Legal Assistant

About Us

At Kumararatne Law, we are committed to ensuring that access to justice is a reality for everyone. Specializing in immigration and refugee law, our work is deeply rooted in compassion and fairness. We believe the way we treat the most vulnerable among us reflects the very character of our society.

Our small but dedicated team thrives on creating a meaningful impact, both for our clients and within the legal system. From training and development to fostering a collaborative environment, we invest in our team because we know they are essential to delivering the justice our clients deserve. We also just enjoy spending time together as a team and creating a nurturing and positive work environment.

We are presently comprised of two lawyers, one law clerk, and law students. We are looking for an experienced legal assistant to take the helm of the administrative side of our firm.

If you’re passionate about empowering marginalized communities, providing humane representation, and being part of a team that truly makes a difference, we’d love to hear from you.

What You’ll Do

As a Legal Assistant, you’ll be at the heart of our operations and be the first point-of-contact for our clients. You will also be helping our team provide high-quality legal services with care, compassion, and professionalism. Your role will include:

• Managing client communication (phones, emails, and written correspondence with clients, tribunals, courts, and IRCC)
• Scheduling appointments and conducting new client intakes
• Contemporaneous note-keeping and docketing of communications and tasks in our practice management program, Clio
• Preparing retainer agreements and receipts
• Coordinating services (booking and scheduling interpreters, translations, and couriers)
• Handling administrative tasks, including billing (Legal Aid Ontario experience is an asset)
• Managing office inventory, ordering office supplies, as well as keeping track of expenses
• Assist in organizing social events, training days, etc.

What You Bring

We’re looking for someone who:

• Already has some experience as a legal assistant in a fast-paced/high-volume firm (ideally in the areas of criminal law, family law, or immigration law)
• Can stay on top of multi-tasking, and will not be flustered by multiple points of communication (i.e. balancing emails, phones, internal DMs from the team, etc.) or competing deadlines
• Enjoys working with a small/intimate team - we are all very close and supportive of one another
• Thrives working independently, whether remotely or in person (this is primarily an in-person position with the possibility of remote work on occasion), this also means being able to work well on your own when other members of the team are working remotely
• Can problem solve proactively and ask lots of questions when you're stuck
• Enjoys talking to people on the phone and from all backgrounds and can be both compassionate and firm, when needed
• Can handle sensitive information (you are likely to be exposed to difficult subject matters, such as gender-based violence, evidence of persecution, mental health struggles, etc.)
• Skilled at interacting with culturally, linguistically, other diverse individuals.
• Committed to confidentiality and excellence in client service.
• Compassionate about access to justice and serving underrepresented individuals, including culturally and linguistically diverse people, LGBTQIA+ persons, and others.

This is NOT a position for:

• Current law student or lawyer - this is strictly an administrative position and is not a role for lawyers, licensing candidates, or current law students.
• Someone without any prior experience in a law firm setting
• Someone who doesn't like working with the public/dealing with people
• Someone who doesn't like a fast-paced environment with rolling deadlines
• Someone who doesn't like working in-person or on their own

Qualifications

· Successful completion of an legal administrative assistant/law clerk or paralegal program, and/or prior experience in a law firm environment (particularly in immigration, criminal and/or family law is a strong asset)

· Good knowledge of Microsoft Office Suite and Adobe Pro (creating, compiling and formatting PDF documents)

· Strong written and verbal communication skills in English (must be able to independently write administrative correspondence without the use of ChatGPT or other programming)

. Knowledge of a second language is an asset.

Why Join Us?

• Be part of a firm that prioritizes access to justice and fair representation.
• Enjoy opportunities for training, growth, and collaboration.
• Contribute to work that directly impacts people’s lives in a positive way.
• Be part of a workplace that values bonding and nurturing a positive team dynamic and work environment (i.e. we care about each other!)

We thank all applicants for their interest but will contact only those selected for an interview. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. This listing will be open until we find the right candidate, therefore the start date is flexible.