Knowledge Management Lawyer

About Cassels:

Cassels Brock & Blackwell LLP is a leading national law firm focused on serving the transaction, advocacy and advisory needs of Canada’s most dynamic business sectors. We have one of the largest business law practices in the country, serving multinational, national and mid-market clients from our offices in Toronto, Vancouver and Calgary.

Our Culture:

At Cassels, our mission is to attract, retain and promote individuals of exceptional ability and talent from as broad a range of backgrounds as possible. We offer meaningful career opportunities, invest in professional growth, and foster an inclusive environment. Our Firm’s success is built on the unique skills, perspectives, experiences and values of each individual. We encourage a corporate culture that respects and celebrates the dignity, value and diversity of all.

Role Overview:

Our Toronto, Calgary, or Vancouver office is currently seeking a Knowledge Management Lawyer in our Knowledge & Practice Innovation department, reporting to our Assistant Director of Knowledge. The Knowledge Management Lawyer has responsibility for development and delivery of the Knowledge strategy in conjunction with the rest of the Knowledge team.

The successful candidate will be responsible for:

• Collaborating, and sometimes leading projects and be a change manager.
• Initiating and developing projects in conjunction with the Knowledge team to drive knowledge strategy and develop the firm knowledge community.
• Overseeing execution and completion of key Knowledge projects.
• Collaborating with team members and practice areas – lead by example through being expert and professional in their field, build open and effective relationships on the team and within the firm, give constructive feedback and support the team’s professional development.
• Ensuring knowledge procedures and policies are delivered effectively and provide strategic input to further development where appropriate – be proactive in reviewing standard processes and identify areas for updating and improvement, take a comprehensive and proactive approach to the implementation of knowledge products and processes, and adapt and customize knowledge services to the specific needs of the client while adhering to firm standards.
• Developing effective and strategic client relationships internally.
• Representing the firm at industry functions and groups.
• Demonstrating initiative and recognize areas where action is necessary. Identify appropriate solutions by drawing on their breadth of experience within the legal environment.
• Conveying complex information to all stakeholders and be able to articulate the vision and value of the knowledge function to all stakeholders. Able to act as a change manager and articulate reasons for change in a clear, concise and compelling manner to gain buy-in from all relevant stakeholders. Incorporate feedback into final recommendations or products.
• Influencing others to ensure the successful delivery of the required business results and products. This will involve frequent collaboration/interaction across all job functions and the use of persuasion skills to facilitate the required change.
• Acting as the Practice AI & Knowledge Lead for assigned national practice and sub-practice areas. Work with the Director of AI & Innovation to identify workflows and AI use cases and drive adoption of firm-approved AI tools.
• Developing practice-specific AI resources, such as playbooks, prompt libraries and guidance. Provide first-line training and support to lawyers and build and support a network of practice AI champions.
• Continuing to identify and curate precedents for the firm's knowledge collection. Ensure the content is clean, tagged and approved so that AI tools can use it reliably, and use AI to streamline precedent work.
• Promoting responsible use of AI in line with firm policy. Gather practice feedback and adoption metrics and share them with the Director of AI & Innovation to inform training, vendor engagement and future priorities.

The successful candidate must have the following education, experience and/or demonstrated skills:

• 4 years or more or more of legal and knowledge management experience in a law firm.
• Law degree.
• Working knowledge of generative AI tools for legal work, including effective prompting, or a demonstrated ability to develop it quickly. Understanding of the confidentiality, accuracy and professional responsibility risks of AI and how to mitigate them.
• Experience leading change in a multi-stakeholder environment with hands-on oversight of project management, stakeholder engagement and communications.
• Proven ability to gain trust and build credibility with a variety of stakeholders within a progressive, client focused, results-oriented environment.
• Demonstrated comfort and ability to successfully navigate and deliver results within a demanding, growth-oriented and sometimes ambiguous environment.
• Human centred leadership skills that inspire enthusiasm, deliver empathy and respect, provide vision, and create a healthy and positive environment in which team members can belong, thrive, and deliver their best work.
• Clear and effective written communication skills and ability to facilitate meetings and discussions to include all points of view which results in aligned and actionable outcomes.
• An approachable manner with the ability to relate to people at all levels of an organization while providing effective coaching, advisement, support and guidance; ability to have straight conversations with tact and diplomacy, and effectively manage conflict.
• Ability to act as a role model of professional conduct pursuing excellence in execution, seeking opportunities for continuous improvement and producing effective recommendations and solutions that support both the people and the business.
• Ability to anticipate outcomes, identify risk, and adjust approach and services accordingly.
• Ability to work independently while understanding the importance of engaging key stakeholders for awareness or guidance and/or escalating issues as appropriate.
• Demonstrated ability to assess, analyze and take appropriate action in situations that require an urgent response.

Employment Type: Permanent, Full-Time

This position is open to candidates within the Toronto, Calgary, and Vancouver areas

Salary Range: $140,000 - $150,000 Annually

What we offer:

• Competitive compensation + Extended Health & Dental Care.
• RRSP Matching Program.
• Education/tuition allowance.
• Fitness Reimbursement Program.
• Diversity and Inclusion Centric Culture.
• A Culture of Wellness: Cassels recognizes the importance of wellness and provides a comprehensive program that addresses the mental and physical well-being of our employees by providing resources, services, training and support on an ongoing basis.
• A fully stocked kitchen with healthy snacks, plus coffee, tea, and drinks throughout the year.
• A business casual dress code (client/day specific).
• Employee referral bonus.
• A hybrid work environment.

Cassels is an equal opportunity employer committed to fostering a workplace where people of all identities and lived experiences feel valued, respected, and supported. We are dedicated to removing barriers and ensuring equitable access to employment. We strongly encourage applications from Indigenous peoples, racialized people, people with disabilities, 2SLGBTQIA+ communities, and individuals with intersectional identities. All qualified candidates are welcome to apply. Accommodations for disabilities, accessibility needs, or cultural practices are available throughout the recruitment process upon request. Please contact our recruiter with any questions or accommodation needs.

Cassels uses artificial intelligence to screen and assess applications for positions, including reviewing resumes and ranking, scoring or filtering candidates against job-related criteria. All results are reviewed by our Human Resources team, and all hiring decisions are made by people.

We wish to thank all applicants for their interest, however, only candidates selected for interviews will be contacted. We regret that we are unable to respond to individual inquiries about application status, unless required for accommodation purposes.