Job Title: Senior Legislative Counsel
Job Requisition ID: 51680
Ministry: Justice
Location: Edmonton – Fully remote work within Canada may be negotiable
Full or Part-Time: Full Time
Hours of Work: 36.25 hours per week
Permanent/Temporary: Temporary – 2 years
Closing Date: Open until suitable candidates found
Classification: Civil Crown Counsel 5
Salary: $8562.77 – $9787.62 biweekly ($223,488 – $255,456 yearly)

Role Responsibilities

The Alberta Legislative Counsel Office is looking for a self-motivated, energetic lawyer with excellent English language legislative drafting skills and demonstrated leadership ability. Reporting to the Deputy Chief Legislative Counsel and Registrar of Regulations, your primary responsibility will be to provide drafting advice and mentorship to legislative drafters to assist the Alberta Government and its Ministries in achieving their legislative objectives. Additional duties involve drafting complex bills and regulations in accordance with Legislative Counsel Office standards and performing related legal services.

This position will ensure client Ministries’ policy objectives are met by:
• Mentoring legislative drafters with less drafting experience;
• Contributing to the drafting resources of the Legislative Counsel Office;
• Providing legal and legislative advice and opinions on legislative proposals made by Ministries;
• Advising ministry officials on their legislative proposals and assisting them in achieving their policy goals through legislation where appropriate;
• Providing impartial, high-quality legislative drafting services to the government;
• Drafting bills and regulations in a timely and effective manner in accordance with drafting standards; and
• Responding to client ministries’ concerns and questions regarding the making, drafting, and filing of regulations.

Qualifications

A Bachelor of Laws (LL.B.) or Juris Doctor (JD) is required. You must be an active member or must have immediate eligibility for full membership with the Law Society of Alberta. A minimum of 11 years legal experience is required, most of which must have been spent drafting government legislation while employed as a legislative drafter for a Government Legislative Counsel Office or a Parliamentary Counsel Office.

Intellectual inquiry, problem-solving and innovative thinking, combined with precision and thoroughness, are required in this position. Strong client focus, effective verbal and written communication skills, and effective interpersonal skills are essential to your success in this role, as you must understand your client’s policy goals and be able to express them in a legislative framework that the clients can understand and explain to others. The ability to work both independently and collaboratively will ensure you are successful in meeting the demands of this position.

As the ideal candidate you possess:
• A minimum of 10 years experience drafting government legislation while employed as a legislative drafter for a Government Legislative Counsel Office or a Parliamentary Counsel Office;
• Experience drafting the most complex, politically sensitive government bills and regulation projects;
• Demonstrated experience in a leadership role in a legislative counsel office;
• Demonstrated experience mentoring and coaching other legislative drafters;
• Demonstrated experience dealing with multiple complex files.

A graduate diploma or professional certificate in Legislative drafting is considered an asset.

In your cover letter, please briefly summarize:

• The Government Legislative Counsel Office or Parliamentary Counsel Office that you were employed by to draft government legislation.
• Your legislative drafting experience and expertise.
• Your leadership and mentoring experience
• Your reasons for interest in the position

Applications without a cover letter will not be considered.

For more details on eligibility and how to apply, please click here.

Posted: September 24, 2024