About us

The HIV/AIDS Legal Centre Inc. NSW (HALC) is a not-for-profit, specialist community legal centre, and the only one of its kind in Australia.

HALC provides free and comprehensive legal assistance to people with HIV or hepatitis related legal problems, undertakes community legal education for professionals and the wider community, and engages in law reform activities including public interest litigation.

HALC has been operating for over 30 years and has a strong presence in the community.

You can find out more about HALC on our website: www.halc.org.au  

About the role

The Centre is seeking a qualified Solicitor (based in Sydney or Brisbane) with at least 4 years post-admission experience for a full-time role.

The successful candidate will be eligible to practice as a solicitor in NSW, and the High Court of Australia, hold or be entitled to hold a current NSW Practicing Certificate, as well as satisfy most (if not all) of the essential selection criteria below.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, people living with HIV and/or hepatitis, and LGBTQIA+ people are encouraged to apply for this position.

Flexible/hybrid working arrangements will be made available where suitable.

The successful applicant will be required to start as soon as possible.

Why join the HALC team?

Working for HALC is a way for you to make an impact in your career. HALC prides itself on filling a service gap which addresses the stigma and discrimination surrounding HIV and hepatitis in the community.  In addition to providing multifaceted and holistic legal representation and community legal education, HALC has had a significant impact on communities affected by HIV and hepatitis, not

through just individual client outcomes, but also systemic changes achieved via law reform work and strategic litigation.

The HALC team is small, but passionate and energetic and achieves as much as it does by the support of a strong volunteer program and through collaborations and partnerships with other community organisations. Joining this team is a rare opportunity to be embedded in the sector and learn from those who have lived experience of, or significant expertise in, issues experienced by people with HIV or hepatitis and affected communities.    

Additional Benefits include:

• Salary Packaging/Sacrifice arrangements incorporating FBT exemption
• Additional paid leave: Christmas closure excluded from annual leave
• Annual Leave Loading
• Flexible/Hybrid work arrangements available where possible
• 0.5% additional superannuation to statutory requirement
• Convenient inner-city office location

Essential criteria

1. Either hold or be entitled to hold a NSW Practicing Certificate, and be eligible to practice as a Solicitor in the Supreme Court of NSW and High Court of Australia.
2. Ability and willingness to travel interstate and regionally to deliver community legal education, undertake casework and projects, and for training and oversight.
3. Demonstrated ability to get up to speed quickly on unfamiliar areas of law.
4. Strong interest (preferably with prior experience) in the legal issues that affect people with HIV and Hepatitis and demonstrated commitment to or at least passion for social justice more generally. Empathy towards the Centre’s client groups, including people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, people with disabilities (including mental illness), people from the LGBTQIA+ community, and people at significant social and economic disadvantage.
5. Previous experience and passion for migration law, in particular Refugee Law. In addition to migration, demonstrated experience in at least 2 of the following areas of law: discrimination, employment, criminal, family, insurance, superannuation, social security, wills and estates, privacy/disclosure, or public health law.
6. Ability to manage a busy legal caseload efficiently and effectively, including representing clients before courts and tribunals.
7. Ability to manage/supervise junior staff and/or volunteers.

Desirable criteria

1. An interest in and ability to identify funding opportunities and prepare applications for funding.
2. Social media skills.
3. Experience in briefing barristers for judicial review applications.
4. Ability to contribute to Community Legal Education and law reform activities.
5. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, people living with HIV and/or hepatitis, and LGBTQIA+ people are encouraged to apply for this position.

For questions about the role, please contact Vikas Parwani at 9492 6540 or by email to [email protected] using the subject line: Senior Solicitor - Sydney / Brisbane enquiry via EthicalJobs.

A position description is attached.