Description

 The Canadian Centre for Professional Legal Education (CPLED) is a non–profit organization that offers the Bar admission program in Alberta, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Nova Scotia, as well as other legal education content. To be called to the Bar, students must article and complete CPLED’s Bar admission program, Practice Readiness Education Program (PREP). The other course CPLED currently offers is Legal Research and Writing (LRW).

CPLED is dedicated to helping students hone their practical legal skills and to apply their legal knowledge and skills in everyday situations. This approach ensures new lawyers are well-equipped to meet the demands of the legal profession and workplace. CPLED maintains a high standard of programming and services for students to ensure a strong transition into the legal profession.

The Education Counsel role is a key member of the Education team. The Education team’s purpose is to develop and deliver CPLED content to students as well as to educate, train, and review all the external contractors who participate in the delivery of CPLED programs. The Education Counsel with the External Contractor Experience and Assessment Integrity Portfolio will be involved in content development, delivery and implementation of CPLEDs programs with the Education team as a whole, but will maintain a focus on CPLED’s relationships with external contractors. This role will have key responsibilities around the recruitment, training, calibration and retention of all CPLED external contractors as well as the creation and implementation of an external contractor monitoring, assessment and evaluation process.

Success in this position requires excellent relationship building, creative thinking, organizational, project management, conflict resolution, and problem-solving skills as well as strong research, analysis, and evaluation skills.

Key Accountabilities: 

As Education Counsel you will:

• Design and develop content and assessments for all phases of PREP, including Capstone assessments, LRW and other CPLED courses, as identified and in line with the Education Team’s development principles and goals.
• Research and remain up to date on developments and trends (legal and procedural) in areas of law used in CPLED content. Ensure CPLED content reflects these.
• Maintain knowledge of current legal processes and procedures relevant to the CPLED competencies, notably practice management, client relationship management, ethics and professional responsibilities, legal writing, legal drafting, negotiating, client interviewing and oral advocacy.
• Assist in delivery of feedback to students on their Capstone and in the preparation of unsuccessful Capstone participants for future Capstone sittings.
• Contribute to policy and internal processes to support CPLED and the Education Team meet their missions and goals.
• Address inquiries, feedback, and questions in a timely fashion in line with CPLED and course expectations.
• Create and maintain partnerships with the legal profession.

When Assigned the Student Experience and Content Integrity Portfolio:

• Ensure revisions of PREP and other CPLED course content is regularly maintained and updated, as required, with a focus on: relevance for students, legal accuracy, and reliability. This will require ongoing research to remain up to date on changes and developments in the law as well as ongoing evaluation of stakeholder feedback.
• Identify and align course content with CPLED’s competency framework and applicable learning objectives.
• Research and remain up to date on adult educational best practices for online learning and credentialing programs. Adapt and implement these best practices to student delivery and content.
• Collaborate with the Programs Team/ Learning Management Systems Team to implement CPLED course content and ensure the delivery of each program is student centred
• Create and adapt CPLED content for effective and engaging delivery to students.
• Revise and implement student informational content in support of CPLED courses, such as orientations and student guidebooks.
• Address student questions related to course content, processes, and policies and other inquiries to the Education Team.
• Ensure student compliance with CPLED and course policies, including conducting investigations and follow-up.
• Assist in the delivery of collaborative, practical, relevant CPLED student training, creating the optimum adult learning environment based on adult learning theory.
• Identify, revise, and update student resources, as required.
• Report to the Manager, Education, any events, occurrences, sources, and trends that may affect the quality of the student experience or of any of CPLEDs programs.
• Contribute to processes, systems, website and recruitment, and policies and procedures of CPLED from a legal educational perspective.
• Remain up to date on all CPLED programs and Education initiatives, and contribute to and support these. Cross-train with all other Education Counsel and support team during vacations, absences, and busy times.
• Other duties as required.

When Assigned the External Contractor Experience and Assessment Integrity Portfolio:

• Collaborate with the Programs Department to develop and implement effective communication, recruitment, and retention plan for all external contractors.
• Revise, design, and develop training and calibration materials for all external contractors (Assessors, Facilitators, Practice Managers, and Simulated Clients) for PREP and Legal Research and Writing (LRW) as well as any new courses, as developed.
• Design and deliver training for all external contractors as well as calibration sessions for Assessors. This will include information on the applicable CPLED course, CPLED policies and procedures, evaluation techniques, and expectations for the applicable role.
• Develop and implement performance metrics and an evaluation process for each external contractor group. Provide feedback to external contractors based on their performance and provide reports to Education, Manager.
• Address concerns raised by students about Practice Managers, Facilitators, and Assessors as well as feedback from external contractors.
• Update, identify and develop new resources for external contractors.
• Support external contractors to meet CPLED’s performance expectations and ensure compliance with PREP and CPLED standards based on external contractor reviews.
• Report to Manager, Education, any events, occurrences, sources, and trends that may affect the quality of assessment, practice management or facilitation of any of CPLEDs programs.
• Research and remain up to date on adult training and calibration processes for credentialing programs. Adapt and implement best practices to CPLED’s external contractor training.
• Communicate to key stakeholders the training and calibration (as applicable) processes relied on and how these support the defensibility of PREP and other CPLED courses.
• Contribute to processes, systems, website and recruitment, and policies and procedures of CPLED from a legal educational perspective.
• Remain up to date on all CPLED programs and Education initiatives, and contribute to and support these. Cross-train with all other Education Counsel and support team during vacations, absences, and busy times.
• Other duties as required.

Requirements: 

• Behave Ethically: Understand ethical behaviour and business practices and ensure that one’s own behaviour and the behaviour of others is consistent with these standards and aligns with the values of the organization.
• Communicate Effectively: Speak, listen, and write in a clear, thorough, and timely manner using appropriate and effective communication tools and techniques.
• Creativity/Innovation: Develop new and unique ways to improve the organization.
• Foster Teamwork: Work cooperatively and effectively with others to set goals, resolve problems, and make decisions that enhance organizational effectiveness.
• Organize: Set priorities, develop a work schedule, monitor progress towards goals, and track details/data/information/activities.
• Solve Problems: Assess problem situations to identify causes, gather and process relevant information, generate possible solutions, and make recommendations and/or resolve the problem.
• Timeliness: Commit to a deadline and meet those deadlines in a timely manner.
• Compassion: Treat internal and external customers with dignity and compassion and work with customers to find solutions within the guidelines of CPLED’s policies.

Qualifications 

• Post-secondary education and law degree required with 5+ years of progressively responsible post-call experience.
• Member of, or eligible for membership with, the Law Society, required.
• Ability to connect quickly and easily with new people, and understand the art of leading by influence.
• Excellent communication and negotiation skills with the ability to promote a common cause, value tact and diplomacy and comfortably work through conflict.
• Practice experience in the areas of family law, criminal law, business law, and asset.

• A certificate in Adult Education, Workplace training, or equivalent work experience (or agreement to take a certificate program), is an asset.
• Project management and full cycle recruitment experience is an asset.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills and the ability to interact professionally with a diverse group of stakeholders in person and online.
• Technically strong computer skills, such as Microsoft Office (Word, Outlook, Excel, SharePoint).
• Prior experience with D2L and creating assessments is considered an asset.

• Collaboration skills, with an ability to work with all individuals and groups.
• Ability to multi-task in a fast-paced environment and meet deadlines under pressure.
• The head office is in Calgary and travel may be required if the successful candidate resides out of the city. Working remotely an option with travel will be considered.

CPLED values diversity in its workforce and equal access to opportunity. All inquiries and applications will be handled with the highest level of confidentiality.

CPLED is partnering with the Law Society of Alberta on this search. Interested applicants should apply here.