Job Title: Legal Assistant (Secretary 2) (Designated)
Competition # : 42243
Department: Justice
Location: HALIFAX
Type of Employment: Permanent
Union Status: NSGEU – NSPG
Closing Date: 28-Mar-24 (Applications are accepted until 11:59 PM Atlantic Time)
Designation Status
This opportunity is designated to applicants that identify as Indigenous Person, African Nova Scotian or Other Racially Visible Person, Person with a Disability.
About Us
The Legal Services Division is the government’s law firm, providing a full range of legal advice and services to support government operations and help government achieve its corporate priorities. With a staff of more than 160 lawyers, paralegals, researchers and administrative professionals, the Division is one of the largest law offices in the Province.
For more information on the Department of Justice Legal Services please visit our website: https://novascotia.ca/just/Legal_Services/
About Our Opportunity
Under general supervision from the Legal Services Supervisor, as the Legal Assistant you will provide high quality, specialized legal administrative assistance, and file management support under the direction of two or more lawyers. You will utilize strong secretarial/administrative skills, knowledge of legal terminology and specialized procedures pertaining to certain areas of law. You will perform effectively under the pressures and strain of inflexible deadlines in a highly confidential office setting under minimal supervision.
You will be responsible for creating, tracking, and managing litigation files. The opportunity requires you to be able to adapt to shifting priorities, balance your efforts between providing legal assistance and administrative support, respond in a timely and appropriate manner to inquiries and to be organized in your day to day file management.
Primary Accountabilities
Legal Assistance / Support to Lawyers
Provide specialized legal assistance for lawyers who provide legal advice/litigation services to government departments and various agencies, boards, and commissions
Ensure documents assigned by a lawyer are prepared, filed, and/or served within prescribed or assigned deadlines
Query and retrieve legal case law, precedent materials/documents, or other relevant information as identified by a lawyer
Secretarial / Administrative Support
Prepare correspondence, presentations, and documents of a legal and non-legal matter
Respond to inquiries from internal and external clients and the public
Schedule appointments and maintains lawyers’ calendar and schedule and book rooms, court reporters, travel, discoveries, witnesses, interpreters, case conferences
Books travel and related accommodations when necessary
Works in a team environment, providing coverage to assistants on their team and other teams as assigned by the Legal Services Supervisor
Responding to Inquiries and File Management
Acts as a point of contact to ensure clients have the appropriate information including file updates, process or procedural changes, Division updates and other general matters
Manages files in the Central Registry filing system, electronic shared directory and in the file/document management databases
Organize all hard copy and electronic files including filing of documents, data entry and the use of the STAR/STOR classification system
Ensures that files/filing is up to date and brought forward for review by lawyers as required
Qualifications and Experience
As our successful candidate, you will possess a certificate/diploma from a Legal Assistant or Paralegal program and 3 years of experience in a legal practice or an acceptable combination of education/training and experience.
You have experience and competency in an automated environment, with proficient and accurate typing, dicta typing, MS Word, and data entry skills. You have knowledge of legal terminology, procedures, and documentation, as well as excellent research, analytical and organizational skills. Your excellent communication skills, both written and oral, give you the ability to deal with clients, lawyers and co-workers in a fair, caring, and impartial manner communicating in a clear and concise manner while maintaining confidentiality and impartiality.
Assets include:
Knowledge of the various levels of Court
Knowledge of Civil Procedure Rules
Knowledge of provincial government departments and agencies
Experience utilizing STAR/STOR record classification system, or other file management systems
We will assess the above qualifications using one or more of the following tools: written examination, standardized tests, oral presentations, interview(s), and reference checks.
Equivalency
Include, but not limited to:
– at least 5 years of legal support experience.
Applicants relying on education and experience equivalencies must demonstrate such equivalencies in their application.
Benefits
Based on the employment status and union agreement, the Government of Nova Scotia offers its employees a wide range of benefits such as Health, Dental, Life Insurance, Pension, General Illness (Short and Long Term), Vacation and Employee and Family Assistance Programs. Click here to learn more about our various benefits offerings and eligibility criteria.
Working Conditions
May be required to work overtime on occasion
Typically located in comfortable office environment
Considerable periods of time sitting at desk interspersed with movement to and from printers, file storage areas or to deposit/retrieve mail
At times required to bend and lift file boxes from storage shelving and transport to review area.
Regular need to read and analyze information and significant time focusing on a computer monitor
Must balance multiple priorities and the demand for accuracy and attention to detail in the preparation of legal documents requires acute concentration and may increase physical and mental stress
The nature of the work environment may bring staff into contact with individuals who are verbally abusive and physically threatening, exposure to disturbing images or content in some files may occur
Additional Information
This competition is to fill one (1) permanent employment opportunity based in Halifax. Though may be used to fill any additional future vacancies that arise in the office over the next few months.
Candidates that have a certificate/diploma from a Paralegal program or Legal Assistant program (with less than 3 years experience) are encouraged to apply and will be considered if these opportunities are not filled by candidates with a certificate/diploma and three years experience. The bi-weekly salary for candidates that do not meet the 3 years experience requirement is $1,675.62 (at the CL 18 level). Candidates appointed at the CL 18 level as Associate Legal Assistants will be term appointments with an end date of March 31, 2025.
What We Offer
Career Development where you have access to career guidance, tools, resources, and ongoing training for every stage of your career.
Engaging workplace. Our Employees feel valued, respected, connected, and tuned in.
We have forward-thinking policies and strategies.
Countless career paths.
Department Specific Flexible working schedules.
Pay Grade: CL 21
Salary Range: $1,824.96 – $2,034.28 Bi-Weekly
Employment Equity Statement:
Our goal is to be a diverse workforce that is representative, at all job levels, of the citizens we serve. The Government of Nova Scotia has an Employment Equity Policy, and we welcome applications from Indigenous People, African Nova Scotians and Other Racially Visible Persons, Persons with Disabilities and Women in occupations or positions where they are under-represented. If you are a member of one of these equity groups, you are encouraged to self-identify on your electronic application.
This is a bargaining unit position initially restricted to current civil service employees represented by the Nova Scotia Government Employees Union (NSGEU).
Failure to apply correctly means that your application will not be given first consideration as a bargaining unit applicant, and will only be included if external applications are pursued.
External applicants and current casual employees will only be considered if there are no qualified civil service bargaining unit candidates. PLEASE NOTE: Candidates will not be considered for an interview if applications are incomplete or are missing information.
Offer of employment is conditional upon the completion of all applicable background checks and confirmation of credentials, the results of which must be satisfactory to the employer. We thank all applicants for the interest, however, only those selected for an interview will be contacted. All questions and concerns may be directed to [email protected].
Link to Job Posting: https://jobs.novascotia.ca/job-invite/42243/
Job Deadline/Expiry Date: 03/28/2024