Title: Program Assistant, Legal

Reports To: Legal Counsel

Closing Date: July 29, 2015

The British Columbia School Trustees Association (BCSTA) is seeking a part-time (0.6 FTE) Program Assistant, Legal. This position is responsible for performing various administrative duties under the supervision of in-house Legal Counsel.

BCSTA’s Legal Services Department provides advice to the Association and to BCSTA’s member boards of education regarding a broad range of legal and policy issues. A broad and thorough knowledge of basic legal concepts and principles is therefore essential.  nowledge of the K-12 education sector is an asset.

Key Duties:

Assists with conducting legal research using manual and electronic search tools
Drafts correspondence and formats documents
Communicates verbally and in writing with clients and colleagues
Maintains legal precedent system
Assists with organization and maintenance of the Association’s law library
Transcribes dictated reports
Responsible for filing and record-keeping
Assists with maintaining Legal Counsel’s bring-forward system
Assists with the preparation of presentations
Prepares meeting agenda packages
Prepares meeting minutes
Provides general support and assistance to Legal Counsel
Provides general support and assistance at BCSTA events, as needed
Provides general support and assistance to BCSTA, as needed
Other related duties, as assigned

Requirements:

Legal Administrative Assistant Certificate, Administrative Assistant Certificate, or an acceptable combination of education and experience
Minimum of three years’ current experience in a legal assistant, or similar, capacity
Strong knowledge of basic legal concepts, principles, and terminology
Good understanding of legal reference materials, procedures, and legal filing systems
Experience handling sensitive or private information with tact and discretion
Knowledge of data privacy laws
Experience working in a collaborative or team environment
Ability to work occasional weekends and overtime

Preferred Skills and Abilities:

Critical thinking, analysis, and research skills
Superior verbal and written communication skills to communicate with school district personnel, trustees, government officials, education partners, staff, members of the public and all other stakeholders
Meticulous records maintenance skills with the ability to maintain filing systems and databases
Excellent organizational skills
Excellent attention to detail
Strong computer-related skills, including proficient knowledge of Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint
Ability to prioritize tasks with minimal supervision
Minimum typing speed of 50 wpm

Core Competencies:

Superior interpersonal skills and ability to work with a wide range of constituencies in a polite, tactful, and professional manner
High level of sound and independent judgment, reasoning, diplomacy, and a strong sense of ethics are required
A responsive and respectful work attitude is essential
Must have a strong team and customer-service focus, which includes internal and external “customers”
Efficient, reliable, resourceful, and self-motivated
Complete adherence to requirements for confidentiality
Discreet

BCSTA offers a competitive salary and benefit package