Legal Assistant

University of Waterloo•Waterloo, ON

7d•CA$67,689 - CA$84,611•Onsite

About The Position

The Legal Assistant represents the Mission and Values of Legal & Immigration Services (LIS). The incumbent is responsible for providing support for administrative tasks, file management, organization, drafting, research support, and a range of administrative tasks that contribute to the smooth and efficient operations of the office by providing support to all LIS Legal Counsel. Reporting jointly to the Legal Executive Officer and Legal Counsel, this position assists with overall efficiency by assisting with the day-to-day operations and co-ordination of administrative operations of LIS.

Requirements

Undergraduate Degree or equivalent education and experience required.
College Diploma in a law-related discipline (e.g. Legal Assistant, Law Clerk, Paralegal), or equivalent extensive administrative experience.
5 plus years of experience providing administrative coordination and legal administrative support in a complex office environment.
Demonstrated experience working in a highly confidential environment at the executive level.
Proven ability to manage a large volume of legal files, conflicting priorities and competing deadlines.
Excellent Oral and written communication skills to clearly express ideas in an objective manner and adapt communication style to suit the situation and audience.
Understand and appreciate diverse points of view about complex and often inter-related issues.
Demonstrated ability to multi-task, take initiative, to work independently, maintain an organized work environment, and be part of a team in a fast-paced environment.
Organizational and planning skills, with the ability to think logically and anticipate outcomes.
High ethical standards with a strong commitment to maintain confidentiality and treat sensitive information with discretion.
Resourceful, creative, and a thorough researcher, and problem-solver.
Sound judgment and personal and professional integrity.
Demonstrated ability to understand and resolve external and internal partner issues.
Ability to maintain a positive, professional attitude with genuine customer service orientation with an ability to apply tact and diplomacy when dealing with sensitive client issues.
Ability to follow formal business practices with high attention to detail.
Adapts readily and effectively to changing priorities and demands.
High ethical standards with a strong commitment to maintain confidentiality and treat sensitive information with discretion.
Ability to interact professionally with senior administration, students, staff, faculty, and other members of the University community.
This position works independently and collaboratively and requires outstanding client service, sound judgment, personal and professional integrity, a strong work ethic and an ability to work under challenging time constraints with competing priorities.
Intermediate proficiency required in Microsoft Office in order to prepare formal correspondence, documents, emails, memos, and input departmental data into spreadsheets and databases.
Knowledge and demonstrated experience using or supporting electronic legal matter management systems (e.g. Onit, iManage or similar) with strong attention to data accuracy, workflow management, and file integrity.

Nice To Haves

Previous experience working as a paralegal providing administrative support preferred.
Familiarity with the University of Waterloo’s policies and guidelines preferred.

Responsibilities

Coordinate calendars, meetings, and scheduling for Legal Counsel and the Legal Executive Officer, including internal and external stakeholders.
Manage incoming correspondence, emails, and sensitive materials; assess priority and escalate urgent matters as required.
Act as a central point of contact for LIS, facilitating communication with internal stakeholders, senior leadership, and external counsel.
Support meeting preparation, including agendas, briefing materials, and follow-ups on action items.
Provide general administrative support, including travel arrangements, expense submissions, and office coordination tasks.
Contribute to a professional, responsive, and service-oriented environment.
Support the coordination and prioritization of legal work to ensure efficient workflow across LIS.
Monitor processes and recommend improvements to enhance efficiency, consistency, and service quality.
Assist in the development, implementation, and refinement of administrative and legal workflows.
Promote best practices in the use of legal systems and tools across the team.
Draft, format, and prepare legal documents, forms, correspondence, and reports for review by Legal Counsel.
Prepare summaries, chronologies, and supporting materials for legal matters.
Conduct legal and background research, including case law searches using tools such as CanLii and Carswell.
Assist with litigation and tribunal documentation, including filing and document preparation, as directed.
Review and proofread documents to ensure accuracy, completeness, and professionalism.
Monitors LIS processes and provides proactive recommendations to support the ongoing refinement of LIS procedures to ensure quality of service.
Supports the Legal Executive Officer in identifying, implementing, and refining administrative and legal workflows within Onit to improve operational efficiency, consistency, and file integrity across LIS.
Maintain accurate, complete, and up-to-date electronic legal files using systems such as Onit and iManage.
Manage matter intake, triage, classification, and assignment in accordance with LIS processes and Legal Counsel direction.
Ensure consistent application of file management standards, including naming conventions, data entry, and documentation practices.
Support reporting and data analysis to monitor workload, workflows, and operational performance.
Identify and address data gaps or inconsistencies to maintain file integrity and quality.
Collaborates with LIS team members to support consistent and thoughtful use of Onit and iManage across all practice areas, contributing to integrated workflows, improved information sharing, and alignment with departmental strategic objectives.
Tracks the progress, status, and key deadlines of legal matters within Onit, ensuring data accuracy and completeness, generating reports where requires, ensuring deadlines are met in a timely fashion and bringing forward items for action, when necessary.
Liaise with internal clients, external counsel, government agencies, and tribunals as required.
Build and maintain effective working relationships with university leadership, staff, faculty, and external partners.
Provide responsive, professional support to inquiries, including those involving sensitive or confidential matters.
Collaborate with LIS team members to ensure coordinated and consistent legal service delivery.