Senior Legal Assistant

We are seeking an experienced, detail-oriented, and highly motivated Senior Legal Assistant to join our team. The successful candidate will provide advanced legal and litigation support across our family, criminal, and civil litigation practices.

This is not a general administrative position. The role requires strong drafting ability, familiarity with court procedures, excellent organizational skills, and the ability to manage files with a high degree of independence under lawyer supervision. The ideal candidate is someone who takes ownership of their work, understands the importance of deadlines and procedural accuracy, and can assist with preparing high-quality legal documents for filing, service, and client use.

This position is well-suited for a legal assistant with prior law firm experience who is confident in drafting correspondence, court forms, motions, briefs, affidavits, letters, and other legal documents.

Duties And Responsibilities

• Provide advanced day-to-day legal and administrative support to lawyers across family law, criminal law, and civil litigation matters.
• Draft, revise, format, and finalize legal documents, including correspondence, court forms, affidavits, motions, briefs, contracts, demand letters, pleadings, and other litigation materials.
• Prepare documents for filing and service, ensuring compliance with applicable court rules, formatting requirements, deadlines, and procedural standards.
• Conduct legal and factual research using CanLII and other online legal resources, as required.
• Review, organize, and summarize client documents, disclosure, evidence, financial records, court materials, and correspondence.
• Assist with preparation of motion records, continuing records, application records, trial materials, briefs, books of authorities, and exhibit packages.
• Manage and maintain electronic and physical client files, ensuring all materials are properly named, saved, organized, and easily retrievable.
• Monitor and manage deadlines, limitation periods, court dates, appointments, follow-ups, and internal task lists.
• Draft routine and substantive correspondence to clients, opposing counsel, courts, process servers, and third parties.
• Assist with client intake, onboarding, routine client communications, and gathering necessary information and documents.
• Coordinate court filings, service of documents, process servers, couriers, and communications with court offices, opposing counsel, and third parties.
• Proofread and quality-check documents for grammar, punctuation, formatting, consistency, accuracy, and completeness before filing or service.
• Maintain accurate records, file notes, contact lists, and data entries in the firm's practice management system.
• Assist with client and witness interviews by preparing intake materials, organizing notes, and compiling relevant documentation.
• Support basic marketing and administrative initiatives, including maintaining templates, coordinating outreach, and assisting with internal systems and processes.
• Take ownership of assigned files and tasks, ensuring matters move forward efficiently and deadlines are not missed.
  
  

Qualifications And Experience

• Prior experience as a legal assistant, law clerk, litigation assistant, or in a similar law firm role is strongly preferred.
• Experience in family law, criminal law, civil litigation, or general litigation practice is an asset.
• Strong drafting skills and experience preparing legal correspondence, court forms, affidavits, motions, briefs, and other legal documents.
• Working knowledge of Ontario court procedures, filing requirements, service requirements, and litigation timelines is preferred.
• Familiarity with legal terminology, court forms, pleadings, and litigation documents.
• Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple files, deadlines, and competing priorities.
• Excellent proofreading skills and strong attention to detail.
• Ability to work independently while also following lawyer instructions and firm procedures.
• Professional, client-focused communication skills, both written and verbal.
• Experience using CosmoLex or other practice management/document management software is an asset.
• Experience using CanLII is required; familiarity with LexisNexis or other legal research tools is an asset.
• Strong computer skills, including proficiency with Microsoft Word, Outlook, Adobe PDF, Microsoft 365, and electronic document management.
• Ability to handle confidential and sensitive information with professionalism and discretion.
  
  

Ideal Candidate

The ideal candidate will be reliable, organized, and confident in preparing legal documents with minimal errors. They will have strong judgment, a professional attitude, and the ability to take initiative while working under the direction of lawyers.

We are looking for someone who understands that legal support work requires accuracy, urgency, discretion, and accountability. The successful candidate should be comfortable working in a busy litigation environment and assisting with files from intake to resolution.

Why Join

This Senior Legal Assistant position offers an excellent opportunity for professional growth and hands-on legal experience. The successful candidate will work closely with lawyers, assist on meaningful client matters, and play an important role in supporting the firm's litigation practice and client service standards.

Job Types: Full-time, Part-time

Application Question(s)

• Please briefly describe your experience drafting legal documents, including the types of documents you have prepared and the areas of law you have worked in.
  
  

Work Location: In person