Legal Counsel

Important messages

We are committed to providing an inclusive and barrier-free work environment, starting with the hiring process. If you need to be accommodated during any phase of the evaluation process, please use the Contact information below to request specialized accommodation. All information received in relation to accommodation will be kept confidential.

Assessment accommodation

COMMUNICATION DURING THIS PROCESS

For this selection process, our intention is to communicate with the candidates by email. Candidates who apply on this selection process must include in their application a valid email address and make sure that this address is functional at all times and accepts messages from unknown users (some email systems block these types of email). If you do not wish to receive your results by email, it is your responsibility to inform us.

Candidates must check their email accounts frequently as there may be new communication regarding this process or a deadline for response. Responses provided after the indicated deadline may not be accepted.

ABOUT US

If you are passionate about promoting Canada’s linguistic duality and want to ensure that Canada has an inclusive culture which respects the language rights of its citizens, the Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages invites you to apply!

Work environment

The Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages (OCOL) is a small organization of 160 employees that offers a positive, collaborative and bilingual work environment.

The Commissioner of Official Languages is mandated by Parliament. He is therefore independent from the government, but his staff are members of the federal public service and benefit from all the related advantages, including flexible work, competitive salaries and professional development.

OCOL has a Workplace 2.0 fit-up with open-concept offices, quiet rooms, meeting rooms and collaborative areas for team work. Employees are equipped with laptops and have WI-FI access throughout the office space. The new eco-friendly building is located at 30 Victoria St. in Gatineau and is close to public transit, parking, bike and walking paths, shops and services. The building offers indoor bike storage as well as women’s and men’s change rooms with showers.

Intent of the process

The current staffing need is temporary (12 months).

A pool of qualified candidates resulting from this process may be established and used to fill this position and similar positions with various tenures and security requirements. All federal organizations listed in Schedules I, IV and V of the Financial Administration Act may use this staffing process to appoint a candidate to its organization in a similar position if a pool is created with the approval of the manager in consultation with Human Resources.

Positions to be filled: 1

Information you must provide

Your résumé.

In order to be considered, your application must clearly explain how you meet the following (essential qualifications)

To be appointed to the position, you must meet all the essential qualifications. Other qualifications may be relevant to the selection of the person appointed to the position. Some of the qualifications (essential or others) will be assessed using your application. It is your responsibility to provide relevant examples demonstrating how you meet each criterion in the screening questionnaire. Failure to do so may result in your application being rejected.

EDUCATION

Bachelor of law Degree from a recognized university of one of the provinces or Territories of Canada.

Degree equivalency

OCCUPATIONAL CERTIFICATION

Membership in good standing in the Bar of one of the provinces or territories of Canada prior to appointment.

EXPERIENCES

1. Recent* and significant** experience as litigation counsel arguing cases before the Supreme Court of Canada, the Federal Courts, federal administrative tribunals, or superior courts of the provinces or territories;
2. Recent* experience as counsel of record in conducting litigation cases in the field of language rights.

* Recent experience is defined as experience obtained within the past three (3) years.
** Significant experience means a broad and diverse experience associated with the performance of the duties over a period of at least five (5) years.

If you possess any of the following, your application must also clearly explain how you meet it (other qualifications)

ASSET QUALIFICATIONS

EXPERIENCES

1. Experience as litigation counsel in cases dealing with language rights guaranteed by the Official Languages Act of Canada and/or the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
2. Experience working in a small organization (less than 300 employees) of the federal government.
3. Work experience in litigation as part of a team/group specialized in civil litigation.

The following will be applied / assessed at a later date (essential for the job)

Bilingual - Imperative (CCC/CCC)

Information on language requirements

KNOWLEDGE

1. Knowledge of the mandate, role, and activities of the Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages
2. Extensive knowledge of the language rights legislation, in particular the Official Languages Act of Canada, the language guarantees in the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms and key decisions dealing with language rights.
3. Knowledge of the Federal Courts Act and the Federal Courts Rules.

ABILITIES

1. Ability to communicate orally coherently, concisely and accurately;
2. Ability to communicate in writing coherently, concisely and accurately;
3. Ability to independently represent a client before a tribunal or a court of justice in a complex or high profile case;
4. Ability to provide complex legal opinions based on thorough legal analysis, and propose recommendations for the consideration of senior leaders with minimal guidance and supervision;
5. Ability to supervise.

PERSONAL SUITABILITY

1. Strategic thinking
2. Effective interpersonal skills
3. Initiative
4. Judgement
5. Reliability

The following may be applied / assessed at a later date (may be needed for the job)

ORGANIZATIONAL NEEDS

The Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages is committed to having a skilled and diversified workforce representative of the population we serve. In support of our strategy to achieve our employment equity goals, selection may be limited to candidates self-identifying as belonging to one of the following Employment Equity groups: Aboriginal Persons, Visible Minorities and Persons with Disabilities.

OPERATIONAL REQUIREMENTS

Candidates must be willing and able to travel in Canada.
Candidates must be willing and able to work overtime as required.

Conditions of employment

Reliability Status security clearance

Remain a member in good standing with the Law Societies of one of the provinces or territories of Canada.

Other information

The Public Service of Canada is committed to building a skilled and diverse workforce that reflects the Canadians we serve. We promote employment equity and encourage you to indicate if you belong to one of the designated groups when you apply.

Information on employment equity

APPLYING

All job applications must be submitted ONLINE ONLY through the Public Service Resourcing System. Persons with disabilities who cannot apply online are asked to contact the following number, 1-800-645-5605. Acknowledgment of receipt of applications will not be sent; we will contact candidates when the screening process is completed.

EVALUATION

Completing the screening questionnaire is mandatory for this selection process.

Applicants are entitled to participate in the selection process in the official language of their choice. Applicants are asked to identify which language they are interested in being assessed for on their application. Candidates will be asked to undergo the PSC Second Language Evaluation (SLE) or provide valid SLE results. To obtain a copy of SLE results, candidates may make a request at the following website: http://www.psc-cfp.gc.ca/ppc-cpp/test-examenresult/tst-rslt-examn-eng.htm. For more information on SLE, visit the following website: http://www.psccfp.gc.ca/ppccpp/sle-els/cand-info-cand-eng.htm.

Your cover letter and résumé may be used to evaluate your ability to communicate effectively in writing.

A written test and an interview may be administered.

Interviews may be conducted in person, by phone or by videoconference.

Reference checks may be sought to validate information and/or to obtain further information.

A top down approach and/or random selection may be invoked at any stage in this process to limit the number of candidates or for appointment purposes.

TRAVEL RELATED TO THE SELECTION OR APPOINTMENT PROCESS

Please note that candidates (including employees of the Public Service) will not be considered to be in travel status or on government business and that travel costs will not be reimbursed. Consequently, candidates will be responsible for travel costs. Minimal reimbursement of relocation expenses could be offered if the selected candidate moves as a result of an employment offer.

MISCELLENEOUS

Candidates must meet the essential qualifications to be appointed to a position.

Meeting criteria such as asset qualifications, operational requirements or organizational needs is desirable and may be a deciding factor in choosing the right fit. Asset qualifications could be applied at any step of the selection process.

Proof of Canadian Citizenship and education credentials must be available upon request.

Preference

Preference will be given to veterans and to Canadian citizens, in that order, with the exception of a job located in Nunavut, where Nunavut Inuit will be appointed first.

Information on the preference to veterans

We thank all those who apply. Only those selected for further consideration will be contacted.