Associate Legal Counsel - City of Ottawa, Ottawa

Position Summary

The City of Ottawa is actively seeking an Associate Legal Counsel to join its Legal Services department. This pivotal role involves providing a comprehensive and complex range of legal services to elected officials, all City of Ottawa departments, and various local boards and commissions, including the Ottawa Police Services Board, Ottawa Community Land Development Corporation, and the Ottawa Public Library. If you're searching for City of Ottawa jobs or legal jobs Ottawa, this opportunity allows you to apply your expertise in a dynamic municipal environment.

Under the guidance of more senior legal counsel, you will be responsible for delivering a wide array of legal services to City Council, Committees, Departments, local boards, and agencies. This includes offering legal opinions and policy advice to an assigned client group, protecting and advancing the legal interests of the City, and advocating for corporate positions before courts and external decision-making bodies. This is a key role for those looking for City of Ottawa careers that make a tangible impact.

Key Duties and Responsibilities

As an Associate Legal Counsel, your duties will span several critical areas of law, ensuring the City of Ottawa's legal operations are robust and effective. You will also provide guidance and mentoring to more junior Legal Counsel, Articling Law Students, and Paralegals/Law Clerks in your respective practice area.

• Contract Law: Focus on the revision and creation of construction, purchasing, and consulting service contracts, documents, and procedures; manage construction disputes/liens and bonding; review and prepare contracts before tender calls and after contract awards; develop contract law training programs; and facilitate contract management and dispute resolution.
• Civil Litigation and Claims/Prosecutions: Handle claims made by and against the City, its boards, commissions, and agencies, including the Police Services Board; conduct litigation/prosecutions before courts, boards, and tribunals; and negotiate litigation settlements.
• Real Estate and Property Law: Address issues related to the acquisition and disposal of lands, including acquisitions, sales, expropriations, leases, and title information processes, along with related easement and encroachment agreements.
• Administrative Law: Interpret and prepare various documents, including by-laws, corporate documents, or specialized applications; draft reports and correspondence; develop standardized contracts, agreements, or forms; administer ATIP (Access to Information Privacy); handle diverse enquiries/responses; and make final determinations on collections pertaining to monies owed to the City.

Qualifications

To be successful in this Associate Legal Counsel role with the City of Ottawa, candidates must possess a strong foundation in legal education, relevant experience, and specific knowledge and competencies.

• Completion of Bachelor of Laws (LL.B.) or Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree (3-year program after first degree).
• Minimum of 2 years of broad legal experience in the practice of municipal law, as outlined in the Job Summary, which may include experience before civil courts, administrative boards and tribunals, or specific experience directly related to the assigned area of practice.

Certifications and Licences:

• Licensed by Law Society of Ontario and called to the Bar of Ontario.

Essential Knowledge:

• Knowledge of the Municipal Act 2001.
• Knowledge of the Code of Professional Conduct of the Law Society of Upper Canada.
• Working knowledge of municipal operations, City organizational structures, and departmental business requirements, complexities, and inter-relationships.
• Working knowledge of the specific legislation, regulations, policies/guidelines, and methods/procedures relating to the assigned area of practice.
• Working knowledge of the law of civil procedures and practice before the courts, and or administrative boards or tribunals.
• Working knowledge of the principles, practices, and procedures relating to interviewing, facilitation, negotiation, dispute resolution, and mediation.
• Protocols for developing submissions, briefings, and reports.
• Protocols for responding to inquiries, and preparing reports, briefing notes, and other communiqués.
• Knowledge of Employee Code of Conduct as well as applicable health and safety legislation, including the rights and duties of workers.

Competencies, Skills, and Abilities:

• Able to work independently, with minimal direction, and collaboratively with all staff as part of a team.
• Able to professionally represent the City before the courts and or administrative tribunals, and at meetings involving multiple shareholders and the general public.
• Possess leadership and human relations skills to provide ongoing mentoring, training, and coaching to more junior Legal Counsel, Articling Law Students, Paralegals, and Law Clerks.
• Possess organizational skills and flexibility to plan, initiate, organize, and prioritize own work, to manage multiple projects, and to deal effectively with multiple demands, conflicting priorities, pressures, and timelines.
• Able to consult with internal corporate clients and provide problem-solving advice, opinion, and guidance on legal matters.
• Able to undertake research, investigate/define issues, isolate key components of diverse issues, analyze/evaluate/interpret information, present findings, and make recommendations.
• Possess articulate and persuasive communication skills and strong influencing/negotiating skills/abilities in order to handle the advisory, adversarial, and administrative nature of the work.
• Able to describe legal concepts in readily understandable terms, and provide timely, constructive professional advice/information to all clients to assist in the decision-making process.
• Skilled in composing and writing pleadings, opinions, reports, and summaries and other documents for assigned client group.
• Able to write contract language, memoranda, settlement documents, reports, and proposals.
• Skilled in public speaking and in preparing/delivering presentations.
• Possess computer literacy in MS Office Suite and the ability to utilize specialized software and internet resources for legal research.
• Able to maintain and secure detailed documentation, records, and files.
• Self-directed in applying judgement, initiative, and creativity to address unique situations.
• Demonstrates leadership capabilities and strong interpersonal skills.
• Thorough and attentive to detail.
• Demonstrates tact, diplomacy, political awareness, sound judgement, and discretion in protecting the privacy, confidentiality, and security of information.
• Resilient, and able to deal with difficult individuals and situations.