Judicial Assistant (Legal)

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

When you apply to this selection process, you are not applying for a specific job, but to an inventory for future vacancies. As positions become available, applicants who meet the qualifications may be contacted for further assessment.

Work environment

The Courts Administration Service (CAS) provides registry, judicial and corporate services to four courts of law: the Federal Court of Appeal, the Federal Court, the Court Martial Appeal Court of Canada and the Tax Court of Canada, known collectively as the “Courts”.

If you wish to put your skills and legal knowledge into practice to provide essential judicial support to the Members of the Courts and contribute directly to their success, this position is for you.

When joining the CAS, a Judicial Assistant is assigned to work closely with members of one of the Courts to support them in carrying out their mandate while strengthening the concepts of judicial independence, impartiality and access to justice, which are the very foundation of a sound administration of justice. Dedication and respect toward the Judiciary are essential.

Although working with Members of the Courts requires a certain presence in the workplace, we are a hybrid workplace combining elements of both office work and remote work, of which the number of days vary depending on the Courts and their operational requirements.

Intent of the process

We encourage potential candidates to apply now, as the CAS has immediate needs at the AS-03 group and level. This inventory will be accessed to fill these positions.

A pool of partially qualified or fully qualified candidates may be created to staff similar positions with various tenures, various linguistic profiles and various security requirements within the CAS.

For specific positions, candidates may be evaluated further on qualifications (including conditions of employment and operational requirements) that are deemed relevant to the positions to be filled, whether or not these qualifications have been listed on the job advertisement.

Positions to be filled: 15

Information you must provide

Your résumé.

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

Successful completion of a post-secondary* program, certificate or diploma relevant to the position, such as paralegal studies or legal studies OR an acceptable combination of education, training or experience relevant to the position**.

Definitions:

* “Post-secondary education” means years of education following high school graduation (grade 12 or Secondary V).
** “Acceptable combination of education, training or experience relevant to the position” is defined as a minimum of a high school diploma (grade 12 or Secondary V) and two (2) years of work experience in a judicial, quasi-judicial*** or legal environment.
*** “Judicial or quasi-judicial environment” means a Federal Board, Commission, Tribunal or Court (Federal, Provincial or Municipal).

Degree equivalency

Experience working in a judicial or quasi-judicial* or legal environment.

Definition:
* “Judicial or quasi-judicial environment” means a Federal Board, Commission, Tribunal or Court (Federal, Provincial or Municipal).

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

NOTE: THE ASSET QUALIFICATIONS BELOW MAY BE APPLIED AS ESSENTIAL QUALIFICATIONS DEPENDING ON THE POSITION TO BE STAFFED.

Experience as a judicial or legal assistant or legal secretary.

Experience in preparing (e.g. typing, formatting and editing) documents.

Experience transcribing information from voice recordings, handwritten notes, electronic legal text transmissions or digital audio recordings.

Experience working for several members of the judiciary or lawyers at once.

Experience in scheduling travel and accommodation arrangements, including the preparation of itineraries and agendas.

Experience working at CAS.

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

Various language requirements
Various linguistic profiles: (Bilingual imperative BBB/BBB, CBB/CBB, CBC/CBC, CCC/CCC, CCB/CCB, English Essential, English or French essential)*

* Please note that the majority of positions to be filled through this inventory are bilingual imperative.

Information on language requirements

Ability to proofread legal documents

Ability to plan, establish priorities and meet deadlines

Adaptability
Attention to detail
Judgment
Working effectively with others
Reliability
Oral communication
Written communication

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

CAS is committed to having a skilled, diversified workforce of Canadian society it represents. As a result, selection may be limited to members of the following Employment Equity groups: women, Aboriginal peoples, persons with disabilities and members of visible minorities. We encourage members of these designated groups to self-identify.

Operational Requirements:

Willing and able to work overtime on short notice.

Willing and able to work between 8:00 and 17:00.

Willing and able to work in the workplace in Ottawa.

Conditions of employment

Secret security clearance

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

By completing the Employment Equity section in your application, you help create a Public Service that is diverse, inclusive and representative of identities, cultures, perspectives and experiences that make up Canada.

Due to current circumstances, all assessment may be done virtually.

Persons are entitled to participate in the selection process in the official language of their choice. Applicants are asked to indicate their preferred official language in their application.

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

Candidates must clearly demonstrate in the screening questionnaire how they meet the education and experience factors listed as essential and/or asset qualifications on the statement of merit criteria. In order to do so, the candidate must provide the information as part of their answer to the pertinent screening question, using concrete examples in the provided area. The assessment board cannot and will not make any assumptions about your experience. Note that it is not sufficient to only state that the qualifications are met or to provide a listing of current or past responsibilities. Resumes may be used as a secondary source to validate the experience described in the experience questionnaire. Failure to clearly demonstrate in the questionnaire how you meet the education and experience, both essential and/or asset, where applicable, may result in the rejection of your application.

A variety of tools and assessment methods may be used, which may include, but is not limited to written tests, interviews and reference checks. Other sources of information (such as performance agreements, work samples, selection board member knowledge, etc.) may be used to inform the assessment of the criteria identified on the Statement of Merit Criteria. Any information that you provide throughout this selection process, including email correspondence, may also form part of the assessment.

As part of the selection process, the CAS may entrust the administration of certain evaluations to a specialized third party service provider: Evaluation Personnel Selection International (EPSI). Please note that once these assessments are completed, there is a mandatory 180 days waiting period before you can write them again. For the purposes of this inventory, if you have already accessed or completed these assessments it will not be possible to retake them during the waiting period.

Asset qualification(s) may be applied in this selection process.

Written communication may be assessed via the job application.

Candidates will be required to provide proof of their education credentials in the form of a diploma or official transcript.

If a qualified candidate has been selected and appointed on an indeterminate basis from the established pool, they will be removed from the pool. If a candidate is selected for a specified period (including term, acting, or assignment/secondment) appointment, they will remain in the pool for future offers.

We will communicate with applicants by e-mail. It is your responsibility to verify your e-mails regularly. Applicants shall ensure that the e-mail address provided is valid and make sure this address is functional at all times and accepts messages from unknown users.

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.

Apply online