Job Description

OVERVIEW:
Are you looking for a new challenge in a role that expands the way you use your legal training and experience? The Law Society is looking for a bright, creative, and collegial lawyer to join our entrepreneurial team in legal education. The Associate Counsel, Content and Planning, Continuing Professional Development (CPD) will develop creative and innovative content for delivery in programs and other media, including digital learning, in a broad range of substantive, procedural and practice management areas. We support the Law Society’s goals to maintain and enhance competence for all LSO members through the provision of ongoing legal education that members can use to better serve their clients and all Ontarians.

JOB PURPOSE:

The Associate Counsel, Content and Planning, Continuing Professional Development (CPD) is responsible for developing creative and innovative content for delivery in programs and other media, including digital learning efforts, in a broad range of substantive, procedural and practice management areas, supporting the organization’s goals of maintaining and enhancing competence by providing relevant and practical education to members. Identifies emerging issues and opportunities to further learning efforts and actively participates in a team response to these emerging issues and trends by planning original programs for LSO members and curating existing CPD programs and content material into new and/or abridged content for LSO members. The Associate Counsel, CPD works closely with the Director, CPD, with the CPD Managers and with other CPD Counsel, as well as practitioner-volunteers to assess market needs, conceive and develop original programs and to modify, edit and refashion existing program content into new learning vehicles, ensuring quality of delivery and accessibility, and to develop and maintain new initiatives in professional learning modalities and content.

QUALIFICATIONS REQUIRED:

• 
  An LL.B. or J.D, coupled with being a member in good standing of the Law Society of Ontario*.
• A minimum of 3 years’ experience either practicing law or providing legal services and, preferably, working in the area of professional development/learning.
• Excellent grasp of designing, delivering and evaluating relevant learning programs to further competence of members within a professional body.
• Solid understanding of the Law Society, including organizational structure, services, mandate, rules and regulations.
• Knowledge of ongoing and potential future professional development needs of members.
• Working knowledge of program design process, and principles of, and best practices, related to adult learning, professional development, and digital learning modalities.
• Proficiency in computer skills, and capability in extensive use of the Internet for research and informational purposes.
• Knowledge of digital learning technologies.
• Develops and applies complex information including the direction of editing and drafting steps for CPD content for digital learning and other purposes.

• By submitting your application for employment, you agree to a clearance check of your regulatory history with the Law Society, and to the use of this information in assessing suitability for employment at the Law Society.

KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES:
Client / Customer Service Planning

• 
  Assesses the education needs within an area of practice and facilitates meetings with leading legal service providers to develop CPD content as well as interactions with CPD Counsel and Director to assess, edit, and align existing CPD content for new member audiences.
• Contributes to the overall direction of CPD, assessing and discussing priorities, member needs, accompanying marketing strategies and tactics, and quality assurance.
• Participates, as appropriate, in the activities of coordination and marketing through the consultation and planning process with other Counsel, Director, and the Marketing team in CPD.

Client / Customer Service Delivery

• 
  Assists in the identification and development of new programs, existing programs and archived content and learning initiatives designed to improve compliance and/or competence.
• Participates in the definition and redefining of content related to programs as well as appropriate communications vehicles and modalities, including digital learning, to ensure that timely and accurate communications reach the intended audience(s) both internal and external.
• Ensures that the programming is interactive, accessible, and engaging.

People Leadership

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  Fosters a positive team environment by clarifying goals, building the commitment of individuals, valuing team input, recognizing the contribution of volunteers and all CPD team members, resolving conflicts, strengthening the team’s collective skills and encouraging creativity and problem-solving.
• May provide guidance to staff and will take advice from staff, as appropriate, including marketing team members, and others to ensure the optimal and timely development of content with consideration of members’ interests in CPD.
• Presents information and expertise to assist and/or influence members, chairs, and speakers regarding best strategies and practices for program development, program and digital learning re-development, meeting learning objectives, and promotion of departmental interests.

Policy Development

• 
  In conjunction with team members, identifies emerging issues, recommends the development of policies, content, and other initiatives to address these issues.
• Keeps stakeholders and team members informed of these issues and solicits external input as well as input from other CPD Counsel to propose changes in CPD programming, as appropriate.

Research

• 
  Remains abreast of and considers and proposes new developments in the field of legal education, digital learning, professional development, practice management and ethics (including but not limited to educational methodologies, online systems, and materials for lectures, seminar groups, facilitated sessions and any appropriate methodology for professional learning), and plans for the implementation of ongoing improvement of all aspects of CPD operations and service provision.
• Engages in continuous gathering and analysis of information on (a) current legislative, judicial and practice developments in a broad range of practice areas, and (b) actual or potential competing offerings from other continuing education and content providers, public and private.

Relationship and Alliance Building

• 
  May be called upon to participate with other organizations and/or stakeholders serving the profession to identify issues requiring action by the Law Society, ensuring appropriate coordination of service delivery to members.

WORKING ARRANGEMENT:
The Law Society has introduced a Distributed Workforce Model to leverage flexibility and agility, and to maximize employee productivity and engagement. Work arrangements will be determined by role and departmental requirements. The working arrangement for this position has been classified as hybrid, where the employee will regularly flex their work location between home and office. The specific application of this will be communicated to applicants contacted during the recruitment process.

ACCOMMODATION:
The Law Society of Ontario values and respects diversity. We are committed to creating an accessible, barrier-free and inclusive workplace in compliance with the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA). Please make any requirement you may have for accommodation during the recruitment process known when contacted. If you are unable to apply to this position due to the requirement for an accommodation of any kind, please email us at hr@lso.ca or call 416-947-3438.