Legal Coordinator- Litigation Team

at  ONTARIO NURSES ASSOCIATION

POSITION: 1 (ONE POSITION IN REGION 3)

Founded in 1973, the Ontario Nurses’ Association (ONA) is a leading health-care union representing more than 68,000 registered nurses and health-care professionals and 18,000 nursing student affiliates working in Ontario hospitals, long-term care facilities, public health, community, clinics and industry. ONA is committed to the advancement of the social, economic and general welfare of its members providing labour relations services that include representation of members to ensure their rights under the collective agreement are protected and negotiating the best possible terms and conditions of employment. ONA advocates for the highest standards of health care for all Ontarians. Looking to the future, ONA will continue to provide proactive strategies to raise the awareness of the value (including economic and patient benefits) of RNs with all stakeholders.
ONA is seeking to hire a Legal Coordinator for Region 3 on our Litigation Team to join the Toronto and/or Port Hope office. As a member of the Litigation Team and working within the boundaries of ONA’s governing and administrative policies, the vision, and strategic outcomes, this position provides litigation services, mentorship, advice, and support to meet the service delivery needs of ONA and its membership. The incumbent will be a leader on the Litigation Team and is accountable for providing mentorship remotely and in person, and advice to lawyers on the team and maintaining an active litigation practice under the direction and supervision of the Manager of Litigation.

ACCOUNTABILITIES:

• Accountable for researching, preparing, and litigating legal cases, including complex cases and cases that have provincial ramifications including significant central rights cases, reducing the need to rely on outside counsel.
• Accountable for providing advice, mentorship, and guidance to lawyers on the team and for providing authorized instruction on files, in collaboration with the Manager of Litigation. This includes providing summary advice on arbitration cases, Labour Board, HRTO and Court files.
• Accountable for meeting the Litigation Team Mandate, which involves contract administration, achieving and maintaining the collective and individual rights of members, providing strategic advice, and representation of ONA and its members at rights arbitrations and in other forums (OLRB, HRTO, Court and other commissions/inquiries)
• Accountable for providing advice in relation to other related areas of practice including human rights/return to work/accommodation, occupational health & safety, and proceedings before the Ontario Labour Relations Board (OLRB) under the Labour Relations Act, Public Sector Labour Relations Transition Act, Occupational Health and Safety Act and/or other legislation, as required.
• Accountable for drafting pleadings, researching legal issues, drafting opinion letters and briefs.
• Accountable for identifying risks and opportunities related to ONA achieving its goals/mandate including litigation strategies and provincial strategies.
• Demonstrated skills in coordinating and leading on the litigation team including initiating alternative adjudication models
• Accountable to demonstrate solid client relations and communication skills, and sound professional judgment.
• Accountable for understanding ONA’s strategic outcomes, the litigation team’s objectives, and how one’s individual role relates to ONA’s broader outcomes
• Accountable for identifying skill, knowledge and resource gaps as required to perform tasks
• Accountable for actively participating as a team member to ensure that organizational accountabilities of the litigation team are met.
• Accountable for making observable contributions to the success of other team members and to the overall performance of the team.
• Accountable to act as a leader and mentor, demonstrating a commitment to both the professional and personal growth of the litigation team.
• Accountable for participation in the development of educational opportunities within the organization including presentations to staff and the development of other litigation support resources.

SKILLS & ABILITIES:

• Ability to take initiative and work independently. Position requires incumbent to work independently, consulting as needed with ONA’s leadership team.
• Ability to mentor, coordinate, and provide support other team members
• Ability to lead and conduct complex litigation on behalf of ONA.
• Ability to identify and analyze the essential facts, relevant issues, evidence, applicable contractual language, and relevant arbitral or other case law with minimal supervision.
• Ability to provide legal opinions on complex legal matters.
• Excellent legal research and analytic skills.
• Adept in identifying practical advice and solutions.
• Demonstrated persuasive oral and written advocacy skills.
• Advanced litigation and mediation/negotiation skills.
• Excellent client relations, interpersonal and communication skills

• The Legal Coordinator provides strategic and competent representation to ONA and its members at rights arbitrations and other legal proceedings such as before the Ontario Labour Relations Board, the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario, the Privacy Commissioner, and the Courts.
• The Legal Coordinator researches, prepares, and litigates complex cases, including complex cases and cases that have provincial ramifications including significant central rights cases.
• The Legal Coordinator acts as a coordinator and leader on the Litigation Team and will be assigned lawyers to whom they are responsible for providing advice, guidance, and mentorship in coordination with the Manager of Litigation remotely and in person
• The Legal Coordinator will be responsible, in consultation with the Manager of Litigation, for onboarding and training new lawyers to the team remotely an in person
• The Legal Coordinator will be required to provide advice on all aspects of the work performed by ONA’s litigation team, including grievance arbitrations, Labour Board files (PSLRTA/sale of business, ULPs, DFRs, Jurisdictional Disputes, OHSA appeals) human rights files at the HRTO and the Courts.
• The Legal Coordinator acts as a key resource to litigators, labour relations officers and bargaining unit leadership providing legal and strategic advice.
• The Legal Coordinator will be required to attend the Toronto and Port Hope offices.