Union:

OPSEU - District

Job Number: J0626-0728

Job Title: French Bilingual Legal Aid Worker

Job Type: Permanent Full Time

City, Province, Country: St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada

Job Location: St. Catharines

Job Category: Customer Service / Customer Associates

Classification: S4U

Open Positions: 1

Posting Date: September 1, 2026

Closing Date: September 14, 2026

Salary: $57,711.71 - $86,145.98 /Year

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.

Building a diverse workforce that represents the communities we serve while promoting a safe culture and work environment that dismantles systemic barriers, welcomes fresh perspectives and embraces differences as a priority is a core value at LAO. LAO encourages applicants from equity-seeking groups, including but not limited to individuals who are First Nations, Inuit or Métis, Black and racialized, as well as persons with disabilities, women and members of the 2SLGBTQ+ community.

We recognize the value of equity, diversity and inclusion and are committed to addressing systemic barriers, and prioritizing, attracting and retaining diverse staff. All interested and eligible people will be considered, with due consideration to all protected grounds under the Ontario Human Rights Code.

Legal Aid Ontario values integrity, respect, responsiveness, excellence, independence, accountability, openness and consistency. Our recruitment process reflects our commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion. Accommodations are available throughout the recruitment process as well as during employment at LAO. Please direct any accommodation requests to our recruitment team.

Primary function

This position is responsible for supporting LAO's Family Law Service Center (“FLSC”) and Duty Counsel services in both family law and criminal law, with an emphasis on family law. The incumbent will often be the first point of contact for a client contacting the FLSC or Duty Counsel.

The incumbent will triage and interview clients about their legal matter, provide clients with procedural information about Legal Aid Ontario services, provide public legal information, and make referrals to LAO services and community service providers. The incumbent will take legal aid applications and assist clients with getting a lawyer.



The incumbent will draft family law court documents under the supervision of a lawyer, will assist clients navigate the family court process including filing court documents, and will maintain client files. The incumbent will have to be comfortable with ZOOM, Microsoft 360 Teams, and the use of data management programs.

Home Location: St. Catharines courthouse
Secondary/tertiary locations: Welland courthouse, Welland Family Law Service Center
Reporting to: Manager, Legal Services

Key accountabilities

- Triage and intake of clients in person, in writing and over the phone;
- Provide general information, including information about Legal Aid services, court procedure and community resources, to lawyers, clients and other legal system partners;
- Liaise with other providers of legal services and social services, to ensure seamless client service;
- Draft family court documents under the supervision of a lawyer;
- Perform client and certificate file management tasks, including conducting financial eligibility tests and conflict checks, and providing information to clients and/or their lawyers relating to their legal aid application status and court proceeding;
- Create and maintain systems to manage the volume of work and the ability to compile information for statistical purposes and reporting/analysis;
- Assist with office administration;
- Perform other duties as required.

Required skills & experience

- French language skills, both oral and written are required (Candidates will be tested on their French language skills)
- Ability to speak and write other languages is an asset
- Excellent communication and interpersonal skills for interacting with clients, justice sector partners, members of the public and colleagues
- Proven ability to write clearly and persuasively in a professional setting
- Proven ability to be compassionate and to exercise sound judgment when encountering stressful situations
- Proven ability to learn and adapt to new or modified policies and procedures
- Knowledge of LAO priorities, policies and procedures is an asset
- Intermediate to advanced computer skills
- Well-developed interviewing/intake skills in a social service workplace
- Experience assisting individuals from vulnerable populations such as racialized communities, youth, or those experiencing physical, cognitive, mental health or addiction challenges,



or experiencing housing insecurity
- Ability to function in a high intensity, public facing role with quick turn-arounds
- Experience with data management and file organization
- Ability to travel to secondary office locations is required.
- French language skills, both oral and written are required (Candidates will be tested on their French language skills).

What do we offer?
At Legal Aid Ontario, we are committed to fostering a supportive and rewarding work environment for our employees. Our comprehensive benefits package reflects this commitment and is designed to enhance both professional and personal well-being.

We have a comprehensive health and wellness program that include dental, health and life insurance along with Basic Accidental Death & Dismemberment (AD&D;) Insurance, Short-Term Disability (STD), and Long-Term Disability (LTD) coverage.

Employees at Legal Aid Ontario also enjoy generous paid time-off policy including vacation days, illness days, discretionary days and statutory holidays.
Employees are eligible to be enrolled to OPSEU Pension Plan, administered by OPSEU Pension Plan Trust Fund (OPTrust).

How to apply?
Submit a résumé and cover letter.
Please clearly set out in your cover letter why you are interested in the Legal Aid Worker position, and highlight relevant experience, skills, and training that make you an ideal candidate.

Only those candidates selected for an interview will be notified.
Final candidates for this position will be required to undergo a criminal record check.
This position is represented by OPSEU and the employee will be governed by the provisions of the collective agreement and union dues will be deducted bi-weekly from date of hire.

Note: If a permanent employee, currently represented by OPSEU, is the successful candidate for this opportunity, they will return to their home position at the conclusion of this assignment, if the position continues to exist.

Please note that all applicants are encouraged to provide a valid email address for communication purposes. Applicants may receive written correspondence regarding this job posting directly to the email address provided on their résumé or to the one used to set up their Candidate Profile if applying on Njoyn.

As an applicant, it is your responsibility to ensure that you check your email regularly.

First time applying to a position with LAO?

You will need to create a profile AND then apply for the position.

Already have an Njoyn account? Just sign in and select "my jobs" to apply.
Once you have successfully applied you will receive a confirmation email.

Trouble applying? For telephone support please call 1-(phone hidden) or email support:[email protected].

📌 French Bilingual Legal Aid Worker (St. Catharines)
🏢 Legal Aid Ontario
📍 St. Catharines