Legal Assistant, Employment & Labour

Dentons•Calgary, AB

About The Position

The Employment and Labour Legal Assistant role requires a unique blend of skills and experience in providing legal administrative support within a high-volume practice, attending to closing of a variety of Employment matters, preparing and reviewing documents, and ensuring accuracy and satisfaction of all client and litigation requirements. The Employment Practice Group is looking for a confident, dedicated, and curious team player who can manage complex tasks, prioritize and collaborate effectively, and adapt to changing priorities with ease. As a valued member of our team, you will play a critical role in coordinating client matters, supporting practice management initiatives, and ensuring compliance with firm standards. You bring a willingness to learn and grow while demonstrating sound judgment and independence in handling sophisticated administrative responsibilities. You are personable, organized, discreet, and detail-oriented, with a strong client-first approach to your work. In addition to these qualities, you are reliable, solution-oriented, and believe in frequent and open communication. You understand that successful teams are collaborative and that combining individual strengths leads to the best outcomes. Our legal assistant structure is based on a team model within a practice group. Legal assistants typically support more than one lawyer and will be called upon help others within their practice group when workload volumes are at their peak or during periods of vacation or absence coverage.

Requirements

Completion of a recognized legal support program (Law Clerk, Legal Assistant, Paralegal), preferred, or equivalent.
5+ years of law firm experience in a legal assistant or legal administrative role.
Familiarity with/experience in employment and labour law, including wrongful dismissal claims, ESA matters, grievances, arbitrations, human rights applications, workplace safety matters, and labour board filings.
Technical knowledge of key legislation including the Employment Standards Act, Human Rights Code, Canada Labour Code, Labour Relations Act, and Occupational Health and Safety Act.
Proficiency with legal software and electronic filing systems related to labour & employment (court and tribunal submission platforms).
Advanced digital dexterity in Microsoft Office Suite; ability to independently format complex legal documents and coordinate multiple calendars.
Solid experience with document management systems (e.g., iManage) and billing platforms (e.g., 3E).
Strong organizational and prioritization skills; produce high-quality work while managing competing deadlines with minimal supervision.
Excellent grammar, proofreading, and attention to detail in all deliverables taking full ownership of the accuracy, completeness and professionalism of all legal documents and administrative work.
Professional and courteous communication with clients, opposing counsel, and internal teams.

Responsibilities

Prepare client-ready engagement letters, routine correspondence, and routine documents, requiring minimal supervision or revision.
Open and maintain files, matter lists, contact records, and bring-forward systems in iManage in accordance with firm standards.
Manage the full billing cycle, including inputting and reviewing dockets and time entries, preparing and finalizing invoices, monitoring deadlines, and resolving discrepancies with lawyers, clients, and finance.
Handle confidential information with discretion, uphold privacy and ethical standards, and support compliance activities.
Act as a point of contact for clients regarding scheduling and document requests.
Manage calendars, critical dates and deadlines, meeting scheduling, travel arrangements, and boardroom and catering coordination.
Identify efficiency opportunities, implement new tools and champion best practices within the team.
Process incoming/outgoing mail and perform general administrative tasks, as assigned.
Provide proactive, engaged support to Partners and Associates, contributing to a collaborative team environment and offering guidance and mentorship to junior colleagues.
Prepare and draft legal documentation (from precedents) such as termination letters, termination packages, employment agreements and amendments, client policies, handbooks, mediation briefs, demand letters, and other related correspondence.
Provide litigation support by preparing shells of pleadings and supporting through all stages of the litigation process including managing deadlines, preparing court materials, coordinating service and filing.
Preparing, compiling, serving and filing at the Court of Queen’s Bench, Alberta Labour Relations Board, Alberta Human Rights Commission, Alberta Human Rights Tribunal documents in accordance with the ALRB and the HRTA Rules of Procedure and practice directions.
Coordinate and schedule mediations, arbitrations, and hearings, including handling rescheduling and confirming logistics with relevant parties.
Assemble and compile/prepare mediation and arbitration briefs, hearing binders, and related materials to support counsel throughout the dispute resolution process.