Blac News

Position: Impact of Race and Culture Assessment (IRCA) Assessor
Duration: Contract – One Year (with possibility of extension or renewal)
Reports to: Executive Director & General Counsel (EDGC)

The Black Legal Action Centre (BLAC) is an independent not-for-profit community legal clinic mandated to combat individual and systemic anti-Black racism through the provision of legal services to members of Ontario’s Black communities, including engagements in advocacy, community development, law reform, test case litigation, and public legal education.

BLAC’s service delivery model is anchored in a walk-in/telephone, intake system that results in community members receiving legal information, brief legal advice, continued legal representation and/or referrals.

PURPOSE OF POSITION
BLAC provides legal services to qualified persons who have experienced anti-Black racism. As part of its strategic goals, BLAC seeks to reduce the number of Black people held in custody or subject to custodial supervision.

When a Black person is convicted, they may request that the Court consider an IRCA during sentencing. These enhanced pre-sentencing reports help judges consider how racism, poverty and discrimination have contributed to the Black person’s interactions with the justice system, and help the judge decide on the appropriate sentence. An IRCA may recommend alternatives to incarceration or recommend culturally appropriate accountability measures within a sentence of incarceration.

The IRCA Assessor will prepare these reports for qualified BLAC clients.

MINIMUM HIRING REQUIREMENTS
The candidate must:
• Have a master’s degree or higher in a mental health discipline.
• Have a social work designation.
• Have two years or more practice experience working with a marginalized community.
• Demonstrate a commitment to community and/or legal work related to anti-Black racism, human rights and/or anti-discrimination.
• Have demonstrated ability to effectively conduct assessments and prepare reports and submissions on complex legal and social issues before the Court.
• Have demonstrated ability to work collaboratively within a multi-disciplinary team.
• Have demonstrated computer literacy skills.

The ability to communicate in French and English is desirable.

The annual salary range is $90,000.00 to $110,000.00 depending on the Candidate’s years of experience and the clinic’s budget.

The successful candidate will be required to complete a vulnerable sector check.

Please email a cover letter and your resume to the attention of the EDGC, with the subject: Application – IRCA Assessor, to demar.hewitt@blac.clcj.ca on or before 11:59 pm (EST) on March 7, 2025.

BLAC encourages applications from equity-seeking groups including but not limited to individuals of indigenous descent, all identities and self-expressions, persons with disabilities, members of racialized communities, and people of diverse faiths, creeds, culture and origin.