Legal Assistant

8386BR
Legal Assistant
Job Posting

A municipal public servant makes a difference in the lives of over 400,000 people in the Halifax region. The municipality employs between 3,600-5,000 people annually. You could be one of them. Halifax Regional Municipality (HRM) is recognized as one of the Top Employers for 2022 in Nova Scotia & Atlantic Canada,

HRM Legal & Legislative Services Business Unit is seeking a Legal Assistant to become a permanent member of the Legal Services support team. In the Team environment of Legal Services, Legal Assistants may be required to work for several lawyers at the same time & have additional expertise in one or more of the following areas of law: Litigation, Prosecutions, Solicitor Services(Advisory Services, Corp/Comm, and/or Real Property.

Reporting operationally to their assigned lawyers & administratively to the Business Unit Coordinator, the Legal Assistant is responsible for a wide variety of legal & administrative duties within the Legal Services division, with a high degree of confidentiality.

Responsibilities include, but are not limited to: preparation of legal documents & correspondence, dictation transcription; paper & electronic filing; file management; processing invoices; responding to inquiries & interacting with internal clients, external parties, & the public. Excellent interpersonal & communication skills are essential for this role, as well as broad & thorough knowledge of legal concepts, practices, & principles.

HRM is committed to reflecting the community it serves & recognizing Diversity & Inclusion as one of the Municipality’s core values. We have an Employment Equity Policy & we welcome applications from African Nova Scotians & Other Racially Visible Persons, Women in occupations or positions where they are underrepresented in the workforce, Indigenous/Aboriginal People, Persons with Disabilities & 2SLGBTQ+ Persons. Applicants are encouraged to self-identify on their electronic application.

DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES (may specialize in one or both):
Litigation & Labour
• Maintain knowledge of litigation file timeline regarding statutory limitations & deadlines, providing reminders & updates to solicitor
• Assist solicitor to coordinate witnesses, client contacts, & organization of discovery &/or arbitration meetings
• General understanding of Collective Agreements, Unions & arbitration hearing
• Prepare evidence, arbitration binders, & any reference documents required by solicitor for court or hearings

Solicitor Services & Real Property
• Ability to prepare broad range of legal documents & correspondence for residential & commercial real estate transactions including, but not limited to, deeds, easements ,legal descriptions, HST Certificates, Direction, & Statements of Adjustments & Proceeds, Parcel Description Certification Applications (PDCA) & Applications for Registration (AFRs) as well as final report
• Review document package received from other BU for completeness prior to forwarding to solicitor for approval & execution
• Track closing date & other deadline, following up as necessary with assigned lawyer, client & external solicitors
• Conduct title searches, sub-searches & PPSA (Personal Property Security Act) searches, as required & acts as designated contact for requisition of all HRM title searches required by Legal Services as well as other BU
• Conduct general & title related property research regarding easements, rights-of-way & property ownership
• Ensure documents are vault filed with Clerk’s office

For a complete description of duties/responsibilities for this position, please email [email protected].

QUALIFICATIONS
Education & Experience:
• Certificate/diploma from a Legal Assistant or Paralegal program with a minimum of two years experience in a legal assistant role with demonstrated performance capabilities. A combination of education & experience will be considered.
• Experience working in litigation in a law firm setting will be considered an asset
• Preparing real estate closings & title search review will be considered an asset
• Experience working with file/document management systems will be considered an asset

Technical /Job Specific Knowledge & Abilities:
• Proficiency/expertise in use of Microsoft Office (Outlook/Word/Excel/PowerPoint), Adobe Acrobat (writer)
• Excellent interpersonal & communications skills, both written & verbal
• Excellent organizational & problem solving skills
• Superior time management skills & ability to prioritize tasks with minimal supervision
• Strong sense of ethics & the ability to handle sensitive/confidential or private information with tact & discretion; knowledge of privacy laws
• High level of sound & independent judgment, reasoning, & diplomacy
• Ability to work effectively both independently & as part of a team on a multitude of tasks in variable situations
• Strong customer service orientation, ability to deal with lawyers & public under stressful situations
• High level of accuracy/attention to detail while working within strict timelines
• Excellent writing skills, including proper spelling, grammar, & punctuation for complex documentation & ability to independently draft correspondence at a professional skill level
• Knowledge of legal terminology & ability to draft legal documentation
• Understanding of legal reference materials, procedures, & legal filing systems
• Critical thinking, analysis, & research skills
• Resourceful & flexible
• Professional, responsive & positive work attitude
• Knowledge of municipal issues, administration & government including council processes & procedures, By-laws, HRM Charter, Municipal Government Act, & Civil Procedure Rules considered an asset
• Good internet research skills using reputable & authorized sources. Familiarity with Government web-based search tools, including Property Online, Registry of Joint Stock Companies, caselaw websites, including Quicklaw, CanLII, & Westlaw Next, etc considered as an asset

Security Clearance Requirements: Applicants may be required to complete an employment security screening check

Please note–Testing may be conducted as component of selection process to assess technical/job specific knowledge. Candidates, selected for testing, may be tested in a group setting, scheduled at employer’s discretion.

Competencies: Values & Ethics, Organizational Awareness, Customer Service, Communications, Valuing Diversity, Teamwork & Cooperation, Organization & Planning

WORK STATUS: Permanent, Full-time

HOURS OF WORK: 8:30am-4:30pm Mon–Fri, 35 hrs/wk. May require occasional overtime based on operational requirements.

SALARY: NU Level 3 $47,630-$65,490 Compensation is commensurate with experience & training

WORK LOCATION: CIBC Building, 1809 Barrington St, 7th Floor, Halifax

CLOSING DATE: Applications will be received up to 11:59 pm on Sunday, March 17, 2024 & must include a cover letter and resumé.

Please note: We thank all applicants for their interest in this position. Only those applicants selected for interview/testing will be contacted.

During recruitment process, applicants have the right to request accommodation. Applicants invited to participate in an assessment process (such as interview/testing) & who require accommodation, should discuss their needs with Recruiter when invited to assessment process.

(position #78639704)

Link to Job Posting: https://sjobs.brassring.com/TGnewUI/Search/Home/Home?partnerid=25749&siteid=5764#jobDetails=758489_5764

Job Deadline/Expiry Date: 03/17/2024