Company Bio

Legal Aid Ontario employees are committed to making a difference in the lives of our clients.

As an integral partner in the Justice system, working at Legal Aid Ontario is more than just a job. It's an opportunity to help people who need it the most; to ensure each client receives the access to justice afforded to them under the law.

If you are looking for a new challenge in your already meaningful career with a team dedicated to justice, and innovation in a flexible and supportive work environment consider this opportunity below.

Primary function

Serve as LAO’s subject matter expert in civil mental health and administrative law. Lead the management and ongoing development of LAO’s Mental Health Appeals Program, support the evaluation of the mental health tariff, and provide expertise across a range of practice areas including criminal, family, refugee, and poverty law. The ideal candidate is a self-motivated strategic thinker who takes initiative, operates with a high degree of autonomy, and proactively identifies opportunities to improve services and client outcomes for some of Ontario’s most vulnerable populations.

Primary Location: Toronto - Provincial Office
Secondary/Tertiary Location: Not applicable

Reporting to: Director, Policy

Key accountabilities

Mental Health and Administrative Law

• Serve as LAO’s primary expert on civil mental health law, including matters before the Consent and Capacity Board (CCB) and other administrative tribunals.

• Lead the day-to-day management and strategic development of LAO’s Mental Health Appeals Program, ensuring high-quality, timely representation for clients.

• Support the evaluation of the mental health tariff by analyzing current tariff structures, identifying gaps, and developing evidence-based recommendations.

• Monitor developments in civil mental health law, administrative law, and related legislation, and advise LAO on implications for service delivery and policy.

• Support LAO in building and maintaining strong relationships with the mental health bar, CCB, courts, community mental health organizations, and the Psychiatric Patient Advocate Office.

Multi-Area Legal Support

• Identify cross-cutting issues affecting clients with mental health needs who are involved in multiple areas of law, and develop integrated approaches to service.

• Collaborate with colleagues leading other practice area initiatives to share knowledge, align strategies, and support a coherent LAO service model.

Program and Policy Development

• Drive reforms that align with LAO’s legislative mandate under the Legal Aid Services Act, 2020, and strategic priorities.
• Develop operational plans and service standards to increase access to quality legal representation for clients with mental health issues, including culturally appropriate and trauma-informed approaches.
• Establish performance metrics to assess the impact of mental health and administrative law services and programs.
• Prepare written and oral presentations for relevant LAO decision-makers.
• Develop training and resources for LAO service providers, certificate lawyers, and staff on mental health law and related practice areas.

Required skills & experience

Legal Expertise

• Significant experience practicing civil mental health law in Ontario, including direct experience appearing before the CCB.

• Working knowledge of the Health Care Consent Act, Mental Health Act, Substitute Decisions Act, and related legislation and regulations.

• Demonstrated knowledge of administrative law principles and practice before Ontario administrative tribunals.

• Familiarity with criminal, family, refugee, or poverty law practice is an asset, particularly in the context of legally-aided clients.

• Understanding of the Legal Aid Services Act, 2020, Legal Aid Services Rules, LAO policies, and LAO service channels (certificates/private bar lawyers, duty counsel/staff, entity service providers).

Program and Policy Skills

• Record of designing and delivering strategies, programs, or reforms at a senior level in a legal or justice-sector context.

• Ability to link client needs, frontline legal practice, and legislative frameworks into actionable solutions.

• Experience in program evaluation, tariff or funding analysis, reporting to funders, and using evidence to drive service improvement.

• Ability to understand, interpret, and forecast financial, statistical, and performance data relevant to legal aid service delivery.

Leadership and Communication

• Leadership experience with the ability to manage programs, guide multidisciplinary teams, and influence senior decision-making.

• Strong relationships with relevant legal and community stakeholders, including roster members, the CCB, psychiatric facilities, community legal clinics, and other justice partners.

• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including experience preparing briefing materials for ministers or senior executives.

Equity and Client-Centred Practice

• Proven commitment to equity, cultural competence, and trauma-informed approaches to legal service.

• Experience working with clients facing multiple and complex barriers to justice, including those living with serious mental illness, cognitive disabilities, or concurrent criminal and civil legal matters.

What do we offer?

At Legal Aid Ontario, we are committed to fostering a supportive and rewarding work environment for our employees. Our comprehensive benefits package reflects our commitment to enhance employees’ professional and personal well-being, reflecting our values of equity, inclusion, diversity and belonging.

Your health and wellness
Our health and wellness program includes:

• Dental, health and life insurance

• Short-Term Disability and accidental death & dismemberment insurance

• Permanent employees are eligible for long-term disability insurance

• An employee assistance program (EAP) that offers professional, confidential counselling services to employees and members of their immediate families. The EAP operates programs that address common life issues such as childcare, smoking, financial difficulty, and more.

Your work-life balance
Employees enjoy generous paid time-off including:

• 17 vacation days at hire,

• Sick days

• Discretionary days

• 3 paid days for religious or cultural observances

• Statutory holidays and The National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, Remembrance Day and Easter Monday

Your career
LAO supports your career development by offering professional development and networking through several programs, including training to support a positive culture of equity, diversity, inclusion and belonging (EDIB), and lunch and learns to build client service skills

• Informal Employee Networks for staff with shared identities to connect, support each other and build professional networks

• Law Society of Ontario (LSO) accredited training to support learning and professional development for all employees

• EDIB-focused training

• Mentorship programs, including an Indigenous-focused mentorship program

Your future
Employees are eligible to enroll in the defined benefit Public Service Pension Plan which provides financial security during retirement.

How to apply?
To apply submit a cover letter & résumé.

Only those candidates selected for an interview will be notified by email.
Final candidates for this position will be required to undergo a criminal record check.

Please note that all applicants are encouraged to provide a valid email address for communication purposes. Applicants may receive written correspondence regarding this job posting directly to the email address provided on their resume or to the one used to set up their Candidate Profile if applying on Njoyn. As an applicant, it is your responsibility to ensure that you check your email regularly.

First time applying to LAO? You will need to create a profile AND then apply for the position. Already have a Njoyn account? Just sign in and select "my jobs" to apply.

Once you have successfully applied you will receive a confirmation email.

Trouble applying? For telephone support please call 1-877-427-7717 or email: candidate.njoynhelp@cgi.com.

Equity Statement

Building a diverse workforce that represents the communities we serve while promoting a safe culture and work environment that dismantles systemic barriers, welcomes fresh perspectives and embraces differences as a priority is a core value at LAO. LAO encourages applicants from equity-seeking groups, including but not limited to individuals who are First Nations, Inuit or Métis, Black and racialized, as well as persons with disabilities, women and members of the 2SLGBTQ+ community.

We recognize the value of equity, diversity and inclusion and are committed to addressing systemic barriers, and prioritizing, attracting and retaining diverse staff. All interested and eligible people will be considered, with due consideration to all protected grounds under the Ontario Human Rights Code.

Legal Aid Ontario values integrity, respect, responsiveness, excellence, independence, accountability, openness and consistency. Our recruitment process reflects our commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion. Accommodations are available throughout the recruitment process as well as during employment at LAO. Please direct any accommodation requests to our recruitment team.