Legal Assistant

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

Persons requiring accommodation preventing them from applying on-line should contact the contact person identified below prior to the closing date.

If you require any accommodations (e.g. an alternative method of assessment, a technical aid, accessibility requirements, etc.) at any stage of the assessment process, please contact us so that we can take the appropriate measures to facilitate your full participation.

On October 6, 2021, the Government of Canada announced details of its plans to require vaccination across the federal public service.

As per the new Policy on COVID-19 Vaccination for the Core Public Administration Including the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, federal public servants in the Core Public Administration and members of the RCMP must attest to their vaccination status. The requirement for employees to be fully vaccinated applies whether they are teleworking, working remotely or working on-site. This is a condition of employment and it applies to indeterminate (permanent), determinate (term), casual, and student hiring. Should you reach the point in the selection process where it is necessary to verify terms and conditions of employment then the hiring manager or a human resources representative will contact you in order to complete an attestation.

Work environment

Why should you join Canada's Legal Team? Well, that’s easy to answer. The Department of Justice offers a diverse workplace where teamwork, respect and collaboration are highly valued. The Department can offer you a rewarding career, where you are part of a team working to ensure that Canada has an accessible, efficient and fair system of justice.

The tradition of excellence at the Department of Justice is embodied in its culture, which values inclusiveness, fairness and respect for Canada's legal system. The Department of Justice is often described as Canada's largest and most prestigious law firm. The Department makes and upholds federal laws and is the guardian of the Canadian justice system. By setting for itself the highest standards of integrity, fairness and professionalism, the Department of Justice has earned a reputation as a leader within the legal community.

No matter what your expertise, you will benefit from the Department of Justice's supportive atmosphere, its emphasis on training and mentoring, and the ability to balance the personal and professional aspects of your life. The Department of Justice offers competitive salaries and benefits and gives you the opportunity to hone your legal knowledge and skills. Your professionalism and drive will be recognized and rewarded with enriching opportunities in a team-oriented environment.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic situation, most of our Justice Canada teams are currently working remotely. Although the Department expects to have most of their employees working from a JUS office within a regional or national headquarters building in the near future, teleworking from a different location or a hybrid approach may be possible depending on operational feasibility at the time of hiring.

Intent of the process

A pool of fully qualified candidates will be established from this process which may be used to staff similar positions within the Department of Justice (and in Departmental Legal Services Units to staff client position) with various tenures, language requirements and conditions of employment, according to the position to be staffed.

We are looking to staff over 70+ positions across Canada in 2022 and 2023

Positions to be filled: Number to be determined

Information you must provide

Your résumé.

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

Various language requirements
Bilingual Imperative, English Essential and/or French Essential

Information on language requirements

EDUCATION
A secondary school diploma from a recognized institution or an acceptable combination of education, training and/or experience.

If you were educated outside of Canada, you must have your certificates and/or diplomas assessed against Canadian education standards through a recognized credential assessment service. Please see the Degree equivalency link for further information.

Degree equivalency

EXPERIENCE
Experience in providing legal or administrative support services to legal professionals.

KNOWLEDGE
Knowledge of legal terminology and legal documents.

ABILITIES
Ability to prepare and format routine legal documents.
Oral Communication: Presents and discusses ideas, concepts and issues in a clear, concise, and effective manner orally.
Written Communication: Presents and discusses ideas, concepts and issues in a clear, concise, and effective manner in writing.

COMPETENCIES
Demonstrating Integrity and Respect
Thinking Things Through
Working Effectively with Others
Showing Initiative and Being Action-Oriented

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

ASSET QUALIFICATIONS

EDUCATION
A diploma or certificate from a law-related program (e.g. legal assistant, law clerk, paralegal assistant program or an equivalent program) from a recognized institution.

Degree equivalency

KNOWLEDGE
Knowledge of the Federal Court rules.

EXPERIENCE
Experience in providing support as a legal assistant in a particular area of law such as, but not limited to : Tax, Aboriginal, Real Property, Immigration, Personal Injury, Criminal, Civil litigation and etc.

ORGANIZATIONAL NEEDS
The Department of Justice believes that to be able to effectively serve the public, its workforce needs to reflect the diversity of the Canadian population. Diversity is a great source of strength in driving Canada’s Legal Team in ensuring that Canada’s justice system is as fair, accessible and efficient as possible. The Department is committed to a representative workforce that represents the Canadian public we serve. If you are an Indigenous person, a person with a disability, a member of a racialized group* or a member of an equity seeking group** (e.g. members of the LGBTQ2+ communities) and you are interested in bringing in different perspectives and insights we encourage you to self-declare in this staffing process. This self-declaration information can be factored into departmental strategies and selection decisions to address our commitment to eliminate gaps for these groups.

* Please note that this group is currently designated as members of visible minorities in the Employment Equity Act and the self-declaration form.

** Please take note of the PSEA definition of equity seeking groups: A group of persons who are disadvantaged based on one or more prohibited grounds of discrimination within the meaning of the Canadian Human Rights Act.

OPERATIONAL REQUIREMENTS
The following requirements may be accommodated based on a persons' needs or status:
Willingness and ability to work overtime on short notice;
Willingness and ability to travel on occasion.

Conditions of employment

Various security clearance levels.

Some positions may require a higher level security clearance depending on the requirements of the position to be filled.

Medical Clearance* for positions located in the Department of Justice, Northern Regional Offices (Whitehorse, Yellowknife and Iqaluit) only.

*The incumbent and their dependents may be required to obtain Health Canada medical clearance in accordance with the Isolated Posts and Government Housing Directive.

All employees of the core public administration are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and attest to their vaccination status unless accommodated based on a medical contraindication, religion, or another prohibited ground for discrimination as defined under the Canadian Human Rights Act.

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

We will only accept on-line applications received via the GC Jobs site.

CANDIDATES WILL NOT BE SOLICITED FOR INCOMPLETE OR MISSING INFORMATION.

Proof of citizenship or permanent residency will be required.

As part of the selection process, we will be using online testing software. Assessments will commence between March 24 to April 28, 2022. Instructions will be sent out to selected candidates. We recommend you make yourself available during that period of time and have access to a device that has internet capabilities. If schedules are amended, we will send out notices to the selected candidates.

Candidates may be required to meet some asset qualifications or the organizational needs, depending on the requirements of the specific position being staffed.

Other considerations may be a deciding factor in choosing the person to be appointed from the pool (i.e. other qualifications deemed relevant, organizational needs, and/or operational needs).

Persons are entitled to participate in the appointment process in the official language of their choice.

Please note that if appointed to bilingual positions, candidates will be entitled to $800 bilingualism bonus per year.

For the positions located in Iqaluit (Nunavut), Whitehorse (Yukon) and Yellowknife (Northwest Territories), the following applies:

Additional allowances will be provided for these positions in accordance with the National Joint Council's Isolated Posts and Government Housing Directive. More detailed information can be found at the following link: http://www.njc-cnm.gc.ca/directive/d4/v237/en

Vacation Travel Assistance is available: https://www.canada.ca/en/treasury-board-secretariat/services/terms-conditions-employment/isolated-posts-government-housing.html

You may also be eligible for the Northern residents deductions when you file your tax return with the Canada Revenue Agency. More information can be found at the following link: https://www.canada.ca/en/revenue-agency/services/tax/individuals/topics/about-your-tax-return/tax-return/completing-a-tax-return/deductions-credits-expenses/line-255-northern-residents-deductions.html

For Current Federal Public Service employees:

Please identify clearly your substantive group and level, your employment status, and Personal Record Identifier (PRI) on your application.

Employees at the same group and level or equivalent may be considered for deployment or secondment.

An assignment or acting appointment or secondment requires approval of your supervisor.

Preference

Preference will be given to veterans first and then to Canadian citizens and permanent residents, 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.