Legal Aid Worker

Company Bio

Legal Aid Ontario employees are committed to making a difference in the lives of our clients.
As an integral partner in the Justice system, working at Legal Aid Ontario is more than just a job. It's an opportunity to help people who need it the most; to ensure each client receives the access to justice afforded to them under the law.
If you are looking for a new challenge in your already meaningful career with a team dedicated to justice, and innovation in a flexible and supportive work environment consider this opportunity below.
Primary function
This position is responsible for supporting the mandate of the Eastern District. The Legal Aid Worker (LAW) works with their manager, staff lawyers, and other LAWs to provide direct client service and administrative support in a busy district office and/or courthouse environment. The LAW will be required to conduct intake interviews with clients, perform ongoing case management, participate in community and stakeholder outreach, and assist staff lawyers and per diem duty counsel with the provision of direct client service. The LAW will also help support and implement Legal Aid Ontario initiatives and priorities.

**Primary Location**: Brockville

**Secondary Location**: Perth

**Reports to**: Manager, District Operations
Key accountabilities
Intake
- Triage and assess client needs, including early identification of vulnerable clients, to determine the appropriate service for clients and make referrals to appropriate services.
- Perform intake by interviewing clients (in-person, phone, video) to gather necessary information (case history) required for decision making.
- Attend provincial and federal institutions to complete in-person client intake and provide other related assistance
- Make entitlement decisions (including ongoing eligibility) based on LAO’s financial and legal eligibility policies and guidelines. This would include complex client and legal/financial matters.
- Prepare and process contribution agreements and related legal directions.

Client Management
- Communicate with and respond to clients, lawyers, and other legal system partners in-person, by phone, video, and through written correspondence.
- Coordinate and process Eligibility Review matters including client appeals, by scheduling, preparing, and processing decisions. This includes assisting the Eligibility Review Office.
- Act as liaison between the Provincial Court of Appeal and the district.
- Coordinate decision making with other LAO departments and services (i.e. complaints, non-resident matters).
- Coordinate settlement conferences and family case management conferences as necessary.

Communications and Outreach
- Perform outreach with stakeholders including clinics and other community agencies to promote and expand service co-ordination opportunities. This may include attending local stakeholder meetings.
- Liaise with private bar lawyers, duty counsel, mental health workers, and other court workers and administrative staff.
- Identify and elevate issues/service trends/community events and seek guidance from management when necessary.

Direct Client Services
- Provide services in courthouse locations as needed including client intake and supporting duty counsel/staff lawyer services.
- Assist clients with drafting and service of family law documents under the supervision of duty counsel/staff lawyer.
- Assist duty counsel/staff lawyer by triaging/screening clients and provide clients with public legal information including procedural legal information.
- Assist clients/duty counsel with bail hearing process (i.e. interview sureties).
- Assist clients/duty counsel with routine administrative matters (i.e. adjournments).
- Provide supports for clients receiving representation through staff lawyer services.

Administrative Supports
- Support roster management including new empanelment, panel additions, mentorship program, and panel removals.
- Coordinate domestic violence authorization program including assisting with the facilitation of training and other domestic violence strategy initiatives.
- Support and assist with administrative functions (duty counsel scheduling, approving duty counsel accounts, and collecting/compiling information for statistics/performance measures).
- Assist with the training and development of other district staff including cross-training of duties to ensure coverage for staff absences.
- Provide services at multiple locations/courthouses/institutions as required within the district (travel may be required).
- Perform other duties as required (this may include assisting with special projects and project implementation).

Required skills & experience
- Prior experience in similar or related role.
- Excellent communication and interpersonal skills for dealing with clients, lawyers and other agencies with the proven ability to exercise judgment when encountering stressful situations including the early identification of vulnerable clients so that