LAWYER, HUMAN RIGHTS & EDUCATION
Contract | Part-time | Hybrid - Vancouver, BC
$100 per hour
Year 1: Up to $25,000 / approximately 250 hours
Year 2: Subject to funding and program needs, up to $50,000 / approximately 500 hours
Potential two-year value: Up to $75,000
The BC Community Alliance (BCCA) is seeking an experienced British Columbia lawyer to help develop and deliver the Safe Schools Legal Access Hub, a community-based initiative improving access to justice for Black students and families navigating racism, discrimination, and other challenges within education systems.
ABOUT BCCA
Founded in 2019 and incorporated as a nonprofit in 2020, BC Community Alliance is a Black-led organization advancing equity, safety, well-being, and economic mobility for Black, African, and Caribbean communities across British Columbia.
We combine community-rooted supports, youth leadership and entrepreneurship programs, creative storytelling, and evidence-based policy and research to translate community needs into healing, empowerment, accountability, and systemic change.
ABOUT THE SAFE SCHOOLS LEGAL ACCESS HUB - https://bccommunityalliance.com/safeschoolhub/
BCCA is developing a hybrid, in-person and online legal-access model combining:
- Culturally responsive public legal education
- Direct legal advice and case consultation
- Intake, triage, and referral pathways
- Practical tools for students, parents, and caregivers
- Evidence-informed systemic advocacy
Families experiencing racism within education systems often need more than general legal information. They need clear, practical guidance to understand their rights, assess their options, document what happened, and determine an appropriate next step.
The lawyer will support individual access to justice while helping BCCA build a responsible, ethical, and sustainable service.
WHAT YOU WILL DO
Legal advice and case support
- Provide practical legal advice concerning racism, discrimination, and human rights issues affecting students and families in education settings.
- Review appropriate matters referred through BCCA’s hubs.
- Help families understand available rights, remedies, complaint processes, and review mechanisms.
- Advise on discrimination, school discipline, suspensions, exclusions, accommodations, and related education concerns.
- Guide families through school-district procedures, human rights complaints, administrative processes, and other appropriate pathways.
- Guide BCCA staff and legal navigators on legal options, service boundaries, and referral pathways.
- Refer matters to external counsel or specialized legal services when representation or expertise falls outside the Hub’s scope.
Public legal education
- Develop and review plain-language legal resources for students, parents, caregivers, and community members.
- Create guides, templates, and checklists addressing human rights, discrimination, discipline, accommodations, complaints, evidence, and family advocacy.
- Deliver or participate in webinars, workshops, community clinics, and information sessions.
- Ensure BCCA’s legal information is accurate, accessible, culturally responsive, and useful to people without legal training.
Human rights, policy, and systemic advocacy
- Advise BCCA on the human rights and anti-discrimination frameworks affecting students.
- Identify recurring or systemic legal issues emerging from individual matters while protecting confidentiality and privilege.
- Review policy recommendations, advocacy materials, and public legal information where appropriate.
- Translate appropriate patterns into responsible education and policy advocacy.
- Support stronger institutional responses to racism and discrimination within education systems.
Program and legal-infrastructure development
- Help establish the Hub’s legal-service model, scope, and professional boundaries.
- Develop intake, triage, conflict-checking, consent, referral, documentation, and escalation procedures.
- Help determine which matters require legal information, navigation, summary advice, external counsel, representation, or other community supports.
- Collaborate with participating lawyers, legal navigators, BCCA staff, and community partners.
- Develop protocols for sensitive matters and participate in periodic planning and case-review meetings.
- Identify service gaps and recommend improvements as the Hub develops.
Privacy, ethics, and risk
- Advise on confidentiality, privilege, informed consent, conflicts, and the appropriate handling of client information.
- Establish protocols governing interactions among lawyers, legal navigators, BCCA staff, students, and families.
- Advise on privacy requirements for information collected and used through the Hub.
- Identify professional, ethical, and legal risks and help ensure the service model aligns with applicable Law Society requirements and professional standards.
WHAT YOU BRING
Required:
- Membership in good standing with the Law Society of British Columbia, or appropriate authorization to practice law in BC.
- At least three years of relevant practice in human rights, education, administrative law, discrimination, civil liberties, public-interest law, or community legal advocacy.
- Strong legal research, analysis, and writing skills.
- The ability to provide proportionate advice and translate legal concepts into plain language.
- Excellent professional judgment, discretion, and respect for confidentiality.
- Strong communication, collaboration, and relationship-building skills.
- The ability to work independently within a flexible professional-services arrangement.
- A culturally responsive, trauma-informed approach.
- Legal entitlement to work in Canada.
- Willingness to complete an appropriate criminal-record and vulnerable-sector check before working directly with minors or accessing sensitive youth information.
Assets:
- Experience with nonprofits, legal clinics, community organizations, school districts, or public institutions.
- Experience developing public legal education materials or delivering workshops and community clinics.
- Experience designing intake, triage, referral, or community-based legal-service systems.
- Knowledge of barriers facing Black students and families seeking legal support.
CONTRACT AND COMPENSATION
This is a professional legal services contract compensated at $100 per hour. It is not a guarantee of a minimum number of hours.
In Year 1, BCCA anticipates up to 250 hours and $25,000. Work will emphasize infrastructure, resources, protocols, initial consultations, and public legal education.
Subject to funding, program needs, demand, and satisfactory performance, Year 2 may expand to 500 hours and $50,000, including increased legal support, clinics, consultations, and workshops.
The potential engagement represents up to 750 hours and $75,000 over two years. Hours will be authorized according to program and client needs. Work may be remote and in person in Vancouver, with reasonable local travel.
WHAT BCCA OFFERS
- A $100-per-hour professional contract rate.
- Flexible hybrid scheduling.
- The opportunity to shape a community legal-access initiative.
- Meaningful work supporting Black students and families navigating education and human-rights systems.
- Collaboration with BCCA staff, legal navigators, community partners, and other legal professionals.
- An opportunity to contribute to both individual access to justice and broader systemic change.
EQUITY, INCLUSION, AND ACCESSIBILITY
BCCA is committed to an equitable, inclusive, and accessible environment reflecting the communities we serve.
As a Black-led organization, we intentionally strengthen representation and leadership from Canada’s diverse Black population while welcoming qualified applicants from equity-deserving backgrounds who share our commitment to justice.
Applicants requiring accommodation during recruitment may contact careers@bccommunityalliance.ca.
HOW TO APPLY
Please apply through the LinkedIn posting with:
- A résumé or curriculum vitae
- A brief cover letter describing your relevant experience and interest in the Safe Schools Legal Access Hub
- Confirmation of your Law Society of British Columbia membership or authorization to practice in BC
Applicants who do not meet every preferred qualification but have relevant legal experience and believe they can make a meaningful contribution are encouraged to apply.
To support a fair and efficient process, applicants should not contact BCCA’s co-founders, Steering Committee, staff, volunteers, or vendors directly through LinkedIn, email, or other channels about this opportunity.
All applications will be reviewed after the application period closes, and selected candidates will be contacted by BCCA. Applicants already communicating with a BCCA team member about this opportunity may continue within their existing email thread.
