• Be part of a well-regarded community legal centre providing family law and family violence legal assistance to victim survivors of gendered based family violence, in particular women experiencing disadvantage.

• Assist our team to broaden and expand our impact in the community through our established health justice partnerships by delivering dedicated and targeted legal assistance to women receiving pregnancy and maternity related services in a major hospital in the Western suburbs.

• Directly contribute to our Program’s growth in family law casework, family violence advocacy and the development of an early intervention child protection advice service.

• Assist in building capacity and upskilling social workers and Hospital staff to identify legal problems for early intervention and referral to our service.

• From your family violence and family law case work experience, contribute to systemic law reform activities addressing improvements to the family violence and family law system.

• Senior lawyer position on offer subject to relevant post admission experience

THE ORGANISATION

WEstjustice are a leading community legal centre providing free services to vulnerable and disadvantaged people. From our offices in Footscray, Werribee and Sunshine and through our outreach services we provide advice on a broad range of issues including employment, discrimination, consumer disputes, tenancy, credit and debt, family disputes, family violence, criminal law and more.

WEstjustice believe in a just and fair society where the law and its processes do not discriminate against vulnerable people. We provide free legal education, undertake law reform activities and work in partnership with their local communities to deliver projects that improve access to justice.

WEstjustice’s purpose is to service the legal needs in the West in a way that addresses the systemic nature of disadvantage.

BENEFITS & CULTURE

• Competitive salary with generous salary packaging
• Up to 5 hours study leave per week
• Supportive and collaborative working environment
• Opportunities for professional growth and development
• Flexible and Hybrid work model
• Full or part time work
• Based in Footscray with outreach work at other sites

ABOUT THE ROLE

WEstjustice is seeking to employ a Senior Lawyer to join our well-regarded Family Violence and Family Law Program. The position is 12 months fixed term and is full time, with requests to work part time also welcome.

The Family Violence and Family Law Program:

1. Advocates for a fairer and more equitable justice system by addressing the current inadequacies and negative environment of the family violence legal process.

2. Seeks to prevent misidentification and criminalisation of victims as perpetrators.

3. Addresses economic abuse and seeks to restore financial safety and independence for women experiencing family violence.

4. Provides early intervention legal assistance to those who suffer disadvantage and have particular barriers to accessing legal services.

This is an exciting opportunity for an experienced family lawyer keen to work in an innovative community justice environment with clients experiencing social disadvantage, isolation and gender-based family violence.

As a Senior Lawyer in this Program you will work directly with women experiencing family violence, people who are culturally and linguistically disadvantaged and/or from newly arrived communities. You will also have the opportunity to directly contribute to addressing the systemic issues related to gendered based family violence through law reform advocacy and assisting in the development of monitoring and evaluation reports that highlight systemic issues and reform agendas identified through our health justice partnership project work.

Our Program is also initiating and developing an early intervention child protection legal advice service noting the important intersection between family violence, family law and child protection, so your interest and contribution to this aspect of our Program is also welcomed.

If successful you will join a dynamic and supportive legal team delivering legal services in family violence, family law and child protection (on the horizon) with the option to undertake legally aided casework by applying for grants of legal assistance for clients who qualify under VLA’s family law, family violence and child protection guidelines, as we are also approved s29A panel certifiers in these areas of law.

This role is primarily based at our Footscray office and is also required to undertake outreach legal services at our key health justice partner sites in the Western suburbs including regularly attending our health justice partner Hospital in Werribee. You will also represent our clients in court proceedings in the Sunshine and Werribee Magistrates Court and Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia, as required. From time to time, you may also be required to work at our other offices (Sunshine and/or Werribee) and/or partner organisation sites, depending on Program needs.

SKILLS REQUIRED

The person we are seeking will have:

• A minimum of two years post admission experience in family law, and family violence and/or child protection
• Knowledge and/or experience in child protection would also be an asset
• Advocacy experience and/or interest in undertaking family violence duty lawyer services on a rostered basis from time to time.
• An unrestricted Victorian practicing certificate or be eligible for one
• An interest in systemic law reform advocacy
• The proven ability to work both as part of a team and autonomously and undertake outreach services, deliver legal education and provide holistic legal assistance to disadvantaged clients.

The successful applicant will require a current Working with Children’s Check and a Police Check or be prepared to apply for both. Applicants must possess the right to work in Australia.

Contact

For enquires, please call Cleona Feuerring, Legal Director, Family Violence and Family Law Program, on 03 9749 7720 for a confidential discussion.

Please send your resume together with a cover letter detailing your legal experience in family law, family violence and/or child protection addressing the key selection criteria in the Position Description via this portal.

A Relevant position descriptions is attached.