Advocate

Job Category

Job Profile

Job Title

Department

Compensation Range

The Compensation Range is the span between the minimum and maximum base salary for a position. The midpoint of the range is approximately halfway between the minimum and the maximum and represents an employee that possesses full job knowledge, qualifications and experience for the position. In the normal course, employees will be hired, transferred or promoted between the minimum and midpoint of the salary range for a job.

Posting End Date

Note: Applications will be accepted until 11:59 PM on the Posting End Date.

Job End Date

At UBC, we believe that attracting and sustaining a diverse workforce is key to the successful pursuit of excellence in research, innovation, and learning for all faculty, staff and students. Our commitment to employment equity helps achieve inclusion and fairness, brings rich diversity to UBC as a workplace, and creates the necessary conditions for a rewarding career. 

Job Summary

The Peter A. Allard School of Law, Indigenous Community Legal Clinic (ICLC) was founded in 1991 and has provided legal assistance to over 17,000 Indigenous peoples in BC. The ICLC exists for two purposes: first, to provide free legal services to the Indigenous community in British Columbia, and second, to provide legal education to law students in the Allard School of Law. By enrolling in the ICLC program, students interested in advocacy, social justice and working with and for Indigenous peoples can gain practical experience, build competencies, and make a meaningful contribution to a historically underserved and marginalized community. Working at the ICLC gives students practical hands-on experience managing client files, preparing for and attending court, and building competencies when working with Indigenous peoples.

The ICLC is seeking to hire one Advocate. Understanding Indigenous history, including but not limited to the impacts of Residential School, legislation, and legal issues is an asset. Please note due to the nature of this role, this is an on-site position; there are no hybrid work opportunities.

Organizational Status
The Advocate reports to the ICLC Academic Director. The successful candidate will work under the direction and supervision of the Directors and Supervising lawyers. The Advocate is a skilled justice navigator who will work with community partners, lawyers, and other agencies to provide referrals to connect to community supports that can address our clients social needs including but not limited to housing, income support, mental health, medical health, addictions, and community cultural supports. The successful candidate will have experience working with Indigenous people and communities.

Work Performed

• Explain the function of the ICLC to people who contact the clinic by telephone or walk in.
• Interview potential clients by phone or in person. Triage Indigenous peoples into the legal support services offered within the program.
• Compile and review client intake forms with supervising lawyers to help determine if the ICLC can offer assistance, should open a client file, and the scope of work that will be involved.
• Identify and build relationships with community-based organizations serving Indigenous peoples across British Columbia, with a focus on Vancouver and the Lower Mainland.
• Support Indigenous clients by connecting them to services that promote wellbeing and address legal and social needs.
• Refer clients to appropriate legal and community services when matters fall outside the scope of the ICLC.
• Work collaboratively with supervising lawyers, students, and legal support staff to reduce barriers to accessing services.
• Partner with supervising lawyers and students to identify and share effective resources and supports for clients.
• Represent the ICLC within the community, as required, to strengthen partnerships and outreach.
• Demonstrate an ongoing commitment to Truth and Reconciliation by contributing to culturally safe, respectful, and responsive services.
• Maintain accurate client records, track activities using CLIO and Outlook, and ensure consistent and reliable program data collection

ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT

• Organizes ICLC calendars and meetings as necessary.
• Organizes internal databases, legal precedents, and templates as necessary.
• Supports Clinical intakes.
• Provides back-up support to Legal Assistants as required.

Consequence of Error/Judgement
Errors in judgments during the intake process could result in the client being without legal representation. Failure to report errors could result in the client not receiving adequate representation. Failure to be sensitive to Indigenous issues and culture could result in alienation of clients or students and of the Indigenous community, resulting in loss of credibility of program.

Supervision Received
ICLC Academic Director and supervising lawyers.

Supervision Given
None.

Minimum Qualifications

Undergraduate degree in law, social work, or a relevant discipline. Minimum of two years of related experience, or the equivalent combination of education and experience.

• Willingness to respect diverse perspectives, including perspectives in conflict with one’s own
• Demonstrates a commitment to enhancing one’s own awareness, knowledge, and skills related to equity, diversity, and inclusion

Preferred Qualifications

• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills
• Ability to work in a fast-paced environment, with minimal supervision.
• Ability to communicate and relate to Indigenous people and their communities.
• Ability to work independently in a fast-paced environment, handling multiple, simultaneous tasks, prioritizing and meeting deadlines effectively.
• Ability to work in a team environment and to take instructions.
• Ability to use own initiative and make independent decisions.
• Ability to draft routine correspondence. Ability to organize workload, identify urgent work items, and set priorities.
• Ability to cope with a heavy workload.
• Ability to exercise discretion and maintain confidentiality.
• Trauma informed practice. Ability to deal with distressed, demanding and/or hostile clients.
• Ability to work effectively with a wide range of people including those with low incomes, physical/emotional disabilities, limited literacy, or otherwise disadvantaged.
• Ability to exercise empathy and to assist disadvantaged clients, including those with mental disabilities, those with low income, or those whose first language is not English.
• Ability to exercise sensitivity to Indigenous Peoples issues.
• A demonstrated awareness of the Indigenous community’s cultural diversity
• Ability to exercise a high level of professionalism based off the expectations of the ICLC in tandem with the Code of Conduct and Law Society Rules.

Although we welcome candidates from all groups, preference will be given to those of Indigenous heritage.