Real Estate Law Clerk

This role within the City of Markham’s Legal Services Department is an opportunity not only to showcase your experience as a commercial real estate law clerk but also to gain experience and cross-train in administering development agreements by learning from your colleagues.

As a Real Estate Law Clerk, you will report to the City Solicitor, and support both the City Solicitor and the Assistant City Solicitor (Real Estate), as you complete all aspects of real estate acquisition, disposition and lease transactions. You will also be a member of the Legal Services Administrative Support team and, as such, will provide administrative support to solicitors and back-up support to the administrative assistants and clerks within the Department and the Senior Manager, Real Property, on an as-needed basis.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

More specifically, as a Real Estate Law Clerk, you will:

• Complete all aspects of a real estate transaction, including the preparation of closing agendas, title and off-title searching, keeping track of critical dates, preparing requisition letters, drafting closing documents, and closing or terminating the transaction.
• Provide assistance to other administrative assistants on preparing documents for registration in Teraview.
• Provide administrative assistance to the City Solicitor and the Assistant City Solicitor responsible for real estate, including filing, photocopying, managing calendars, booking meetings and drafting general correspondence.
• Provide back-up administrative support to other lawyers and administrative staff in the Department and the Manager of Real Property, including assisting with administering development agreements on an as-needed basis.
• Occasionally draft staff reports on real property matters, including reports to declare lands surplus to municipal purposes, and reporting out to the public of completed real estate transactions.
• Respond to inquiries from other City departments and external sources relating to real property and developments matters, including requests for title searches from other City departments.

Your professional profile will include the following highlights:

• Successful completion of a community college diploma in a Law Clerk or related program.
• Five (5) years or more of experience as a commercial real estate law clerk.
• Extensive knowledge of how to complete commercial acquisitions and dispositions of real property, including fee simple interests and easements.
• Extensive knowledge of Teraview and conveyancing.
• Experience in preparing documents related to municipal subdivision and site plan control approval, an asset.
• Ability to work independently and exercise responsibility for efficient carriage of real estate acquisition and disposition files from start to finish, under the Assistant City Solicitor’s supervision.
• Resourcefulness and problem-solving skills. 
• Strong interpersonal skills with the ability to build relationships with Department and internal staff members at the City.
• Excellent writing skills.
• Proven ability to work well under pressure in a fast-paced, complex and demanding political environment.
• Demonstrated high level of professionalism with good judgment and the ability to deal with highly sensitive issues with confidentiality, tact and discretion.
• Well developed computer skills in Microsoft Office (Excel, Word, Outlook and PowerPoint) and excellent keyboarding capability.
• A positive outlook, a desire to learn new skills and a willingness to adapt existing skills to the needs of the department.

The City of Markham, a municipality with more than 350,000 residents, centrally located in the Greater Toronto Area, is home to over 400 corporate head offices and more than 1,100 high-tech and life science companies. Founded in the 1790s, Markham is Canada’s most diverse community, enjoying a rich heritage, outstanding community planning and services, and a vibrant local economy. Markham has received the Excellence Canada Gold Award for Organizational Quality & Healthy Workplace, and multiple heritage and environmental awards. Committed to being a model of public service excellence, with a workforce that is representative of the population we serve, we are looking for people who share our values and are champions of innovative practices.

For more information on this Real Estate Law Clerk position, and to apply online by May 20, 2019, please visit our website at https://workforcenow.adp.com/mascsr/default/mdf/recruitment/recruitment.html?cid=04bf51f8-d2dd-4641-ba92-183522f6e8b3&ccId=19000101_000001&type=MP&lang=en_CA

We are committed to inclusive employment practices.