• Classification: Level 5 – Full time
• Remuneration: $93,890 - $98,072 per annum plus super, a 35-hour week, and attractive salary packaging options
• Type: Full-time contract for 12 months, commencing July 2024 to 27 June 2025, with possibility for extension.

An OPPORTUNITY to Make a difference

Caxton Community Legal Centre is seeking a full-time Family and DV lawyer to work in our Family, Domestic Violence and Elder Law Practice to cover parental leave from July 2024 until 27 July 2025 (with a possibility for extension). In this role the lawyer will provide family law and domestic violence court-based and community-based legal services to people who experience and use violence and/or who have family law issues, including advocacy where police have misidentified the perpetrator of violence or failed to respond to situations of violence.

We provide legal assistance and social work supports to promote and protect the human rights of people who experience financial and other disadvantage. All our lawyers work within a human rights practice framework, alongside social workers and consider themselves human rights practitioners as they apply their knowledge within particular areas of law alongside their use of the Human Rights Act Qld to help clients realise their rights. Caxton provides challenging work for lawyers passionate about social justice and this is performed in a highly supportive environment to produce outcomes as a team.

There are opportunities for duty lawyer work including in circuits across South East Queensland, supervising volunteers including at night sessions and providing follow-up advice, providing advice to daytime clients, supervising student legal clinics, PLT students and secondees, and delivering services at the office, at outreach locations and remotely. Mentoring and supervision will be available.

Key accountabilities

• Apply and strengthen existing knowledge of relevant areas of law to deliver legal advice and casework as directed by the Practice Director
• Work collaboratively with social workers to provide a holistic, client-centred service to diverse clients within a human rights framework
• Deliver community education, engage in sector development and networking, contribute to law and policy reform

Essential requirements

• Demonstrated experience in family law and domestic and family violence law
• Bachelor of Laws
• Eligible for admission as a legal practitioner of the Supreme Court of Queensland
• Current Unrestricted Practising Certificate

Why caxton legal?

Caxton Legal Centre has played a central part in Queensland’s legal landscape over the past 40 years, leading the state’s first Stolen Wages case, successfully representing well over 100 victims of the 2011 floods, and paving the way for multidisciplinary service delivery to people experiencing elder abuse.

We are an engaged, passionate and talented group of lawyers, social workers, and administrative staff with whom you are encouraged to collaborate with and learn from in order to meet our client’s needs.

Our full-time staff enjoy a 35-hour working week paid at the full-time Award rate, with time off in lieu if additional approved hours are worked. Paid Christmas leave is provided during the office shut-down period to New Years in addition to four weeks paid annual leave.

Caxton is currently experiencing significant growth and change across many of its programs; these roles represent investments into the future of our service delivery and capabilities across South-East Queensland.

A position description is attached below.