Review Counsel

University of Ottawa; Ottawa; On-site; CAD 108,000 - 134,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Pension plan

Health insurance

Employee assistance program

Job summary

The University of Ottawa’s Common Law Section seeks a Review Counsel to oversee work for clients and supervise law students in the Community Legal Clinic. The incumbent handles poverty law, court conduct, and file management, and may stand in during absences for the Director.

Responsibilities include representing clients before courts and tribunals, training students, and developing legal education courses. The role emphasizes client-centered lawyering and collaboration with Ottawa legal clinics.

Qualifications

• 1 year experience as a practising lawyer, preferably in poverty law or clinical setting
• Bilingualism – French and English (spoken and written)
• Experience with law students and diverse clientele
• Experience teaching at university level with proven teaching ability
• Experience in clinical legal pedagogy and client-centered lawyering

Responsibilities

• Represent the Community Legal Clinic and external clients in appearances before courts and tribunals; draft pleadings and submit arguments.
• Supervise law students in accordance with professional standards; mentor students in law and legal research.
• Recruit and interview students for summer employment and clinic courses.
• Design and deliver legal aid courses in undergraduate JD program; contribute to academic programming.

Skills

Legal experience

Bilingual English/French

Supervision of students

Teaching ability

Organizational skills

Communication skills

Education

LL.B or J.D and LS Ontario member in good standing

Job description

Posting Reason: New Position Job Type: Employee Anticipated Duration in Months (for contracts and temporary assignments): 12 Job Family: Legal # of Open Positions: 1 Faculty/Service - Department: Legal Clinics_FT Campus: Main Campus Union Affiliation: N/A Date Posted (YYYY/MM/DD): 2026/10/26 Applications must be received BEFORE (YYYY/MM/DD): 2026/11/09 Hours per week: 35 Salary Grade: Non-Union Grade NMR1 Salary Range: $107 503,00 - $134 379,00

About the Common Law Section of the Faculty of Law

Over the past 20 years, the Common Law Section of the Faculty of Law at the University of Ottawa has become a national and global leader in many fields. We are the only law school to offer a common law degree in both English and French, and our faculty is one of the most accomplished in the country. We are an engaged Faculty, and we have a strong culture of public engagement. We also have a strong bond with the legal community in Ottawa and a special relationship with the Supreme Court of Canada. We are leaders -- leaders in research, leaders in the profession and leaders in our community. On any given day, members of our faculty may be seen testifying before a Parliamentary committee, providing expert commentary in the media, or contributing to public policy debates on the issues of the day. We are the most-cited law faculty in the national media. Through our dedication we have built strong experiential learning opportunities for our students where our students have unparalleled access to, and interaction with, the highest judges in the land to help foster an inclusive and high-quality student experience.

Position Purpose

Reporting to the Director, the Review Counsel is responsible for overseeing all work done on behalf of a client and is the lawyer responsible for each file. The incumbent is responsible for the supervision and management of law students working in the clinic. The incumbent is responsible for providing ongoing clinic education to students on all matters relating to poverty law, court conduct and file management. The incumbent acts on behalf of the Director and other Review Counsel during short-term absences. This position is for the Administrative Law: ODSP medical appeals and housing law Division at the UOCLC.

In this role, you will:

• Represent the Community Legal Clinic and external clients in appearances before courts and administrative tribunals on files under the Review Counsel’s responsibilities: drafts legal pleadings and appears at hearings and other proceedings as required. Advocates on behalf of the Community Legal Clinic and its clientele in all exchanges with courts, tribunals, and third parties. Explains legal issues and rights, responsibilities, obligations, and benefits to clients; develops arguments, including oral and written submissions and conducts trials or hearings, as necessary. Ensures all casework carried out by law students is in accordance with proper practice.
• Supervises students in accordance with professional standards as set by the Law Society of Ontario. Trains and serves as a mentor to law students on all necessary aspects of law and legal research. Delegates work responsibilities and tasks to students, supervises student’s completion of work, and provides appropriate guidance and feedback. Educates recruited students on all necessary aspects of law touching the Clinic’s areas of practice.
• Recruits, selects and interviews students for full time summer employment. Recruits and selects students registering for the clinic courses.
• Designs and delivers legal aid courses each academic year, with a maximum of one course per academic term in the undergraduate program (JD) at the Faculty of Law, Common Law Section as determined by the Vice Deans (French and English) thus contributing to the academic programming of the Common Law Section and the Community Legal Clinic.
• Develops and implements innovative clinic pedagogical methods in supervising and advising law students at the Clinic. Develops relationships and partnerships with Ottawa legal clinics to foster quality opportunities for law students. Develops innovative ideas on providing accessible service to community clients. Remains current on legislation and legislative changes affecting the Community Legal Clinic and its clients and on developments at common law and provides legal advice on appropriate operational, compliance and/or policy responses.

What you will bring

• LL.B or J.D. and member in good standing of the Law Society of Ontario
• 1 year experience as a practising lawyer, preferably in the area of poverty law or in a clinical legal setting
• Bilingualism – French and English (spoken and written)
• Experience working with law students and diverse clientele
• Experience teaching at the university level with proven teaching ability
• Experience and knowledge in clinical legal pedagogy and client‑centered lawyering
• Experience working in the area of poverty law and/or in a clinic legal setting
• Excellent communications and organizational skills
• Sound professional judgment
• Ability to prioritize tasks as necessary and to handle unexpected tasks with efficiency
• Strong written and verbal communication skills
• Strong interpersonal skills
• Ability to handle sensitive and confidential matters with discretion
• Ability to produce high quality work under pressure while meeting strict deadlines
• Ability to learn and adapt quickly

Key Competencies at uOttawa

• Planning: Organize in time a series of actions or events in order to realize an objective or a project. Plan and organize own work and priorities in regular daily activities.
• Initiative: Demonstrate creativity and initiative to suggest improvements and encourage positive results. Is proactive and self‑starting. Show availability and willingness to go above and beyond whenever it is possible.
• Client Service Orientation: Help or serve others to meet their needs. This implies anticipating and identifying the needs of internal and external clients and finding solutions on how to meet them.
• Teamwork and Cooperation: Cooperate and work well with other members of the team to reach common goal(s). Accept and give constructive feedback. Able to adjust own behaviour to reach the goals of the team.

Diversity and Inclusion

The University of Ottawa embraces diversity and inclusion in the workplace. We are passionate about our people and committed to employment equity. We foster a culture of respect, teamwork and inclusion, where collaboration, innovation, and creativity fuel our quest for research and teaching excellence. While all qualified persons are invited to apply, we welcome applications from qualified Indigenous persons, racialized persons, persons with disabilities, women and LGBTQIA2S+ persons. The University is committed to creating and maintaining an accessible, barrier‑free work environment. The University is also committed to working with applicants with disabilities requesting accommodation during the recruitment, assessment and selection processes. Applicants with disabilities may contact [e-mail] to communicate the accommodation need.

Union Position Information

Note: if this is a union position: The hiring process will be governed by the current collective agreement related to the union affiliation noted above.

Official Language Proficiency

If this is a front‑line position with responsibilities to interact with students, selected candidates must be rated at the Low Advanced proficiency level or higher for both oral comprehension and reading comprehension in their second official language.

COVID-19 Vaccination Policy

Prior to May 1, 2022, the University required all students, faculty, staff, and visitors (including contractors) to be fully vaccinated against Covid-19 as defined in Policy 129 – Covid-19 Vaccination. This policy was suspended effective May 1, 2022 but may be reinstated at any point in the future depending on public health guidelines and the recommendations of experts.

Benefits

The University of Ottawa offers a generous pay and benefits package that includes a competitive salary, a defined benefit pension plan, group insurance coverage and an employee and family assistance program.