Legal Advocate

FIRST UNITED is a registered charity that has been serving Vancouver's Downtown Eastside community for 140 years. We offer responsive, low-barrier services to individuals who are low income, underhoused or homeless. We pursue dignity, belonging, and justice to meet the daily needs of community members while engaging in systems change work to reduce homelessness and break cycles of poverty. If you're looking for purpose-filled work and want to make a difference in the community, this might be the opportunity for you.

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

APPLICATION PROCESS:

Candidates will be asked to answer a few screening questions and upload a copy of their resume and cover letter on the following pages. Your cover letter should outline your suitability for the role, in particular your training and experience with and/or knowledge of direct client service and one-to-one advocacy for vulnerable and marginalized clients.

Eligible candidates will then be invited to attend a screening phone call, followed by up to 2 (two) rounds of in-person interviews with the hiring team.

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 with numerous government agencies, social service agencies, housing providers, other community legal assistance organizations and individual lawyers to advocate for clients.
• Assist in the development and delivery of public legal education workshops.
• Engage in research that is directly related to the casework.
• Participates in weekly case review conferencing with other First United advocates.
• Meet monthly and quarterly reporting requirements for Law Foundation or First United.
• Engage in weekly or bi-weekly legal supervision and file review (Law Foundation-funded advocates only).

SKILLS & Abilities:

• Good communication skills both oral and written.
• Up-to-date computer skills with Microsoft Office.
• Knowledge of the difficulties encountered by people living in the Downtown Eastside is an asset.
• Knowledge of statutes such as Residential Tenancy and Employment and Assistance Acts.

EDUCATION & EXPERIENCE:

• Law Degree or depending upon experience, a university undergraduate degree, para-legal training diploma or continuing education training in poverty law.
• Legal advocacy experience would be an asset.

SCOPE OF RESPONSIBILITY:

Supervisory Responsibility: None

Latitude:

The Legal Advocate is to seek input or to exchange information about regular duties with 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.