Natural Resources Solicitor
Salary will commensurate with education and experience:
LE01 - $ 98,169 to $131,350 per annum
LE02 - $ 121,388 to $162,368 per annum
LE03 - $ 131,591 to $176,020 per annum
The Department of Justice is working to ensure Yukon remains a safe, secure, and healthy place to live and work. We build strong and healthy relationships with others to support good governance and to foster safe communities with opportunities for healing. The Department of Justice provides supportive and dynamic work environments comprised of teams of professionals who are committed to making a difference in the lives of Yukoners.
The principles that guide are:
Reconciliation with Yukon First Nations: Together as DOJ representatives we commit to embracing the spirit of the Final Report of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada entitled Honouring the Truth, Reconciling the Future, by conducting ourselves in our day-to-day business in a manner that embodies the purpose of reconciliation with our First Nations members in the Yukon. We recognize the importance of employee education on First Nations history and the encouragement of innovative thinking by all DOJ personnel on our ability to effect meaningful change towards true reconciliation.
Working as a Team: As DOJ employees we value working together as a team within branches and within the department as a whole, while respecting our respective roles in the administration of justice, to work as one entity to meet our collective objective to serve the public. We are mindful of the impact of our actions on the people around us both in proximity and in the larger department and strive to ensure that we maintain the best interests of the department in our approach to our work.
Identify and Meet our Clients' Needs: DOJ personnel have a wide variety of responsibilities and an equally diverse clientele, internal and external to government, and we are committed to ensuring that they know we work for them and that we treat them with empathy, inclusion, integrity, respect and professionalism.
Initiative and Innovation: Management will encourage DOJ staff at all levels to think innovatively and to take initiative that will improve the work we do and services that we provide to allow for positive change and creativity in the workplace. Management will encourage DOJ personnel to reconsider our approach to the services we provide and adapt to the changing environment.
Communications: We are committed to improving the way we communicate internally with one another and externally to the public in order to better perform as a DOJ Team, share information and ideas with each other, dispel negative myths about the department and to ensure that the public has an appreciation for the excellent work we do.
The Opportunity
The Department of Justice is seeking an experienced lawyer to join its Natural Resource and Environmental Law Group (the “NREL Group”). Reporting to the Managing Counsel for the NREL Group, Legal Services Branch, the successful candidate will be a member of a team providing legal services in the areas of environmental law and natural resources law (e.g. land, mining, forestry) to the Government of Yukon.
Members of the NREL Group are called upon to provide legal advice with respect to the interpretation and implementation of statutes relating to the environment and resource regulation, including enforcement of regulatory regimes. We also represent Yukon Government in civil litigation and administrative law matters that involve environmental and natural resources subject matters. Our work also frequently involves giving legal advice in respect of obligations to First Nations arising under the common law and land claim settlement agreements and assisting with the negotiation and drafting of various agreements and protocols with First Nations.
Duties include: legal research, preparation of legal opinions and legal risk assessments, drafting and reviewing legal documents, including pleadings, memoranda of law and other court-related documents, providing oral and written advice to Government of Yukon to assist with negotiations, policy development and decision-making, conducting, attending with Government of Yukon negotiators at negotiations with First Nations, and appearing in court and before administrative tribunals.
We are looking for a skilled lawyer with strong analytical, problem-solving, teamwork and communication skills.
For more information about this position, please contact the Managing Counsel of the NREL Group: Julie Desbrisay at (867) 667-5823 or Julie.Desbrisay@yukon.ca
For information about the recruitment process, please contact Ilze Pretorius Human Resources Consultant at (867) 335-4668 or ilze.pretorius@yukon.ca
Please do not email resumes to any of the above addresses; resumes will only be accepted through the e-recruitment application system.
Essential Qualifications
Please submit your resume clearly demonstrating how you meet the following qualifications. Please note selection for further consideration will be based solely on the information you provide in your resume.
- A minimum of 2 years of experience practicing Canadian law experience.
- Experience in natural resource and environmental law matters, including land and resource development activities, and the interaction between those areas and Aboriginal law is considered an asset.
- Experience in prosecutions and/or civil litigation is considered an asset.
Desired Knowledge, Skills & Suitability
We are looking for a skilled lawyer to provide legal services to client departments including preparation of legal opinions and agreements, pleadings and other legal instruments, and advocacy in court and before administrative tribunals.
Strong analytical, problem-solving, teamwork and communication skills are necessary for this position. Knowledge of the natural resources and environmental law regimes in Yukon and familiarity with Aboriginal Law, such as the Yukon Final and Self-government Agreements, are assets.
Candidates should have and may be assessed on:
- Modelling Values and Ethics
- Action Management
- Information Gathering and Analysis
- Communication
Additional information
Conditions of Employment:
- Must be either a member in good standing of the Law Society of Yukon or be currently eligible for admission to the Law Society of Yukon.
Job requirements:
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willingness to travel both within Yukon and outside of the Territory
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work evenings and weekends as required.