Lawyer Support Representative B060-25

Legal Aid BC•Vancouver, BC

10d•Hybrid

About The Position

Represents the Lawyer Support Department as the first point of contact for external lawyers and third party vendors working on legal aid referrals by providing end to end support during contract cycle including: new lawyer orientation and onboarding, helpdesk support for inquiries from lawyers regarding LABC Tariffs, contract and billing entitlements, technical support for lawyer portal, assessment of extraordinary billing; assess, coordinate and process authorization requests from lawyers; interpret and provide summary for case review lawyer on extraordinary fee requests in the areas of service in Criminal, CFCSA, Immigration, Family, Judicial Appeals, Duty Counsel, Circuit Court, disbursement and transcripts based on interpretation of tariff and organization policies. Legal Aid BC is in the early stages of, and committed to a transformative journey to embedding Truth and Reconciliation, and Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion in all aspects of our work. We seek talent from equity-seeking groups, including but not limited to individuals who self-identify as First Nations, Inuit, or Métis descent, persons with disabilities, gender diverse, racialized, and members of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community be a part of this exciting stage of Legal Aid BC’s growth. We care deeply about the culture we are building and are looking for staff members who not only excel in their respective areas but are also passionate about supporting the people we serve and each other. If this resonates with you, we encourage you to apply. All interested and eligible applicants will be considered with due consideration to all protected grounds under the BC Human Rights Code. If we can do anything to make your application experience a positive and equitable one, we want to hear from you on what we can do better. Our commitment to the principles of fundamental justice embedded in the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, and to Truth and Reconciliation, and Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion is ambitious and foundational. It informs everything we do, as we defend liberty, equality, autonomy, and dignity; as we dismantle colonization, racism, sexism, ableism, transphobia and homophobia, and all discrimination. These are our values, and they inform our hiring practices too. Our business is aiding people in severe legal distress and necessitates internal and external alignment of practicing these values. Integrating Truth and Reconciliation and Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion throughout every aspect of Legal Aid BC is critical to building that culture, and we prioritize ongoing resources to achieve that goal.

Requirements

Grade 12 education supplemented by legal course(s)
Minimum 2 years relevant experience as outlined in rated requirements
Typing speed 30 wpm
Intermediate skill in MS Word
Basic skill in MS Excel
OR an equivalent combination of education and experience
Knowledge of criminal, family, immigration, judicial appeals and human rights court and tribunal processes
Thorough knowledge of LABC policies and procedures
Thorough knowledge of LABC Tariffs
Thorough knowledge of lawyer billing practices
Knowledge of technical tools and online/web-based environment
Knowledge of LABC client relations and case management systems
Ability to interpret computer generated billing error messages
Ability to draft routine correspondence
Ability to identify, analyze and solve problems
Ability to organize workload, identify urgent work items and set priorities
Ability to cope with heavy volume of work and meet deadlines
Ability to work with numbers and pay attention to detail
Ability to work independently and as part of a team
Ability to deal with frustrated, demanding and/or hostile lawyers, primarily on the telephone
Ability to understand and assess LABC Intake coverage and referral Policy
Must have excellent communication and interpersonal skills
Must be familiar with general software applications (MS Word, Outlook)
Must be able to provide technical support to lawyers E-services system
Ability to assist and train lawyers and their staff on multiple tariffs and online E-services
Ability to adapt to constant changes (Tariffs, Internal Policies and Procedures)
Employment is conditional upon completing and obtaining clearance from the Criminal Record Check (CRC) in accordance with the Criminal Records Review Act
Employment is conditional upon completing and obtaining clearance from the Security clearance check by BC Corrections including a Canadian Police Information Computer (CPIC) system check

Responsibilities

Review, assess and use discretion to approve, or deny unusual invoices in Client Information System (CIS) and requests to bill in excess of contract tariff item maximums submitted by legal aid lawyers for fees and or disbursements across all areas of law
Ensure claims are billed in accordance with the policies set out in the LABC Tariffs, Intake Policies and Procedures and the lawyers contract and that the sequence of services billed fit within the structure of the justice systems court processes
Assess invoices by reviewing previous and/or related invoices, as well as related authorizations, related billing rules and processes, service requests, service assessments, contracts, notes and supporting documents
Where assessment of invoices results in a determination that an invoice is not payable, reject the invoice, communicate the reason to the lawyer and make notes in CIS
Review and process overpayment from previous invoices by preparing adjustment invoice for processing by supervisor, add notes in CIS and communicate findings to lawyer
Identify errors, omissions and unsupported billings based on Tariff policies
Recognize unusual invoices or lawyer invoicing patterns, draft explanatory communication and forward to Audit Department, where necessary
Place entity holds and review all new lawyer invoices to ensure billing accuracy and tariff compliance
Receive, record, assess CIS data and manual invoices from transcription companies for reimbursement of provincial sales tax
Where more information is needed to complete an invoice review, prepare and send correspondence for request of information
Refer lawyer requests to supervisor, manager or case review lawyer as required
For complex Extended Services or Criminal Case Management requests, determine if a financial reassessment is necessary and refer to Intake, review and provide billing summary to the case review lawyer and update CIS records and update Supervisor to issue contract, where necessary
Receive, review, and triage requests from lawyers to Case Management Coordinators or family law or criminal law team for extraordinary fees and disbursements
Ensure all requests include required information and are valid based on LABC Tariff and internal policies
Use case review lawyer case notes as a basis to write and generate authorization decisions on case management files into CIS and communicate decision to the lawyer
Provide support to lawyers using Lawyer Portal, including updating profile information, invoicing, authorizations, payments, contracts and resources functions
Troubleshoot technical issues in the Lawyer Portal, liaise with the IT department when necessary
Provide information on a range of topics including: interpretation of complex tariff billing rules and entitlements for legal services or expenses, inquiries about policies and procedures, status of authorizations or payments, LABC client contract service restrictions
Respond to inquiries from lawyers, external transcript service providers, internal LABC departments and case review lawyers on case management files, general case management and guidelines and procedure issues
Review and approve applications from lawyers to become a legal aid lawyer by reviewing their status with Law Society of BC
Coordinate with other departments to ensure access to systems and resources; set the lawyer up in CIS, Active directory, and the lawyer portal and send welcome email to lawyers
Schedule and provide extensive one on one onboarding meetings with new legal aid lawyers including review of functions in the lawyer portal, reviewing all sections of the LABC tariffs, billing policies, the LABC contact list, payment expectations and document in CIS the lawyer’s practice set up and legal experience
Review of invoices from a new lawyer identifies a billing concern, contact the lawyer to review process and applicable guidelines and procedures
Process applications for vendor number from lawyers who are returning to LABC work, including consulting with the Audit department
Review reports of lawyers who are no longer actively taking legal aid cases and conduct exit interview to gather information about their experience with the organization
Attend department meetings, present billing problems with solutions for consideration
Draft correspondence
Assist and provide information for lawyer recruitment and retention strategies
Conduct lawyer search for clients, where needed
Provide input to changes in department policies and procedures
Maintain procedure manual updates
Use computer and other office equipment
Liaise with referring offices, local agents and other internal departments
Triage phone calls and emails for the department
Perform other related duties as required

Benefits

Four weeks paid vacation to start that grows the longer you are with LABC
An excellent employee benefits package, where premiums are 100% paid by LABC
A generous defined benefit pension plan
Support for training and development
An Employee and Family Assistance program
The opportunity to participate in various Employee programs (Employee Wellness, etc.)
Support for a healthy work/life balance
Generous leave provisions (sick time, special leaves)
13 paid statutory holidays
An opportunity for a flexible hybrid work arrangement for some positions (LABC reserves the right to change this policy at any time)
Transit friendly employer for eligible staff to have their commute subsidized
Dog-friendly offices
Dedicated Cultural Leave provisions for Indigenous employees
An Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Council, and Indigenous employees Council and Accessibility Committee of employees from equity-seeking groups that advises on ongoing improvements and investments in Equity, Diversity and Inclusion at our workplace