Legal Advocate

Job title:

Legal Advocate

Company

First United Church

Job description

Legal AdvocateFull-Time and/or Part-Time effective August 1, 2025First United is a registered charity that has been serving Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside community for 140 years. We offer responsive, low-barrier services to individuals who are low-income, underhoused or homeless. We provide essential services to meet the daily needs of community members and engage in systems change work to reduce homelessness and break cycles of poverty. If you’re looking for purpose-filled work and want to make a difference in the community, this might be the opportunity for you.JOB DESCRIPTIONPOSITION TITLE: Legal Advocate (Full-Time and/or Part-Time)
DEPARTMENT: Advocacy
REPORTS TO: Advocacy Manager
DATE: August 1, 2025 (6 month term)
Starting Wage: $35.92Each job within the First United Church Community Ministry Society should promote our accomplishment of our .GENERAL DESCRIPTION:Provide advocacy assistance and representation to the Downtown Eastside community and others on a variety of issues generally encountered by low-income individuals and families.SPECIFIC DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Provide one-to-one advocacy services including referrals, information, summary advice and/or full representation regarding the following legal issues: Welfare (including disability), tenancy, employment insurance, WCB, Old Age Security, Canada Pension Plan (including CPP Disability), immigration, debt, employment-related issues (e.g. employment standards), human rights and other similar matters.
• Assist with forms (facilitating access to benefits): old age security, victim assistance, birth certificate applications, guaranteed income supplement, etc.
• Connect clients to appropriate resources within our cultivated network of service providers and legal aid as required if we are unable to assist them
• Provide full representation at hearings, written submission of appeals and reconsideration of decision, written and spoken interventions at an administrative level with a number of government programs, interviews and investigations and basic assistance with a wide variety of applications.
• Contact numerous government agencies, social service agencies, housing providers, other community legal assistance organizations and individual lawyers in particular
• Assist in the delivery of public legal education workshops where appropriate.
• Engage in research that is directly related to the casework.
• Participate in weekly case review conferencing with other First United advocates
• Meet monthly and quarterly reporting requirements for Law Foundation or First United
• Engage in monthly legal supervision and file review (Law Foundation-funded advocates only)

KNOWLEDGE & SKILLS:

• Good communication skills both oral and written
• Up-to-date computer skills with Microsoft Office.
• Knowledge of the difficulties encountered by people living in the Downtown Eastside is an asset.
• Knowledge of statutes such as Residential Tenancy and Employment and Assistance Acts.

EDUCATION & EXPERIENCE:

• Law Degree or depending upon experience, a university undergraduate degree, para-legal training diploma or continuing education training in poverty law.
• Up to one year experience would be an asset.

WAGES and AFFILIATIONS:This is a bargaining unit position under UFCW 1518. Presently the wage is $35.92 under the collective agreement. This position provides generous time off provisions and excellent health and welfare benefits.***We are committed to becoming a more just, equitable, inclusive, and diverse workplace, which extends to how we hire. We are continually learning new and unlearning old practices while examining systemic causes of inequity, including colonialism.We aim to be representative of the communities that we serve. We welcome everyone to apply, and we strongly encourage applications from members of communities that have been marginalized based on Indigeneity, race, colour, religion, nationality, social or ethnic origin, sex, age, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression. In order to achieve a representative team, preference may be given to people who are members of one or more of these groups.***Please apply through our website at www. Firstunited.ca

Expected salary

$35.92 per hour

Location

Vancouver, BC

Job date

Sat, 28 Jun 2025 23:13:14 GMT

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