Classification & Regular Hours

Hours per Week: 35

Salary Grade: 18

The base salary will be $90,460 - $129,090 per annum. Starting salary will be aligned with the successful candidate's experience, skills, and demonstrated qualifications.

Responsibilities

The Associate Director, Community Legal Services (CLS) provides leadership, daily operational oversight, and legal supervision to ensure the clinic fulfills its dual mandate: delivering high-quality legal services to marginalized communities and offering experiential learning opportunities to law students. In consultation with the Dean and Director, Strategy & Operations, the Associate Director plays a key role in providing daily leadership for CLS staff and students. The Associate Director helps to strengthen integration with Western Law's strategic direction, including enhancing experiential learning for students, and serving our community. This role provides supervision, mentorship, and evaluation of law students, in accordance with CLS, Western University policies, and the Law Society of Ontario's Rules of Professional Conduct. The Associate Director supports CLS's broader mission through community outreach, advocacy projects, and public legal education initiatives, while ensuring alignment with institutional and funder priorities.

Qualifications

Education:

• Juris Doctor (JD) or Bachelor of Laws (LLB)
• Member in good standing with the Law Society of Ontario, licensed to practice law in Ontario

Experience:

• 7 years of experience practicing law, with a strong background in litigation and advocacy
• 2 years of experience supervising staff, mentoring law students in a clinical or academic setting and participating in stakeholder engagement
• Demonstrated leadership in legal clinic operations or public interest law preferred
• Experience in multiple areas of law relevant to CLS (e.g., housing, civil litigation, family law, human rights, academic appeals, employment law) preferred
• Familiarity with legal aid structures and mandates preferred

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities:

• Strong legal knowledge in substantive and procedural law across CLS service areas
• Advanced advocacy, negotiation, and legal analysis skills
• Familiarity with university policies, legal clinic operations, and funding compliance
• Ability to lead and manage multidisciplinary teams, including legal professionals and students
• Familiarity with Legal Aid and its mandates and structures
• Strategic thinking and operational planning capabilities
• Excellent mentorship and coaching skills, particularly in experiential legal education
• High ethical standards and commitment to professional conduct
• Competency to maintain confidentiality and treat sensitive information with discretion
• Strong verbal and written communication skills, including the ability to translate complex legal concepts for diverse audiences
• Ability to handle details with a high degree of accuracy to review and revise legal documentation
• Cross-cultural competency and sensitivity in working with marginalized populations
• Ability to build and maintain relationships with internal and external stakeholders
• Intermediate computer skills in Microsoft Office Suite and with case management software
• Ability to manage competing priorities in a fast-paced, high-pressure environment
• Ability to work well under pressure and handle multiple conflicting priorities in a fast-paced environment
• Ability to apply critical thinking to evaluate information and make appropriate decisions or recommendations
• Ability and willingness to employ a consultative and collaborative approach to addressing issues and making decisions
• Ability to work both independently, taking initiative and following through on work assignments, and effectively as a member of the team to achieve clinic goals
• Familiarity with University policies and procedures is an asset

Background Checks

Please note, successful applicants will be required to complete a credit check satisfactory to the employer.

Please Note:

This position is an existing vacancy. This position is fully in-person, on-site. We thank all applicants for their interest; however, only those chosen for an interview will be contacted.