The Organisation

Westjustice is a leading community legal centre providing free services to priority members of our western suburbs community.

From our offices in 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 now citizenship.

Our vision is for fairness, safety and justice for Melbourne’s West.

Our purpose is to deliver targeted services and drive meaningful change through:

• Targeted legal, financial and social work services
• Working in partnership
• Community legal education and development
• Focusing on prevention and early intervention
• Advocacy and system reform

Be part of an organisation that provides high-impact services and outcomes delivering best practice services and working on systemic reform of complex, widespread issues.

Benefits & Culture

• Be a part of an organisation that 98% of our team are proud to work for
• We pay 3% above the SCHADs award
• Salary packaging
• Up to 5 hours study leave per week
• Flexible working conditions
• 17.5% annual leave loading
• Passionate, professional and dedicated team
• Gifted additional paid leave over the summer holiday period
• Strong focus on wellbeing
• Ongoing commitment to being a diverse and inclusive organisation
• With 90% of our team recommending WEstjustice as a great place to work we can provide a culture of a values driven, inclusive, feedback oriented workplace

The Role

Westjustice is seeking to employ a Lawyer with two years post admission experience, preferably in a migration setting on an 18-month, fixed term contract on a part-time (0.80FTE) or full-time basis to join our growing Children and Young Person’s Rights Team.

This role will report to the Children and Young Person’s Rights Program Manager/s and will work closely with our Economic and Housing Rights team and will provide in reach and outreach citizenship legal services to children and young people aged 10-25 and their families in diverse settings including our youth service hubs, settlement services, residential care homes and schools. You will also have the opportunity to work closely with our partner, Victoria Legal Aid’s migration team.

The legal work includes advice, case work and developing and delivering community legal education. You will also contribute to law and policy reform activity and the achievement of our strategic advocacy priorities that aspire for excellent legal and life outcomes for clients. There will be an opportunity to develop legal skills and knowledge across other areas of practice.

Skills required:

• The ability to engage and communicate effectively with children and young people and their families from migrant and refugee backgrounds
• Demonstrated ability to engage with diverse audiences spanning young people and their families, sector colleagues and supports.

This position will be based at our Sunshine Visy Cares Hub office but will be required to work at our other offices and/pr clinic sites, as need arises.

Remuneration:

Salary range - $102,457 to $104,842 p.a. plus employer funded superannuation in accordance with Superannuation Guarantee (Administration) Act 1992 (Cth).

In addition, generous salary packaging is available (including access to Accommodation and Meal Entertainment packaging).

For more information about Westjustice, please visit our website at westjustice.org.au.

Due to the role involving outreach, it is preferred that the applicant has access to their own vehicle.

Applicants must possess the right to work in Australia.

next steps

If you have any questions in relation to the role, please contact our office on 9749 7720 and ask to speak to Vincent Shin or Josephine Choimes, Program Managers.

A position description is attached.

The successful applicant will require a current Working with Children’s Check and a Police Check or be prepared to apply for both. People with lived experience of the justice system are encouraged to apply. A police check result does not automatically disqualify an application which in each case will be individually assessed for the relevant role. Applicants must possess the right to work in Australia.

Westjustice is committed to building a diverse workforce. We strongly encourage applications from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, people living with a disability, people from diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds, mature age workers and LGBTIQA+-identifying people. People with lived experience of the justice system are encouraged to apply. A police check result does not automatically disqualify an application which in each case will be individually assessed for the relevant role.

If you require any adjustments throughout the application or recruitment process please contact [email protected], using the subject line: Youth Lawyer - Citizenship in the West Project Lawyer enquiry via EthicalJobs.

Please ensure that you let us know, in advance, of any reasonable adjustment you may require during any part of the recruitment process including application and interview by contacting Theresa via [email protected]. Any information disclosed will be held in the strictest of confidence.