Legal Assistant – Litigation & Dispute Resolution (14-month Contract)

Cassels Brock & Blackwell LLP; Vancouver; On-site; CAD 65,000 - 71,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive compensation

Extended Health & Dental

Diversity and Inclusion culture

Wellness program

Job summary

Cassels Brock & Blackwell LLP, based in Vancouver, is seeking an intermediate Legal Assistant for a 14-month contract to support our Litigation & Dispute Resolution group. The role requires initiative, excellent communication and organizational skills, and independent practice management to assist lawyers effectively.

Responsibilities include drafting pleadings, coordinating court filings, docket management, and travel arrangements.

Qualifications

• Legal Administrative Assistant certification from an accredited institution.
• 3-5 years of experience in a legal assistant position, with a focus in civil litigation.
• Strong familiarity with BC civil litigation practices, procedures, and deadlines.
• Knowledge of ACL, CanLii, Westlaw and court filing portals.

Responsibilities

• Prepare and compile legal documents from instructions and precedents.
• Coordinate with process servers and file court documentation.
• Enter dockets, expenses and prepare invoices.
• Proofread and edit documents and correspondence.
• Liaise with lawyers and colleagues for information and instructions.
• Open files, file documents, schedule meetings and travel.
• Schedule examinations for discovery, applications and trials.

Skills

Attention to detail

Strong communication

Organizational skills

Proactive and independent

Team player

Education

Legal Administrative Assistant certification

Tools

ACL

CanLii

Westlaw

Court filing portals

Job description

Cassels Brock & Blackwell LLP is a leading national law firm serving the transaction, advocacy, and advisory needs of clients across Canada’s most dynamic industries. From offices in Toronto, Vancouver, and Calgary, our litigators act on complex commercial disputes for multinational, national, and mid-market clients. We combine rigorous advocacy with practical judgment, inventive strategy, and an unwavering focus on achieving efficient, business-minded outcomes.

Our Culture:

At Cassels, our mission is to attract, retain and promote individuals of exceptional ability and talent from as broad a range of backgrounds as possible. We offer meaningful career opportunities, invest in professional growth, and foster an inclusive environment. Our Firm’s success is built on the unique skills, perspectives, experiences and values of each individual. We encourage a corporate culture that respects and celebrates the dignity, value and diversity of all.

Role Overview:

Our Vancouver office is currently recruiting for an intermediate Legal Assistant to work in our Litigation & Dispute Resolution group for a 14‑month contract. The ideal candidate for this role will possess strong initiative, excellent communication and organizational skills, as well as being able to independently and proactively manage the practice to provide the lawyers with exceptional support.

The successful candidate will be responsible for:

• Preparing and compiling legal documents from written and oral instructions and precedents, including basic pleadings, motion records, and other legal briefs.
• Coordinating with process servers and filling court documentation with different levels of courts.
• Entering dockets, expenses, preparing trust receipts and third‑party invoices.
• Applying proofreading and editing skills to documents and correspondence.
• Liaising with lawyers and colleagues to obtain information and instructions.
• Assisting in organization and management of lawyers’ practice, i.e., opening files, filing, arranging meetings, arranging travel and/or accommodations.
• Scheduling examinations for discovery, applications, and trials.
• Creating and maintaining a bring‑forward (B.F.) system.
• Managing calendar and keeping lawyers apprised of ongoing and outstanding matters.
• Drafting routine correspondence on behalf of lawyer.

The successful candidate must have the following education, experience and/or demonstrated skills:

• Legal Administrative Assistant certification from an accredited institution.
• 3-5 years of experience in a legal assistant position, with a strong focus in civil litigation.
• Solid understanding of BC civil litigation practices, procedures, and deadlines
• Strong familiarity with the BC Supreme Court Civil Rules and BC Small Claims Court Rules.
• Familiarity of BC Supreme Court Rules, Small Claims Rules, Court of Appeal Rules, Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act, and Federal Court Rules.
• Knowledge and familiarity with Automated Civil Litigation (ACL), CanLii, Westlaw, and court filing online portals.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite with advanced computer skills in Outlook, Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
• Experience with Chrome River, iManage Document Management System, File Trail and Iron Mountain is an asset.
• Strong administrative and organizational skills with high attention to detail.
• Ability to work under pressure and adapt to changing priorities in a fast‑paced environment.
• Good work ethic and ability to exercise initiative and judgment.
• Excellent interpersonal skills and communication skills.
• Proactive and ability to work with minimal supervision, as well as part of a collegial team.
• Eager to learn new firm software, embrace innovation and process improvement.

Employment Type: Contract, Full-Time (4 days in-office per week)

Salary Range: $65,000 - $71,000 Annually (pro-rated for contract duration)

What We Offer

• Competitive compensation + Extended Health & Dental Care.
• Diversity and Inclusion Centric Culture.
• A Culture of Wellness: Cassels recognizes the importance of wellness and provides a comprehensive program that addresses the mental and physical well‑being of our employees by providing resources, services, training and support on an ongoing basis.
• A fully stocked kitchen with healthy snacks, plus coffee, tea, and drinks throughout the year.
• A business casual dress code (client/day specific).

Cassels is an equal opportunity employer committed to fostering a workplace where people of all identities and lived experiences feel valued, respected, and supported. We are dedicated to removing barriers and ensuring equitable access to employment. We strongly encourage applications from Indigenous peoples, racialized people, people with disabilities, 2SLGBTQIA+ communities, and individuals with intersectional identities. All qualified candidates are welcome to apply. Accommodations for disabilities, accessibility needs, or cultural practices are available throughout the recruitment process upon request. Please contact our recruiter with any questions or accommodation needs.

Cassels uses artificial intelligence to screen and assess applications for positions, including reviewing resumes and ranking, scoring or filtering candidates against job-related criteria. All results are reviewed by our Human Resources team, and all hiring decisions are made by people.

We wish to thank all applicants for their interest, however, only candidates selected for interviews will be contacted. We regret that we are unable to respond to individual inquiries about application status, unless required for accommodation purposes.