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Legal Counsel Level 1

Last updated on December 5, 2024

Legal counsels' primary purpose is to practise law within the legal services branch of the Ministry of Justice, or within another agency of government, which, because of its independent decision making authority, requires advice or representation outside of that provided to government by branches of the Ministry of Attorney General.

Primary functions and responsibilities involve

  • Providing legal advice and analysis
  • Formally drafting legislation
  • Representing the Crown or an agency of the Crown in judicial, quasi judicial, and administrative proceedings, or acting on behalf of the Crown in accordance with the Crown Counsel Act

On an exceptional* basis, legal counsels have positions within the Ministry of Justice, but outside the legal services branch, that require a lawyer engaged in the practice of law in British Columbia to ensure proper understanding of legal issues and maintain the credibility of the role of the Attorney General. In this case, primary functions and responsibilities involve

  • Analyzing, interpreting, and implementing complex* legal policy and law reform initiatives
  • Liaising or negotiating with senior officials within the provincial or other levels of government, the Bench, the Bar or similar stakeholders

Positions excluded from the legal counsel series

  1. May involve some attention to legal or legal policy issues and/or where possession of a law degree or legal background has been indicated as mandatory or desirable, but do not perform, as their primary function, responsibilities listed in the inclusion criteria above
  2. Are deemed by the Law Society of British Columbia to be practising law, but the position does not otherwise meet the inclusion criteria set out above
  3. Require the interpretation of regulations, the drafting of policies or contracts, leases or other legal documents, or the conduct of studies in which a comprehensive knowledge of law is desirable, but not mandatory
  4. Are those whose primary purpose is included in the definition of any other series or group

* as determined by the Legal Counsel Job Evaluation Committee

Applicable Job Codes

  Legal Counsel
Job Code 441001
Salary Plan LGL
Bargaining Unit Code 0

Salary

Rates effective April 1, 2024
Year of Call Annual Monthly Biweekly Hourly
1 105,810.90 8,817.57 4,055.72 57.9389
2 113,620.73 9,468.39 4,355.07 62.2153
3 121,431.34 10,119.28 4,654.45 66.4921
4 129,242.74 10,770.23 4,953.86 70.7694
5 137,049.96 11,420.83 5,253.11 75.0444

Previous Pay rates

Rates effective April 1, 2023
Year of Call Annual Monthly Biweekly Hourly
1 102,728.97 8,560.75 3,937.59 56.2513
2 110,311.30 9,192.61 4,228.22 60.4031
3 117,894.42 9,824.54 4,518.88 64.5554
4 125,478.32 10,456.53 4,809.57 68.7081
5 133,058.30 11,088.19 5,100.11 72.8587

Rates effective April 1, 2022
Year of Call Annual Monthly Biweekly Hourly
1 96,233.25 8,019.44 3,688.61 52.6944
2 103,336.07 8,611.34 3,960.86 56.5837
3 110,439.66 9,203.31 4,233.14 60.4734
4 117,544.04 9,795.34 4,505.45 64.3636
5 124,644.76 10,387.06 4,777.62 68.2517
Rates effective April 1, 2021
Year of Call
Annual
Monthly
Biweekly
Hourly
1 92,531.96 7,711.00 3,546.74 50.6677
2 99,361.62 8,280.14 3,808.52 54.4074
3 106,192.06 8,849.34 4,070.33 58.1476
4 113,023.02 9,418.59 4,332.16 61.8880
5 119,850.85 9,987.57 4,593.87 65.6267