Litigation Coordinator

About this position

Position: Litigation Coordinator

About the position:

The BC Civil Liberties Association (BCCLA) is a non‑partisan national leader whose mission is to promote, defend, sustain, and extend civil liberties and human rights. Please visit our website for more information.

The BCCLA is seeking a talented individual to fulfill a key administrative role in the Litigation department. This is a full-time, 1.0 FTE permanent position.

Reporting to the Senior Litigation Staff Counsel the Litigation Coordinator conducts legal research, prepares court files, documents, litigation reports, and helps build archival and posterity systems.

We are seeking an individual with familiarity with legal proceedings and administration, excellent attention to detail, and experience with administrative coordination. The successful candidate will have a knowledge of and interest in human rights and civil liberties issues, strong ethics, and a deep commitment to equality, justice, and freedom.

This position is normally based at our office in Vancouver at #306-268 Keefer St, on unceded Indigenous lands belonging to the xʷməθkwəy̓əm (Musqueam), Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish), and səlil̓wətaʔɬ/Selilwitulh (Tsleil Waututh) nations.

In light of COVID-19, this position will work partially in-person, in incompliance with WorkSafeBC guidelines for in-office work during the pandemic, and partially remotely. A laptop and access to all required platforms will be provided.

What We Offer:

Compensation: Salary is based on the BCCLA’s Salary Structure, with a commitment to wage parity across coordinator-level positions within the organization. The starting salary for this position is $53,000-$54,600 per annum.

BCCLA also offers a holistic and competitive work package:

• Room for salary growth over the lifetime of all staff positions
• Annual salary progression for all staff, and regular cost of living adjustment (COLA) increases.
• Comprehensive health benefits that include an extended health and dental plan for all staff, spouses and dependents.
• Unionized environment with collective agreement anticipated to be finalized in 2023. This position is included in the bargaining unit.
• Life insurance, Long-term Disability Insurance, and AD&D for staff, family and dependents included within health benefits.
• Health benefits starting immediately and not dependent on completion of probationary period.
• 20 days of paid Annual Vacation, plus an additional 1-2 week December office closure.
• 10 Statutory and 1 other paid days off every year.
• 15 days of paid Sick Leave, including sick days, family care days, and personal wellness days.
• A generous parental leave policy including a parental leave top-up.
• Annual professional development funding for each staff.
• Team-wide professional development and training.
• Team-wide staff celebrations and staff appreciation.
• A family-friendly, child-friendly, and dog-friendly work environment that supports flexible work arrangements and time in lieu arrangements with an emphasis on work life balance.
• A workplace where your experience and voice are valued.
• A staff team of diverse backgrounds that is committed and passionate about civil liberties, human rights, equity and justice.

Application Process:

To apply, please email your resume and cover letter in one combined PDF to careers@bccla.org with the subject line “Litigation Coordinator Application” by 11:59pm PST on July 2, 2023. Candidates are invited to share their LinkedIn and Twitter profiles, but are not expected or required to do so.

The BCCLA is committed to ensuring that equity, diversity, and inclusion are priority considerations, including in building a workplace that honours the particular experiences and expertise of communities marginalized through state violence and social oppression. The BCCLA strongly encourages applications from all qualified Indigenous people, Black people, immigrants and refugees, people of colour, working class people, and 2SLGBTQIA+ people. Applicants are encouraged to self-identify, should they feel comfortable doing so, in their cover letter and are invited to share how their lived experience would inform their approach and ethics in this position.

Qualified applicants do not necessarily need to have all the skills, experience, or qualifications listed in this job posting. The BCCLA is looking for a person that has a balance of skills, lived and other experience, and a capacity to grow with the BCCLA team that would enable them to thrive in this position. If you are interested and you believe you would thrive in the role of Litigation Coordinator, we encourage you to apply.

Responsibilities:

• Prepare, proofread and format a variety of documents including court pleadings, memoranda, internal documents, briefs, motions, correspondence, and other documents as requested.
• Coordinate filing of documents at various levels of court, ensuring pleadings are filed on time and that filed copies are received from pro bono counsel.
• Coordinate document distribution between BCCLA and pro bono counsel, co-counsel, and other parties working in collaboration with the litigation department.
• Compose routine correspondence.
• Perform legal research as requested, such as citation checking, consulting with court registries, internet searches, using off-site libraries, copying abstracts, cases, etc.
• Manage and maintain the electronic litigation filing system to ensure it is up to date, user friendly, and professional.
• Manage and maintain the litigation department bring forward system and court calendar, utilizing case lists and Outlook calendars.
• Prepare and coordinate the completion of the litigation report for BCCLA Board of Directors meetings.
• Open and close files and maintain up to date case lists.
• Manage the organization’s online legal resources and library.
• Provide general administrative assistance to the litigation department.
• Assist in the development of office systems and procedures for the litigation department.
• Design and implement projects such as creating an archival system for past work.
• Other litigation coordination duties as required by the litigation department.

Skills Required

• Minimum two years experience with administrative assistance duties. Experience as a legal assistant preferred;
• Strong research skills;
• Strong verbal and written communication skills;
• Well-developed relationship-building and inter-personal skills, including the ability to speak with groups and strangers, and work with diverse populations;
• Skills in editing and proofreading written English;
• Passion for civil liberties and human rights issues;
• Commitment to justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion;
• Must be extremely well-organized, able to prioritize tasks and meet deadlines, and work independently and as part of a team;
• Experience and effectiveness with online platforms, technology, and computer applications are assets;
• Lived experience of or experience (paid or volunteer) working on issues related to BCCLA’s mandate is an asset.