WHAT WE OFFER

- Annual Salary progression for all staff.
- Comprehensive and 100% employer-paid health benefits including extended health and dental plan for regular staff, spouses, and dependents.
- RRSP Employee matching contribution
- Life insurance, Long-term Disability, and AD&D; benefits.
- 15 days of paid annual vacation.
- 13 statutory paid days off every year and 12 days of paid sick leave.
- An inclusive and supportive workplace culture.

Each job within the FIRST UNITED CHURCH Community Ministry Society should promote our accomplishment of our vision, mission, and values.

GENERAL DESCRIPTION:

This position will provide in-person advocacy assistance and representation to the Downtown Eastside community and others on a variety of legal issues generally encountered by low-income individuals and families.

This position is a full time, temporary contract covering the period of November 1, 2026 to October 31, 2027.

WORK SITE & HOURS:

This position works in-person from 320 E. Hastings Street office Monday to Friday with core hours of 8:30am - 4:30pm

SPECIFIC DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES:

- Provide in-person, low-barrier service by drop-in intake. This one-to-one in person advocacy service includes providing referrals, information, summary advice and/or full representation regarding the following legal issues: welfare (including disability), tenancy, employment insurance, Old Age Security, Canada Pension Plan (including CPP Disability), immigration, debt, employment-related issues (e.g. employment standards), and other similar administrative law matters.
- Provide full representation at hearings,



written submission of appeals and reconsiderations of decisions, written and spoken interventions at an administrative level with a number of government programs, interviews and investigation and basic assistance with a wide variety of applications.
- Assist with forms (facilitating access to benefits): old age security, victim assistance, birth certificate applications, guaranteed income supplement, etc.
- Connect clients to appropriate resources within our cultivated network of service providers and legal aid as required if we are unable to assist them.
- Communicate withnumerous government agencies, social service agencies, housing providers, othercommunity legal assistance organizations and individual lawyers to advocate forclients.
- Assist in the developmentand delivery of public legal education workshops.
- Engage in research thatis directly related to the casework.
- Participates in weeklycase review conferencing with other First United advocates.
- Meet monthly andquarterly reporting requirements for Law Foundation or First United.
- Engage in weekly orbi-weekly legal supervision and file review (Law Foundation-funded advocatesonly).

SKILLS & Abilities:





- Goodcommunication skills both oral and written.
- Up-to-datecomputer skills with Microsoft Office.
- Knowledgeof the difficulties encountered by people living in the Downtown Eastside is anasset.
- Knowledgeof statutes such as Residential Tenancy and Employment and Assistance Acts.

EDUCATION & EXPERIENCE:

- LawDegree or depending upon experience, a university undergraduate degree,para-legal training diploma or continuing education training in poverty law.
- Legaladvocacy experience would be an asset.

SCOPE OF RESPONSIBILITY:

Supervisory Responsibility: None

Latitude:

TheLegal Advocate is to seek input or to exchange information about regular dutieswith the Advocacy Manager or delegate.

JOB CLASSIFICATION:

Bargaining Unit

Job Classification: CSSEA Provincial Agreement JJEP Classification 15

We are committed to becoming a more just, equitable, inclusive, and diverse workplace, which extends to how we hire.

We are continually learning new and unlearning old practices while examining systemic causes of inequity, including colonialism.

We aim to be representative of the communities that we serve.

We welcome everyone to apply, and we strongly encourage applications from members of communities that have been marginalized based on Indigeneity, race, colour, religion, nationality, social or ethnic origin, sex, age, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression.

In order to achieve a representative team, preference may be given to people who are members of one or more of these groups.

📌 Legal Advocate (Vancouver)
🏢 First United
📍 Vancouver