The Team
The Natural Resources, Transportation, and Indigenous Legal Group (NATRIL), Legal Services Branch, Ministry of Attorney General, is an established team of around 140 professionals.
Within NATRIL, there is one unit dedicated to historical research, and five units dedicated to unique areas of law that involve both solicitor work, as well as civil litigation.
The Attorney General is the legal advisor to the government of British Columbia and is charged with ensuring that the administration of public affairs is carried out in accordance with the law. The Ministry of Attorney General is structured to carry out this mandate under the direction of the Attorney General, and Legal Services Branch supports the Ministry in fulfilling this mandate by serving as legal advisor to government in civil law matters. Legal Services Branch provides legal advice to government and ensures that legal risks associated with government operations are reduced. Legal Services Branch’s clients include all Ministries of the government, Cabinet and certain public agencies.
The Role
Do you have excellent legal assistant support skills?
NATRIL is recruiting up to two regular, full-time legal assistants, one of which to join our Resource and Environment Unit, while the other to join our Transportation and Land Unit. Specifically, we are looking for exceptional candidates with at least one full year of experience within the past three years providing legal assistant support to lawyers in a Canadian jurisdiction.
Within NATRIL, you can expect a supportive, friendly and inclusive workplace culture where teamwork and respect are top priorities, and a workplace that is fully accessible. If you are an efficient and confident individual, with strong interpersonal skills, and a self-starter with a mature work ethic, we are looking for you!
The successful candidates will be required to provide legal assistant support to lawyers, and responsibilities will include drafting correspondence and preparing legal documents, formatting and proofreading/marking up documents, including the use of Adobe Acrobat Pro, facilitating incoming and outgoing mail and couriers, maintaining both a bring forward system as well as precedents, organizing travel arrangements and preparing expense reports, scheduling meetings in MS Teams, and significant file management (both physical and electronic), including opening and closing files, scanning and copying documents, saving emails in Outlook, maintaining databases, as well as providing coverage to the team.
In the Resource and Environment Unit, specific responsibilities may include pulling information/reports/documents from provincial and extraprovincial registries and databases, preparing materials for administrative tribunals (mostly EAB), which typically includes assembling material for submission and coordinating affidavit commissioning (in-person, remotely and virtually), as well as managing client and/or public-facing inboxes (under the supervision of a lawyer or paralegal).
In the Transportation and Land Unit, specific responsibilities may include performing searches using myLTSA, Personal Property Registry, BC Courts Online, assisting with property conveyances, preparing applications to deposit plans and obtaining necessary signatures, as well as research and analysis of real property status and registered interests, as well as historical land and title documents, and compiling and organizing materials.
Working knowledge of legal processes is required, including an understanding of solicitor/client privilege and conflicts. A high standard in the delivery of legal assistant support, strong initiative and self-motivation, as well as the ability to work well under pressure are highly valued in our busy work environment. Excellent time management and organizational skills, the ability to prioritize, along with flexibility in responding to shifting work demands is required, including the ability to work overtime when necessary. Experience with significant file management of large and complex files is a necessity. The successful candidates will also have a strong attention to detail, as well as exceptional proofreading and editing skills. Good interpersonal skills, the ability to work independently, and to work collaboratively as part of a team are essential.
Qualifications:
Education and Experience Requirements
- Secondary school graduation or equivalent.
- Completion of a Legal Administrative Assistant Program from a recognized institution, or equivalent experience gained through an administrative support role in a legal office environment.
- One full year of experience within the past three years providing legal assistant support to lawyers in a Canadian jurisdiction.
Preference may be given to:
- Applicants that have a Legal Administrative Assistant Certificate or Diploma.
- Applicants with more than one full year of continuous experience within the past three years providing legal assistant support to lawyers in a Canadian jurisdiction.
IMPORTANT: Where there is a difference between the qualifications reflected in the posting and the Job Profile, those stated on the job posting will be used for screening purposes.
For questions regarding this position, please contact [email protected].
About this Position:
These positions are excluded from union membership.
There are two (2) full-time regular positions available.
An eligibility list may be established to fill future temporary and permanent vacancies.
Employees of the BC Public Service must be located in BC at the time of employment.
A Criminal Record Check will be required.
Working for the BC Public Service:
The BC Public Service is committed to creating a diverse workplace to represent the population we serve and to better meet the needs of our citizens. Consider joining our team and being part of an innovative, inclusive and rewarding workplace.
We are committed to ensuring that reasonable accommodations are available throughout the hiring process, including the assessment and selection stages. Please email the individual or contact listed on the posting if you require an accommodation to fully participate in the hiring process.
The Indigenous Applicant Advisory Service is available to Indigenous (First Nations [status or non-status], Inuit or Métis) applicants originating from the land now known as Canada, seeking work or already employed in the BC Public Service. Indigenous applicants can contact this service for personalized guidance on the BC Public Service hiring process including job applications and interviews.
How to Apply:
Your resume and/or cover letter must clearly show that you meet the education and experience requirements. Highlight the required qualifications and support them with specific examples, such as your responsibilities, projects you've worked on, or accomplishments. Find more information on the recruitment process, including helpful tips and videos about the application process, visit the Your Job Application page of MyHR.
Cover Letter: YES - A cover letter is required as part of your application. The content and/or format of your cover letter may be evaluated as part of the assessment process.
Resume: YES - Ensure your resume includes your educational accomplishments, employment history including start and end dates (month and year) of your employment, and any relevant information that relates to the job to which you are applying.
Questionnaire: YES - You will need to complete a basic questionnaire to demonstrate how you meet the job requirements.
Applicants who are selected to move forward in the hiring process may be assessed on their knowledge, skills, abilities, competencies and other position related requirements as outlined in the Job Profile at the bottom of the posting. Applications will be accepted until 11:00 pm Pacific Time on the closing date of the competition. If you are experiencing technical difficulty applying, visit the Technical Assistance page of MyHR.
