TheStaff Lawyer leads the YWCA Legal Education team and provides support to YWCA program participants where the Ministry of Children and Family Development or a delegated Aboriginal agency has apprehended their child, or where there are contact or access issues related to their child who is in foster care.  The Staff Lawyer also participates in and contributes to broader systemic change through legal education, advocacy, and media engagement.  

What you’ll be doing: 

• Directly supervising one lawyer and one paralegal including: 

               - Hiring and onboarding new staff; 

               - Bi-weekly one-to-one meetings, coaching; 

               - Managing timecards and time off requests; 

               - Annual performance reviews; and 

               - Holding regular team meetings. 

• Providing summary advice to YWCA program participants, including holding weekly drop-in clinics at YWCA Crabtree Corner in the DTES; 

• Providing full representation to a small number of YWCA program participants in child protection cases; 

• Creation and delivery of advocacy and education materials in collaboration with the Legal Education team, including holding a monthly workshop; 

• Managing the program budget; 

• Keeping accurate program statistics; 

• Public speaking on family law issues; and 

• Other duties as required.     

What you’ll need:   

• Minimum educational requirement: Law Degree and training on Indigenous intercultural competency; 

• Excellent verbal/written communication and interpersonal skills; 

• Good time management skills and attention to detail; 

• A strong understanding of the impacts of colonialism and of the impacts of child protection laws on indigenous culture and indigenous family life; 

• An intersectional feminist understanding of intimate partner violence; 

• An interest in a trauma informed approach to the practice of law; 

• Motivated to work independently and as part of a team;   

• Able to work collaboratively; 

• Proficient with Microsoft Word, Share Point, One Drive and Zoom;  

• Experience using Clio an asset; and  

• Willingness to use Safetyline, Relias, ADP Workforce Now. 

• A valid clear criminal record check (including working with vulnerable populations) is required.  

What we offer:    

We offer our eligible employees the following benefits as part of their total rewards package:    

• Extended medical and dental benefits      

• A defined benefit pension plan (MPP)    

• Pregnancy, parental and adoption leave top up  

• 22 vacation days and 3 personal days, in addition to paid sick leave 

• Flexible working arrangements for applicable positions     

• Employee Family Assistance Program, a confidential and voluntary support service for employees and their eligible family members     

• A workplace that prioritizes employee health, safety and well-being, including many learning and growth opportunities such as our employee mentorship program and three equity committees that help to support our goals towards achieving meaningful equity and inclusion.    

• Free staff membership to our Health & Fitness Centre    

• Discounts at our Hotel Willo    

• Priority in YWCA Child Care centres     

Salary: $75,642.68 per annum