Stream 1: LP-01 Legal Counsel / Stream 2: LP-02 Legal Counsel Practitioner

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

Duties

Provides legal advice and legal support on matters of law, procedures, legislation and relevant precedents for Refugee Appeal Division and Immigration Appeal Division appeals, Immigration Division and Refugee Protection Division matters and advises Board members on their written reasons for decisions.

In addition, the legal counsel in Ottawa may provide legal advice and legal support on a wide range of corporate matters to various IRB clients. These corporate matters include issues pertaining to access to information and privacy, human resources, labour relations, conflict of interest, procurement, information technology, information management, and Governor in Council (GIC) member services, to name a few.

Work environment

The Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada (IRB) is Canada's largest independent administrative tribunal. It is responsible for making well-reasoned decisions on immigration and refugee matters, efficiently, fairly and in accordance with the law. The IRB decides, among other responsibilities, who needs refugee protection among the thousands of claimants who come to Canada annually.

The IRB offers a people-centred environment that builds on excellence in management. We are working to implement innovative measures to promote the establishment and maintenance of a healthier, more inclusive, more supportive and a flexible work environment. Effective management of human resources and forward-thinking business planning are also part of our priorities.

Intent of the process

A pool of partially or fully qualified candidates may be established from this selection process and may be used to staff similar positions with various tenures, various linguistic profiles as well as various security clearances within the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada.

Positions to be filled: Number to be determined

Information you must provide

Your résumé.

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

OCCUPATIONAL CERTIFICATION:

FOR BOTH STREAMS: LP-01 and LP-02
Eligibility for membership in the Bar of one of the provinces or territories of Canada or in the Chambre des notaires du Québec.

Degree equivalency

ESSENTIAL EXPERIENCES:

STREAM 1: LP-01: LEGAL COUNSEL
E1. Recent* experience providing legal advice. OR
E2. Recent* experience presenting cases before an administrative tribunal or court of law. OR
E3. Recent* experience as a decision-maker in an administrative tribunal or court of law.
Notes:
*Recent experience is defined as performing these duties within the last two (2) years.

STREAM 2: LP-02: LEGAL COUNSEL PRACTITIONER
E1. Recent and significant* experience providing legal advice on complex** issues. OR
E2. Recent and significant* experience presenting cases before an administrative tribunal or court of law. OR
E3. Recent and significant* experience as a decision-maker in an administrative tribunal or court of law. OR
E4. An acceptable combination of recent and significant* experience in providing legal advice on complex** issues, presenting cases before an administrative tribunal or court of law or as a decision-maker in an administrative tribunal or court of law
Notes:
*Recent and significant experience is defined as the depth and breadth of experience normally associated with the performance of these duties over a period of approximately three (3) years within the last four (4) years

**Complex is defined as involving multiple competing issues raised in a delicate or highly sensitive context, involving multiple parties, or dealing with novel questions of law

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

ASSET QUALIFICATIONS - EXPERIENCES

STREAM 1: LP-01: LEGAL COUNSEL:
AE1 • Experience providing legal advice on administrative law

AE2 • Experience providing legal advice on immigration law.

AE3 • Experience providing legal advice on refugee law

AE4 • Experience providing legal advice to administrative tribunals or for agents of Parliament.

AE5 • Experience conducting litigation as counsel, particularly in Federal Court

AE6 • Experience providing legal training.

AE7 • Experience providing legal advice on issues such as labour and employment law, human rights law, conflict of interest, and access to Information and privacy law.

STREAM 2: LP-02: LEGAL COUNSEL PRACTITIONER:

AE1 • Significant* experience providing legal advice on administrative law.

AE2 • Significant* experience providing legal advice on immigration law.

AE3 • Significant* experience providing legal advice on refugee law.

AE4 • Significant* experience providing legal advice to administrative tribunals or for agents of Parliament.

AE5 • Significant* experience conducting litigation as counsel, particularly in Federal Court.

AE6 • Significant* experience providing legal training.

AE7 • Significant* experience providing legal advice on issues such as labour and employment law, human rights law, conflict of interest, and access to Information and privacy law.

*Significant experience is understood to mean the depth and breadth of experience normally associated with the performance of these duties over a period of approximate-ly three (3) years.

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

Various language requirements
Profiles may vary according to the position to be staffed.

English Essential: Toronto, Vancouver
Bilingual Imperative CCC/CCC: Ottawa, Montreal

Information on language requirements

FOR BOTH STREAMS:LP-01 and LP-02:

KNOWLEDGE
• Knowledge of administrative law

FOR BOTH STREAMS: LP-01 and LP-02:

COMPETENCIES
• Demonstrating integrity and respect
• Thinking things through
• Working effectively with others
• Showing initiative and being action-oriented
• Reliability

FOR BOTH STREAMS: LP-01 and LP-02:

ABILITIES
• Ability to analyze, evaluate and interpret legal issues.
• Ability to communicate effectively orally
• Ability to communicate effectively in writing

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

ORGANIZATIONAL NEEDS:

The IRB believes that to be able to effectively serve the public, its workforce needs to reflect the diversity of the Canadian population. The IRB 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 2SLGBTQ1+ communities we encourage you to self-declare in this staffing process. This self-declaration information may be factored into the screening and assessment as well as selection decisions to address our commitment to eliminate gaps and increase representation 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 Public Service Employment Act 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.

HOW TO SELF-DECLARE

If you are an Indigenous person, a person with a disability or a member of visible minorities:
• when you apply for a job through GC Jobs, complete the Employment Equity section under Requirements.

If you are a member of an equity seeking group (e.g. members of the 2SLGBTQ1+ communities):
• please respond to the equity seeking groups screening question as part of your application.

Conditions of employment

Secret security clearance
Willingness and ability to travel across Canada.
Willingness and ability to work overtime.
Willingness to relocate to the respective city of appointment (Montreal, Toronto, Ottawa or Vancouver).

OCCUPATIONAL CERTIFICATION:
Member in good standing at the Bar of one of the provinces or territories of Canada or member of the Chambre des notaires du Québec at the time of appointment

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

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ASSESSMENT
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All competencies could be assessed throughout the duration and at all stages of the process, including during communications with the human resources team.

You must submit a complete application, consisting of answers to screening questions which clearly demonstrate how you meet the screening criteria (education, occupational certification and experiences) and a résumé. The screening questions will be used as the primary tool in the screening process and the résumé will only be used to substantiate the information provided.

In your response to the screening questions, please provide concrete examples and the following information:
1. Name of the department or organization where the experience was acquired;
2. Title of the position occupied and duration for which you exercised the functions;
3. Specific details of tasks, projects, or accomplishments demonstrating how the experience was acquired.

Please note that “copy and paste" from your résumé and comments such as “refer to my attached résumé” will NOT be accepted. Failure to provide this information in the requested format WILL result in your application being rejected.

*NOTE: Please note your application and your answers to the screening questionnaire may be used to assess your ability to communicate effectively in writing.

A written examination, interview and references could be administered.

Top-down selection or any volume management mechanism may be used during any stage of the selection process. Please note that achieving a pass mark on any evaluations used does not mean you will move forward in the selection process. Management may decide to use a cut-off mark that is higher than the pass mark on any evaluation used throughout the process.

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

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


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COMMUNICATION
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Our intention is to communicate with candidates via email. Candidates who apply on this selection process must include in their application a valid email address and to make sure that this address is functional at all times and accepts messages from unknown users (some email systems block these types of email).

We thank all those who apply.

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.