Staff Lawyer - Immigration and Refugee (24 months)

Department Description

The Roster Management (RM) department has provincial scope and is responsible for working with LAO's District Offices to oversee LAO's roster of third-party independent service providers. This oversight includes reviewing applications to join the roster, providing legal opinions and recommending courses of action to internal LAO staff to resolve issues.

Our team conducts legal research and analysis to identify issues and determine courses of action including drafting correspondence, memoranda and administrative law pleadings further to LAO's legislation, and rules and writing notices of suspension from the roster, or roster removal. Another function of the RM group is to review information relating to complaints, audits, or investigations regarding lawyer service-providers, and assessing any potential risks to clients or LAO and identify areas for improvement in LAO's processes and policies relating to management of its roster and quality of service provided to LAO clients. We also chair inter-departmental meetings including LAO's Compliance Departments.

LAO's Roster Management Department also leads a number of modernization projects tied to the implementation of the Legal Aid Services Act, 2020 and the Roster Management Rules. These projects include the transition of roster members to the new minimum experience requirements, implementation of the conditional authorization and duty counsel renewal processes, and data management initiatives.

Function

To provide legal services in the areas of administrative law, and professional regulation to carry out LAO's statutory powers under the Legal Aid Services Act, 2020 and its rules applicable to LAO's Lawyer Roster.

The Roster Management Staff Lawyer - Immigration and Refugee will provide support to LAO's District Offices to oversee LAO's roster of third-party independent service providers in immigration and refugee law.

This oversight includes:
- reviewing applications to join the roster
- providing legal opinions and recommending courses of action to internal LAO staff to resolve issues with immigration and refugee roster members
- together with the staff lawyer assigned for each district, assist in drafting correspondence, memoranda and administrative law pleadings further to LAO's legislation, and rules with a specific view towards identifying issues with immigration and refugee quality of service and compliance.
-together with the staff lawyer assigned for each district, assist in writing notices of suspension from the roster, or roster refusal and removal
- reviewing information relating to complaints, audits, investigations, and third party information (E.G. Information from the Law Society of Ontario, the IRB, Federal Court, and stakeholders) regarding lawyer service-providers, and assessing any potential risks to clients or LAO,
- participating in inter-departmental meetings including LAO's Compliance Departments;

The Roster Management Staff Lawyer Immigration and Refugee will be responsible for a high-volume of roster management files at any given time, and will also be heavily involved in the review of materials submitted by Immigration and Refugee roster members to review quality of service and compliance with LAO's requirements and policies.

In addition, the Roster Management Staff Lawyer, Immigration and Refugee will participate in a number of internal initiatives aimed at improving client service delivery and oversight of immigration and refugee legal aid services. This will include:
- Participating in meetings with internal and external stakeholders in relation to immigration and refugee service delivery;
- Researching and drafting operational policies, process improvements, and clarifications on LAO's existing rules and guidelines;
- Identifying opportunities for improved oversight of the Immigration and Refugee Roster;
- Tracking Roster Management Files that require oversight and monitoring
- Drafting memoranda on behalf of the Director and Department in relation to various immigration and refugee initiatives to update LAO's senior management and Board;
- Providing support and subject matter expertise in immigration and refugee issues to all members of the Roster Management Team;

This position will appeal to a lawyer with significant experience in immigration and refugee law as well experience in administrative law, professional regulation, and legal research and writing. This position requires significant knowledge of LASA, 2020, and Roster Management processes, and will require a lawyer who can effectively navigate and manage multiple competing priorities, and an often-intensive workload involving detailed reading, writing, and correspondence. Effective time-management and organization is essential in this role.

Home location: Provincial office
Secondary location: TBD

Reports to: Director, Roster Management

• Drafting legal correspondence, notices of suspension, notices of refusal to enrol on the roster, notices of roster removal, and other materials further to LAO's legislation, rules, or policies.
• Oversight of legal aid roster members in one or more of LAO's Districts, including carriage of a high-volume Immigration and Refugee roster management files at any given time
• Identify and assess risk, and formulate strategies and approaches to addressing issues with roster management files as they arise;
• Reviewing and providing direction to management and advice on reports from LAO's Compliance Departments
• Conducting reviews and analysis of Immigration and Refugee Roster Lawyer billings and substantive work submitted to LAO to identify quality and compliance issues;
• Oversight of applications to the Immigration and Refugee Roster and assist staff in drafting refusals, requests for additional information, conditional membership notices, and other materials;
• Participate in a number of ongoing initiatives aimed at reviewing and improving Immigration and Refugee service provision;
• Research, draft, and together with business staff produce data in support of operational policy and process changes;
• Facilitating knowledge-sharing and best practices among staff offices
• File management, including developing and maintaining repository of correspondence, pleadings for roster membership proceedings or related litigation, and other relevant materials including use of computer technology and data input for statistics measurements in a timely manner
• Data tracking, including reviewing and assessing data from LAO's annual lawyer self-report, and tracking data on roster member issues and resignations.
• Supporting District Offices including providing research and analysis on roster management inquiries from various LAO staff.
• Ensuring a high-quality of legal work in a cost-effective and efficient manner
• Assistance with other special projects as they arise, including providing input and research on new policies or procedures, and new area of law standards.
• Keep abreast with and where necessary providing research and analysis on matters before the Law Society Tribunal.
• Punctual attendance to perform daily duties
• Perform other duties and administrative tasks as assigned and remain adaptable and flexible in a changing environment.

• Lawyer in good standing with the Law Society of Ontario
• Fluency in French, including ability to draft legal materials and provide legal services in French is a significant asset.
• Extensive Administrative Law knowledge, including intermediate-level knowledge on the Legal Aid Services Act, 2020, its regulations, rules, and LAO's Roster Management Process
• A minimum of 5 years of direct experience in Immigration and Refugee Law including providing direct client service and attendance and representation at the IRB and/or Federal Court is required,
• Knowledge of court and tribunal practices and procedures relating to immigration law proceedings.
• Knowledge of LAO's Billing System is an asset;
• Significant and current experience in legal drafting, including drafting demand letters and pleadings, including ability to quickly draft materials and respond to urgent priorities
• Demonstrated commitment to social justice or public interest work
• Demonstrated understanding and current working experience with LAO's Compliance processes and the delivery of Legal Aid Services in general
• Practical understanding of the Rules of Professional Conduct and proceedings before the Law Society Tribunal
• Communication, presentation and negotiation skills coupled with strong advocacy skills.
• Proven judgment and analytical ability to determine appropriate legal remedies or course of action
• Ability to quickly shift priorities and adapt where urgent priorities arise
• Ability to foresee and address risks, including maintaining discretion, providing a range of options, and working with sensitive and highly confidential information
• Ability to work collaboratively with a range of both internal and external stakeholders, including external counsel, LAO's Compliance Departments, General Counsel, and LAO's Management.
• Ability to work with minimal supervision in an intensive environment while also demonstrating collaboration and teamwork with colleagues and other stakeholders
• Ability to use computer based file management and data entry systems such as PeopleSoft and Microsoft Office.
• Demonstrated ability to use latest communication technologies including tablets and smartphones and ability to utilize video conferencing platforms in order to deliver services virtually. (Zoom/Lync/Teams)

To apply submit a cover letter & résumé.

Only those candidates selected for an interview will be notified.

This position is represented by The Society of United Professionals and the employee will be governed by the provisions of the collective agreement and union dues will be deducted bi-weekly from date of hire.

First Preference will be given to current members of the Society of United Professionals.

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