LAA-26-48- Certificate Standards & Compliance Counsel

Legal Aid Alberta is seeking to fill a permanent full time Certificate Standards & Compliance Counsel Lawyer in our Edmonton or Calgary office. This position will appeal to an individual that likes to take initiative, is client focused and is exceptionally strong in delivering high-quality results.

Who We Are

As a publicly funded, non-profit organization, Legal Aid Alberta provides affordable legal services in family law, domestic violence, child welfare, immigration, and youth and adult criminal defense. We are Alberta-wide, with 300 staff and 1,200 private practice lawyers helping people overcome their legal challenges in more than 75 communities across the province.

Who You Are

Reporting to the Managing Director, Certificate Standards & Compliance, this position will have primary responsibility to investigate lawyer quality of service concerns and ensure those delivering legal services to Legal Aid Alberta clients are in compliance with LAA rules, policies and Tariff. Exercising authority within the LAA compliance framework and associated policies, this position will make recommendations regarding roster status and applicable conditions and /or restrictions.

Job Description

Reporting to the Managing Director, Certificate Standards and Compliance some of the key responsibilities include:

• Receive, analyze and investigate compliance and quality of service complaints about lawyers, make recommendations based on findings, including rectification, suspension from the Legal Aid Roster restitution and other disciplinary actions, and liaison with the appropriate internal or external stakeholders and/or other decision-makers to conclude the matter as determined appropriate. This may include referring matters to regulators or police services.
• Initiate and refer activities to the Compliance Auditor and Compliance Investigator, act as liaison and provide guidance using legal skills to ensure that the work of those team members can be used to make objective evidence-based recommendations on findings including rectification, suspension from the Legal Aid Roster restitution and other disciplinary actions, and liaison with the appropriate internal or external stakeholders and/or other decision-makers to conclude the matter as determined appropriate. This may include referring matters to regulators or police services.
• Receive, analyze and coordinate the investigation of both compliance and quality of service complaints for roster lawyers.
• Provide review and opinion on lawyer billing audits to ensure adherence of roster lawyers to organizational billing policies and procedures, ID gaps, trends and opportunities for improvement, recommend strategies to encourage compliance with Policies and Processes
• Coordinate complex investigations planning assigning and supervising the daily activity and work of auditor and investigator, reviewing, and reporting the work of the team.

  Make recommendations to senior management for remedial or disciplinary measures available under organizational Policy.

  Prepare and present clear, concise, and insightful reports and presentations.

  Make appropriate recommendations in instances where outcomes of a review of complaints and investigation should be reported externally.

  Refer to law enforcement and/or regulatory partners as necessary to successfully coordinate investigating and prosecuting matters.

Qualifications

Education and Experience:

• Law degree from a recognized law school.
• Active member in good standing with the Law Society of Alberta.
• Previous experience in criminal law.
• 5 – 7 years of related experience, ideally with an emphasis on regulation, prosecution and/or compliance and risk management.
• Experience designing, implementing, and/or testing compliance controls.
• Ability to develop legal strategy and objectives and anticipate legal issues or risks

Knowledge and Skills:

• General knowledge of the principles and practices relating to audit and investigation.
• Knowledge of the Legal Profession Act, the Law Society of Alberta Code of Conduct, and the Rules of the Law Society of Alberta.
• Knowledge of Alberta Court of Justice and King's Bench rules and procedures.
• Identifying, obtaining, and analyzing information from a variety of sources, evaluating facts, identify issues, ascertaining organizational objectives, considering alternative solutions, analysing risk, and advising on the appropriate course of action.
• Compiling information and creating and delivering clear, concise reports both verbal and written.
• Presenting data and presenting an objective case for consideration by Sr. Management and Executive.
• Strong personal practice management skills.
• Demonstrated commitment to continuous improvement.
• Excellent critical thinking and problem-solving skills.
• Well-organized and able to deal with conflicting immediate priorities.
• Demonstrated ability to produce concise and clear reports and correspondence and present legal information clearly.
• Experience and skills demonstrated in administrative analytic organizational planning activities and decision-making skills ability to identify issues gather evidence to support audit findings identify

Annual Salary Range: $120,000-$175,000

What We Offer: Perks of working with us

• Competitive wage

• RRSP employer contribution

• Health and dental benefits

• Health and wellness accounts

• Employee assistance program

• Hybrid work opportunities

• Team environment

• Work Life Balance

How to Apply

If you got excited at the prospect of being a part of our team when you reviewed this posting and you meet the minimum qualifications, please select ‘Apply Now’ to create your candidate profile. This competition will remain open until a suitable candidate is found. Only those selected for an interview will be contacted.

Requirements

Successful candidate will be required to provide an acceptable criminal record check and social media screening.