Tenant Rights Advocate Trainee

Organizational Overview:

Aboriginal Legal Services was established February 21, 1990. ALS was formed following a needs assessment by the Native Canadian Centre of Toronto. With approximately 75 dedicated employees, Aboriginal Legal Services is headquartered in Toronto and operates nearly a dozen satellite offices across Ontario. Over the years ALS has becomes a nationally recognized leader in the development of Indigenous-led justice programming and in test-case litigation. Indigenous People require equitable treatment in the justice system, access to the legal and related resources within the justice system, as well as understanding of the system and their options. The support required includes advocacy in all areas of the law as well as alternatives which can break the cycles of recidivism and dependency which is all too prevalent. These alternatives are more effective when they are community controlled and are based on the traditional cultural norms and values of the Indigenous community.

 Position Summary:

The core function is assisting paralegals and lawyers to help and achieve their legal rights through representation, advocacy, education, community development, and/or law reform. This includes providing information to community members; performing outreach activities; preparing community legal educational materials and presenting education to client groups and other helping agencies; providing organization support to client groups; participating in law reform. Service to clients and the community is always done under the supervision of a lawyer or paralegal licensee. This is a unionized position.

 Duties and responsibilities

• Perform weekly intakes as scheduled and follow up on those intakes;
• Meet with tenants to discuss their options, help with communication between tenants and other ALS staff;
• Prepare case files on clients to prepare for upcoming hearings that could include, but are not limited to, cases such as arrears, evictions, adjournments, etc;
• Attend hearings to support clients; working with ALS lawyers or paralegals; file documents with Landlord and Tenant Board on occasion on behalf of tenants;
• Refer clients to various community agencies and organizations on a case-by-case situation;
• Attend monthly meetings and lunch and learns as scheduled;
• Prepare monthly reports for Miziwe Biik Employment and Training;
• Act as a back-up receptionist when required (Please refer to receptionist profile to see full responsibilities);
• Perform any other duties as assigned by the Legal Advocacy Director;

 Qualifications

• Must be registered with Miziwe Biik and working with an Employment Counsellor;
• Must reside within the GTA;
• Post-secondary education is an asset;
• Excellent verbal and writing skills;
• Ability to work independently and to manage a regular caseload of clients;

• Knowledge of the criminal justice system and programs and services available to Indigenous people in Toronto and surrounding area would be a great asset;

 To Apply:

To apply to this job posting, please submit your cover letter and resume with “Tenants Rights Advocate Trainee” in the subject line to hrgeneral@aboriginallegal.ca or fax it to (416) 408-1568.

Potential candidates must be First Nations, Inuit or Metis and reside within the GTA. Candidates must be registered or eligible to register with Miziwe Biik Aboriginal Employment and Training.

Aboriginal Legal Services is an equal opportunity organization committed to diversity and inclusion. Our goal is to attract, develop and retain highly talented employees from diverse backgrounds, allowing us to benefit from a wide variety of experiences and perspectives. We welcome and encourage applications from all qualified applicants. Accommodations for persons with disabilities required during the recruitment process are available upon request. To request accommodation, please email Nazaninn@aboriginallegal.ca.We would like to thank all applicants for their interest but only those selected for an interview will be contacted.