Community Staff Lawyer (Contract, Full-Time 12-months)

Barbra Schlifer Commemorative Clinic offers trauma-informed legal services and representation, counselling and multilingual interpretation, and drives system transformation to support women and gender diverse people who have experienced violence. Rooted in the foundations of intersectionality, innovation, and a client-centred approach, we foster the skills and resilience of the people we serve and amplify their voices to create individual and collective change.

The Clinic’s Legal Department provides summary legal advice, brief services and representation in the areas of family and immigration law, and independent legal advice about various legal options for survivors of sexual assault and inmate partner violence The Legal Department is a collaborative team of lawyers, Family Court Support Workers and administrative staff. The Community Staff Lawyer will perform services as part of the Clinic’s Ontario-wide Independent Legal Advice program for survivors of intimate partner violence and sexual assault.

We are seeking a lawyer with experience in feminist legal advocacy and gender-based violence within the intersecting context of family law, immigration law, and sexual violence for a full-ti me, 1-year contract with possibility for renewal.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

All duties and responsibilities will be carried out in accordance with Barbra Schlifer Clinic’s Mandate, Mission and Values Statements.

CLIENT SERVICES, ADVICE AND REPRESENTATION

- Provide trauma-informed summary legal advice, brief intervention/advocacy services and representation to client survivors of intimate partner violence,



sexual assault and gender-based violence in the areas of criminal, civil, family, immigration and refugee law
- Assist self-represented clients in advocating with third parties in relation to their experiences of violence
- Provide trauma-informed legal representation when appropriate
- Assess urgent legal matters and prioritize client issues/casework
- Assess client needs for safety and social support and make appropriate referrals to legal and community resources
- Assist with applications for legal aid and referrals to lawyers, as appropriate
- Build partnerships and work with community agencies around Toronto and Ontario to receive referrals and provide summary legal advice to their clients with intersecting issues related to sexual assault and/or intimate partner violence
- Provide services in various formats including in person, phone, video, and in community at partner agencies
- Work with interpreters for the delivery of client services, as needed
- Demonstrate commitment to increasing understanding of cultural context in service delivery and as it intersects with gender-based violence

SYSTEMIC ADVOCACY/ RESEARCH

- Support in the design and delivery of professional development and public legal education presentations on issues relevant to gender-based violence and the law and trauma-informed practices




- Support Director of Legal Services with outreach and relationship building with partner agencies
- Be available to participate in various external stakeholder committees and coalitions to represent and promote the interests of survivors of violence
- Build and maintain knowledge of the Clinic’s areas of legal practice, including updates on case law, statutes and regulations relating to legal processes affecting survivors of sexual assault, inmate partner violence and gender-based violence

STUDENT AND VOLUNTEER PROGRAMS

- Assist in the delivery of orientation/training, supervision, mentoring and evaluation of Clinic’s law students and volunteers

ADMINISTRATION AND OTHER

- Follow appropriate file/case management practices and maintain clear and complete client records
- Collect and report statistics as required by the Clinic and funder reports
- Attend Legal Department and Clinic-wide meetings
- Engage in annual program planning and program evaluation, where appropriate
- Work collaboratively with other department staff including Intake, Counselling, Interpretation Services, Fundraising and Executive Office
- Comply with all Clinic policies and procedures as revised from time to time

SUPERVISION, TRAINING AND ONGOING CAREER DEVELOPMENT

- Participate in orientation, training and ongoing professional development programs as may be required by the Clinic and the Law Society of Ontario to ensure proficiency in all areas of responsibility
- Attend knowledge enhancement sessions organized by the Clinic
- Participate in ongoing supervision and periodic performance evaluations, as may be required by the Clinic <

📌 Community Staff Lawyer (Toronto)
🏢 Barbra Schlifer Commemorative Clinic
📍 Toronto