JOB OPPORTUNITY – UNION OF BC INDIAN CHIEFS
VANCOUVER OFFICE WITH REMOTE OPTION
Legal Research Assistants- Contract, Part-Time

The Union of BC Indian Chiefs (UBCIC) is seeking up to six Legal Research Assistants, ideally two students from each law program in BC, to work on a part-time contract basis concluding by March 31, 2022, to support our organization’s work in developing and implementing the Making Our Voices Heard project. Making Our Voices Heard is an exciting project launched by UBCIC and Indigenous lawyers in response to a report issued by the BC Human Rights Tribunal (BCHRT) which showed that Indigenous peoples are not using the services of the BCHRT and not filing claims at the same rate as other British Columbians.

The goal of Making Our Voices Heard is to create practical and accessible public legal education materials, made by the Indigenous community for the Indigenous community, that will make a difference in empowering Indigenous people to access and enforce their right to be free from discrimination. This project of legal education will also inform and educate the public about the challenges that Indigenous peoples face and is integral to starting a process of change that will lead to law reform. Reporting to the Project Director and the Legal Project Lead, the Legal Research Assistants will conduct legal research and gather pertinent legal information that will be used to prepare a guide for Indigenous peoples on filing a human rights complaint. Successful candidates will have experience connecting and working with Indigenous communities; are law students, new lawyers, or individuals with alternate legal training; and have extensive knowledge of BC and Canadian human rights frameworks and practices. Successful candidates will work a maximum of 10 hours per week. This is an excellent opportunity to be part involved an innovative, Indigenous-led project that will dismantle barriers to equity and justice. The positions are based in the Vancouver office; applicants wishing to work remotely in BC are encouraged to apply and should include details in the cover letter.

About the UBCIC

The UBCIC is a not-for-profit organization representing and taking direction from over 100 Indigenous Nations in BC. Our aim is to protect and advance the political and territorial rights of Indigenous people in BC. We support Indigenous Peoples at regional, national, and international forums. The UBCIC’s mandate is to work towards the implementation, exercise, and recognition of our inherent Title, Rights, and Treaty Rights, and to protect our lands, waters, and resources through the exercise and implementation of our own laws and jurisdiction. The UBCIC strengthens Indigenous Nations to assert and implement their Aboriginal Title, Rights, Treaty Rights, and Right of Self-Determination as Peoples. The UBCIC upholds the principles and standards articulated in the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples for the establishment and maintenance of a universal framework of minimum standards for the survival, dignity, well-being, and rights of Indigenous Peoples.

Key Job Functions include:

• Working as part of a team of legal experts and advocates to assemble a guide for Indigenous peoples on how to file a human rights complaint that is grounded in Indigenous laws and informed by intersectional discrimination
• Conduct legal research on cases and gather pertinent legal information around Indigenous and human rights frameworks, policies, and practices
• Interpret laws, rulings, and regulations in legal documents; analyze and summarize documents
• Handling requests and information coming from project team and various channels
• Compile, proofread and edit drafts of project materials
• Communicate findings to project team and legal experts
• Assist with the overall administration and management of project workflow

Specific Responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

• Supporting the Making Our Voices Heard project team in developing strategic recommendations that will inform provincial policy and legislation and BC’s application of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples;
• Apply an intersectional human rights perspective to identify and analyze relevant current challenges to the advancement and protection of the rights of Indigenous peoples in BC;
• Attend meetings with the project team, legal experts, and Indigenous community members
• Assist in preparation of project materials, including briefing notes, presentations, backgrounders, and PowerPoints; and
• Perform other duties as reasonably

Qualifications:

• Currently pursuing a law degree at a recognized post-secondary institution in BC;
• Must be able to work up to 10 hours/week
• Strong understanding of Indigenous historical, political, and legal issues;
• Analytical thinker with strong conceptual and research skills
• Ability to understand and interpret legal documents
• Excellent research, writing, and proofreading skills;
• Strong organizational skills and meticulous attention to detail
• Experience working with legislation, regulation, and policy, preferably within a First Nations provincial/territorial organization or First Nation administration;
• Excellent time management skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities and produce results within specified timelines;
• Able to work independently, as well as a member of a diverse team, where productive relationships are developed and maintained;
• Strong proficiency with Word and Outlook

Parameters

• Maximum of 10 hours per week
• $25 per hour
• 40-60 total project hours

Please send a cover letter, resume, and references to the attention of the UBCIC Policy Director. If sending by email, please send to [email protected], with the subject line “UBCIC Legal Researcher Position.” We thank all candidates for their interest. Only those candidates who are shortlisted for interviews will be contacted. Open until filled.

The Union of BC Indian Chiefs hires on the basis of merit and is committed to employment equity. We encourage all qualified persons to apply. Qualified Indigenous applicants will be given priority.