Position: Administrative Legal Assistant

Practice: Law Office of Yiwei Zhang (yiweizhang.ca)

Location: 5700 Yonge Street, Suite 200, North York, ON (Onsite)

Employment Type: Full-Time, Permanent

Compensation: $50,000 – $55,000 per year (commensurate with experience)

About the PracticeThe Law Office of Yiwei Zhang is an independent criminal defence practice based in North York, serving clients across the Greater Toronto Area and surrounding courts. We represent individuals facing summary and indictable criminal offences, with an emphasis on rigorous case preparation, direct advocacy, and clear, transparent client communication.

As an independent practice, our environment is highly collaborative, detail-oriented, and client-focused. You will work directly alongside counsel, serving as an integral foundation for daily operations, managing client touchpoints, and ensuring smooth, reliable coordination between our office, clients, and court staff.

Key Responsibilities

- Client Intake &

• Communication: Serve as the initial point of contact for inquiries via phone, email, and in-person consultations; conduct intake screenings and gather essential preliminary information.
- File &

- Evidence Management: Organize, index, and securely store Crown disclosure packages, digital audio/video media, and client files.
- Court Scheduling &
- Calendaring: Maintain the master litigation calendar; track appearances (case management, crown pre-trials, judicial pre-trials, hearings, trials) and coordinate dates with clients, court registries, and opposing counsel.
- Document Preparation &
- Admin:



Prepare standard court documents, retainer letters, basic correspondence, and intake forms under lawyer supervision; assist with administrative invoicing and trust accounting records.
- Legal Aid Administration: Assist with processing Legal Aid Ontario certificates, managing authorizations, and preparing billing documentation where applicable.

Qualifications &

• RequirementsLanguage Capabilities

- English: Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
- Mandarin Chinese: Fluent spoken Mandarin and robust reading/writing skills in Chinese (Required).
- Cantonese: Spoken Cantonese is considered an asset.

Skills & • Background

- Legal Aid Ontario (LAO): Experience with Legal Aid Ontario (e.g., certificate portal management, billing submissions, authorizations) is an asset.
- Education & • Administrative Skills:

Diploma/certificate in Legal Administration, Office Administration, Paralegal Studies, or relevant administrative experience.
- Organizational Excellence: Meticulous attention to detail, strong time-management skills, and the ability to track strict procedural deadlines accurately.
- Professionalism & • Discretion:

High standard of ethics, strict adherence to client confidentiality and solicitor-client privilege, and a calm, empathetic manner when communicating with clients facing stressful circumstances.
- Technical Proficiency: Comfortable with Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Outlook, Excel), PDF editing/handling tools, and general digital file management. Willingness to quickly learn legal practice management tools.

📌 Administrative Legal Assistant – Criminal Defence (Onsite, Chinese Proficiency Required) (North York)
🏢 Yiwei Zhang Criminal Defence
📍 North York