Legal Assistant

**Job Posting**
- A municipal public servant makes a difference in the lives of over 400,000 people in the Halifax region.The municipality employs between 3,600-5,000 people annually.You could be one of them. Halifax Regional Municipality (HRM)is recognized as one of the Top Employers for 2022 in Nova Scotia & Atlantic Canada
- HRM Legal & Legislative Services Business Unit is seeking a **Legal Assistant **to become a permanent member of the Legal Services support team.In the Team environment of Legal Services,Legal Assistants may be required to work for several lawyers at the same time & have additional expertise in one or more of the following areas of law:Litigation,Prosecutions,Solicitor Services(Advisory Services, Corp/Comm and/or Real Property)
- Reporting operationally to their assigned lawyers & administratively to the Business Unit Coordinator,the Legal Assistant is responsible for a wide variety of legal & administrative duties within the Legal Services division,with a high degree of confidentiality
- Responsibilities include but are not limited to:preparation of legal documents & correspondence,dictation transcription;paper & electronic filing;file management;processing invoices;responding to inquiries & interacting with internal clients,external parties,& the public.Excellent interpersonal & communication skills are essential for this role,as well as broad & thorough knowledge of legal concepts,practices,& principles- **DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES (may specialize in one or both)**:
**Litigation & Labour**
- Maintain knowledge of litigation file timeline regarding statutory limitations & deadlines,providing reminders & updates to solicitor
- Assist solicitor to coordinate witnesses,client contacts,& organization of discovery &/or arbitration meetings
- General understanding of Collective Agreements,Unions & arbitration hearing
- Prepare evidence,arbitration binders,& any reference documents required by solicitor for court or hearings

**Solicitor Services & Real Property**
- Ability to prepare broad range of legal documents & correspondence for residential & commercial real estate transactions including,but not limited to,deeds,easements,legal descriptions,HST Certificates,Direction,& Statements of Adjustments & Proceeds,Parcel Description Certification Applications (PDCA) & Applications for Registration(AFRs) as well as final report
- Review document package received from other BU for completeness prior to forwarding to solicitor for approval & execution
- Track closing date & other deadline,following up as necessary with assigned lawyer,client & external solicitors
- Conduct title searches,sub-searches & PPSA(Personal Property Security Act)searches,as required & acts as designated contact for requisition of all HRM title searches required by Legal Services as well as other BU
- Conduct general & title related property research regarding easements,rights-of-way & property ownership
- Ensure documents are vault filed with Clerk’s office
- **QUALIFICATIONS**
**Education & Experience**:

- Certificate/diploma from a Legal Assistant or Paralegal program with a minimum of two years experience in a legal assistant role with demonstrated performance capabilities. A combination of education & experience will be considered.
- Experience working in litigation in a law firm setting will be considered an asset
- Preparing real estate closings & title search review will be considered an asset
- Experience working with file/document management systems will be considered an asset

**Technical /Job Specific Knowledge & Abilities**:

- Proficiency/expertise in use of Microsoft Office (Outlook/Word/Excel/PowerPoint),Adobe Acrobat(writer)
- Excellent interpersonal & communications skills,both written & verbal
- Excellent organizational & problem solving skills
- Superior time management skills & ability to prioritize tasks with mínimal supervision
- Strong sense of ethics & the ability to handle sensitive/confidential or private information with tact & discretion; knowledge of privacy laws
- High level of sound & independent judgment,reasoning, & diplomacy
- Ability to work effectively both independently & as part of a team on a multitude of tasks in variable situations
- Strong customer service orientation,ability to deal with lawyers & public under stressful situations
- High level of accuracy/attention to detail while working within strict timelines
- Excellent writing skills,including proper spelling,grammar, & punctuation for complex documentation & ability to independently draft correspondence at a professional skill level
- Knowledge of legal terminology & ability to draft legal documentation
- Understanding of legal reference materials,procedures, & legal filing systems
- Critical thinking,analysis,& research skills
- Resourceful & flexible
- Professional,responsive,& positive work attitude
- Knowledge of municipal issues,administration & government including council processes & procedures,By-laws,HRM Cha