact on a professional level with members of the judiciary, colleagues, senior leaders and non-government organizations, and the public
•Experience building and maintaining meaningful, respectful working relationships with internal and external stakeholders and organizations, and Indigenous peoples and communities
•Experience taking initiative to lead files and manage work priorities, including seeking direction and input when needed
•Strong professional judgment and ability adjust to changing circumstances
•Demonstrated computer skills and comfort using technology, including Microsoft Teams
•Willing and able to travel throughout the province, as required
•Knowledge of the principles and practices of adult education is an asset

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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.