Legal Counsel

Job Category

Job Profile

Job Title

Department

Compensation Range

The Compensation Range is the span between the minimum and maximum base salary for a position. The midpoint of the range is approximately halfway between the minimum and the maximum and represents an employee that possesses full job knowledge, qualifications and experience for the position. In the normal course, employees will be hired, transferred or promoted between the minimum and midpoint of the salary range for a job.

Posting End Date

Note: Applications will be accepted until 11:59 PM on the Posting End Date.

Job End Date

This position is expected to be filled by promotion/reassignment and is included here to inform you of its vacancy at the University.

At UBC, we believe that attracting and sustaining a diverse workforce is key to the successful pursuit of excellence in research, innovation, and learning for all faculty, staff and students. Our commitment to employment equity helps achieve inclusion and fairness, brings rich diversity to UBC as a workplace, and creates the necessary conditions for a rewarding career.

Job Summary
The Legal Counsel is a core member of the OUC and provides legal advice and services to UBC.

Organizational Status
The Legal Counsel interacts and coordinates activities directly with other members of the UBC administration. The Legal Counsel reviews contracts and recommends them for execution to UBC s authorized signing officers. The Legal Counsel is approved by the Ministry of Finance to approve the issuance of indemnities by UBC.

Work Performed
The Legal Counsel:

• provides legal advice and services on a range of legal issues directly to faculties and administrative units, except with respect to matters within the jurisdiction of the Department of Human Resources;

• negotiates and prepares a full range of legal agreements to which UBC is a party with a view to ensuring consistency in external dealings and compatibility with UBC s policies and objectives;

• approves indemnities as authorized by the Ministry of Finance;

• upon consultation with the University Counsel, retains, instructs and supervises external legal counsel on behalf of UBC, except with respect to matters within the jurisdiction of the Department of Human Resources;

• identifies and recommends procedures and practices to protect UBC from undue liability;

• develops and reviews University policies for consideration by the Board of Governors;

• participates in seminars and other education-oriented initiatives on legal issues affecting UBC; and

• performs other related duties as required by the University Counsel.

Consequence of Error/Judgement
Adverse decisions may have significant impact upon the reputation of UBC and affiliated organizations, or expose UBC or affiliated organizations to unwarranted legal liability. In most cases, the results of the decisions are irreversible.

Supervision Received
The Legal Counsel reports to the University Counsel but is expected to exercise professional judgment in the day-to-day carriage of files and in setting priorities. The Legal Counsel may also receive work assignments from the Associate University Counsel, who assists the University Counsel in overseeing the Legal Counsel and other professional staff.

Supervision Given
The Legal Counsel is provided with administrative support which is generally shared with other Legal Counsel. While administrative support staff report to the Assistant to the University Counsel, the Legal Counsel are expected to provide work assignments directly to the administrative support staff who have been assigned to them, to cooperate with other Legal Counsel to ensure that the overall volume of work and deadlines assigned to their shared administrative support staff are reasonable and appropriate, and to participate in the evaluation of the performance of their assigned support staff. In addition, while the Paralegal reports to the Associate University Counsel, the Legal Counsel are expected to provide work assignments directly to the Paralegal, to cooperate with other Legal Counsel to ensure that the overall volume of work and deadlines assigned to the Paralegal are reasonable and appropriate, and to participate in the evaluation of the performance of the Paralegal. Upon consultation with the University Counsel, the Legal Counsel retains, instructs and supervises external legal counsel on behalf of UBC.

Minimum Qualifications
- Willingness to respect diverse perspectives, including perspectives in conflict with one's own

- Demonstrates a commitment to enhancing one's own awareness, knowledge, and skills related to equity, diversity, and inclusion

Preferred Qualifications

The Legal Counsel must:

• be a member in good standing of the Law Society of British Columbia;

• have a law degree and broad-based experience as a practising lawyer, preferably including 5 years of solicitor s experience;

• have strong interpersonal skills;

• exercise judgement, tact, and discretion;

• have the ability to simultaneously manage a diverse range of complex projects and activities;

• have extremely effective oral and written communications skills;

• be familiar with University policies and procedures;

• be an effective negotiator;

• relate well with faculty, staff, and students; and

• have effective computer literacy skills.