About the position
Duties
The Supreme Court of Canada is looking for legal practitioners to join the Law Branch of the Office of the Registrar of the Supreme Court of Canada. Working in a fast-paced and collegial environment, legal counsel at the Court provide expert legal advice to judges, the Office of the Registrar, senior management, and staff of the Supreme Court of Canada on a broad range of legal matters of significant scope and impact. Legal counsel are responsible for advising the Court on applications for leave to appeal, motions and appeals, drafting headnotes and providing legal editorial services on reasons for judgment, and providing corporate legal services. The Supreme Court of Canada provides an inclusive and rewarding workplace.
Work environmentThe Supreme Court of Canada (SCC) is Canada’s final court of appeal. The SCC is a bilingual institution that hears cases in French and English, in all areas of the law, such as constitutional, family, and criminal law. It decides cases from Canada’s two major legal traditions, common and civil law. Its decisions affect the lives of all Canadians. The SCC recognizes that a key element necessary in achieving and retaining a representative workforce is providing a supportive work environment and fostering a corporate culture that is welcoming to all employees, including designated group members. According to the most recent public service employee surveys, the SCC is one of the best places to work in the federal public service. Given that the SCC is not served by the Pay Center, it has its own compensation team responsible for administering the full range of pay and benefit transactions in Phoenix and MyGCHR.
Legal Counsel positions require in-person attendance on a weekly basis at the Supreme Court of Canada in Ottawa, Ontario, as part of a hybrid work arrangement.
Intent of the process
The immediate staffing requirement is to fill several positions at the LP-01 and/or LP-02 levels.
STREAM 1 - LP-01 – Legal Counsel (Bilingual imperative - CCC/CCC)
STREAM 2 - LP-02 – Legal Counsel (various language requirements)
This process may also be used to create a partially or fully qualified pool of candidates and may be used to staff future vacancies for identical or similar positions at the Office of the Registrar of the Supreme Court of Canada with varying language requirements, security profiles, and tenures.
Important messages
ONLY ONLINE APPLICATIONS WILL BE ACCEPTED in order to take advantage of the many benefits of using the electronic recruitment system. Some of the benefits for applicants include that you can:
- modify your application/resume at any time BEFORE the closing date;
- verify the status of your application and notification(s), at any time;
- be notified electronically of assessment details and results.
Persons who are unable to apply online must contact prior to the closing date.
Persons are entitled to participate in the appointment process in the official language of their choice.
All communication and information obtained throughout the selection process, from the time of application to the close of process, may be used in the assessment of qualifications.
A top-down selection of candidates may be used in the determination of those to be given further consideration in the assessment process.
Our intention is to communicate with candidates via e-mail. Candidates who apply on this selection process must include in their application a valid e-mail address and make sure that this address is functional at all times and accepts messages from unknown users (some email systems block these types of email). It is the candidate's responsibility to provide any changes to their personal information to the contact indicated on this job advertisement.
You must be prepared to provide the original or a certified true copy of your educational credentials. Candidates with foreign credentials must provide proof of Canadian equivalency. Consult the Canadian Information Centre for International Credentials for further information at www.cicdi.ca/2/home.canada
You need (essential for the job)
Your application must clearly explain how you meet the following
FOR BOTH STREAMS (LP-01 and LP-02)
Education:
Law degree from a recognized Canadian university or its equivalent
Learn more about degree equivalency.
FOR BOTH STREAMS (LP-01 and LP-02)
Occupational Certification:
Membership in the bar of one of the provinces or territories of Canada or in the Order of Notaries in the Province of Quebec
FOR STREAM 1 (LP-01)
Experience:
Experience in legal writing, in conducting legal research and in legal analysis
Experience in the preparation of legal opinions and memoranda
Experience in providing legal advice to management, senior lawyers, clients or judges
FOR STREAM 2 (LP-02)
Experience:
Extensive* experience in legal writing, in conducting legal research and in legal analysis.
Significant** experience in the preparation of legal opinions and memoranda
Significant** experience in providing legal advice on complex*** issues to senior management****, senior lawyers, clients or judges
Definitions:
* Extensive is understood to mean the depth and breadth of the experience associated with having performed a broad range of various and complex activities that is normally acquired over a period of four (4) years.
** Significant experience is understood to mean the depth and breadth of the experience normally acquired over a minimum period of two (2) 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.
**** Senior management is understood to refer to the level of Director General and above.
Applied / assessed at a later date
FOR BOTH STREAMS (LP-01 AND LP-02)
Knowledge:
Knowledge of the Supreme Court of Canada’s role, function and jurisdiction
Knowledge of Canada’s justice system, its structure and its legal traditions
Proficiency in the use of online legal research tools and databases
FOR BOTH STREAMS (LP-01 and LP-02)
Abilities:
Ability to summarize facts and legal issues relating to cases before the Court
Ability to analyse complex judgments and draft case abstracts and memoranda on applications for leave to appeal
Excellent writing and editing skills
Ability to communicate effectively orally
Ability to work under pressure
Ability to make recommendations and provide sound legal advice
FOR BOTH STREAMS (LP-01 and LP-02)
Personal Suitability:
Effective interpersonal relationships
Initiative
Judgment
Reliability
Attention to detail
You may need (asset qualifications)
May be applied / assessed at a later date
FOR BOTH STREAMS (LP-01 and LP-02)
Asset Qualification:
Education:
As the Supreme Court of Canada considers cases from all jurisdictions in Canada, degree(s) from a recognized university in both the civil law and common law would be an asset.
Learn more about degree equivalency.
FOR BOTH STREAMS (LP-01 and LP-02)
Asset Qualifications:
Experience:
Experience working as legal counsel for a court, a tribunal, a board or a commission
Experience in editing legal documents for publication
Experience in conducting civil litigation
Experience in providing corporate legal services or advice on matters such as procurement, staff relations or intellectual property
Our commitment
We're 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 contact the hiring organization below to request specialized accommodation. All information received in relation to accommodation will be kept confidential.
Learn more about assessment accommodation.
Equity, diversity and inclusion
The Public Service of Canada is committed to building a skilled and diverse workforce that reflects the population it serves. We promote employment equity and encourage you to self-declare if you belong to one of the designated employment equity groups when you apply.
Learn more about diversity and inclusion in the public service.
Selection may be limited to members of the following employment equity groups: persons with disabilities, and visible minorities.
Learn more about employment equity.
How to apply
Learn more about applying for Government of Canada jobs.
Information you must provide
- Your résumé
- A cover letter - A cover letter must clearly demonstrate how your education, background, and experience meet the essential qualifications of the position. Please provide clear, concrete examples with sufficient detail to allow the selection committee to assess the breadth and depth of your experience, including what you did, where and when the experience occurred, how you carried out the work, and the context in which it was performed. Your examples must clearly outline your specific role, responsibilities, and contributions in each situation described. Your résumé may be used as a secondary source to validate the information provided in your cover letter. Applications that are incomplete or that do not clearly demonstrate how you meet the essential education, occupational certification and experience outlined under “You need (essential for the job)” in the job advertisement may be screened out. No additional or missing information will be requested after the application has been submitted.
We'd like to thank all those who apply. However, only the people selected for further consideration will be contacted.