• The role can be based in Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth or Sydney
• Full-time
• Contract - 12 months

An opportunity for a diligent Principal Lawyer – Projects has become available to join our legal team. This is an opportunity for the right candidate to be part of a reputable organisation with excellent professional development prospects. Attractive remuneration package and access to salary packaging. This role is full time and can be based in our Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth or Sydney office and is offered on a 12 months contract basis.

About knowmore and the Role

knowmore is a national and independent community legal centre providing free legal assistance and support to survivors of child abuse. The Principal Lawyer – Projects provides leadership and management to knowmore’s project-based lawyers and paralegals in delivering high quality information, advice and referral services to clients in newly developing service areas.

Currently, the role manages the Managing Lawyer and lawyers in the Prison Coordination Team providing advice and representation to vulnerable, incarcerated survivors. It also provides management to the lawyers who service the legal needs of the Redress Support Services across Australia. The role will be pivotal in developing new systems, processes and manuals to support new programs and will review the external facing documentation produced by the organisation to support our risk management approach.

This key leadership role has a joint reporting line to the Executive Director – Innovation and Capability Development and to the Executive Director – Integrated Services. It will work closely with Project Managers and National Managers of other disciplines. The role also works closely with the Principal Lawyer – State Teams who has management responsibilities for the business-as-usual legal services across Australia.

Duties and Responsibilities

Leadership 

• Lead knowmore’s project based legal services ensuring compliance with the requirements of relevant legal profession legislation, funding agreements, the Risk Management Guide for Community Legal Centres and knowmore’s objectives, plans and policies. 
• Lead and contribute to specific projects and undertake other duties as required.

Service Delivery and Risk Management 

• Assist in the development of the legal aspects of proposed new service offerings, supporting the organisation’s understanding of the key risks and therefore project feasibility. 
• Identify good practice relevant to newly proposed legal services and implement systems and processes to support that practice where projects progress. 
• Ensure appropriate systems and processes are in place so that resources can be appropriately allocated and monitored across the project based legal teams. 
• Support the Executive Director – Integrated Service to identify and manage risks associated with knowmore’s legal practice, to protect the interests of clients and comply with all statutory and professional obligations. The focus of this risk assessment and mitigation is specific to the key projects underway at any given time. 
• Work with the Executive Director – Integrated Service and the Principal Lawyer – State Teams to ensure effective and consistent risk management across the legal practice as required. 
• Ensure project based legal services are delivered in an accessible, safe and trauma informed way to all clients of the service, including through the delivery of culturally appropriate and safe services to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds. 
• Ensure the timely collation, recording, reporting and evaluation of accurate data around projects and other relevant activities, in order to comply with funding and reporting requirements and to inform service delivery and planning. 
• In conjunction with the Principal Lawyer – State Teams, transition project legal teams over to business as usual once established. 
• Lead the development and production of a range of internal and external resources and materials to support knowmore’s service delivery; in particular, ensuring the accuracy of all legal content. 
• In conjunction with the Executive Director – Integrated Service and the Principal Lawyer- Projects, identify legal policy and reform issues impacting upon the service’s client group.

Team Leadership and Management 

• Provide effective leadership, direction and co-ordination to the project-based Managing Lawyers, including those in the Prisons Team; providing supervision and monitoring their management of teams to support the delivery of high quality information, advice and representation to our clients. 
• Provide effective leadership and direction to the lawyers operating in each state to deliver on our contracted obligations to the Redress Support Services. This will include working closely with the State Managers, where they exist, to enhance relationships with the RSS network. 
• Manage performance and professional development of direct reports in line with knowmore’s policies and procedures. • Work closely with direct reports to ensure that their teams are being lead and managed, aligned with knowmore’s values and policies and procedures.
• Implement legal practice policies and induction, training, professional development, wellbeing support and mentoring processes for the project legal team. 
• Lead and motivate the national legal team to work in a co-ordinated, collaborative and client-centred manner with other teams in knowmore’s multi-disciplinary service model, to ensure client needs are identified and met in all service responses and staff are appropriately supported. 
• Ensure appropriate systems and processes are in place so that resources can be appropriately allocated and monitored in the team.

Selection Criteria 

Qualifications

• Admission as an Australian Legal Practitioner 
• Current holder of, or eligible to immediately obtain, a principal practising certificate

Expertise & experience

• 5+ years post admission practising experience. 
• Experience practising as a principal or managing lawyer, including responsibility for the management of a legal practice, managing work priorities and providing supervision, motivation, support and mentoring to lawyers (ideally including where those lawyers may not be physically located in the same location).
• Substantial experience in delivering legal services to people who have experienced or are experiencing complex trauma.
• Experience in providing culturally safe services to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and demonstrated understanding of the issues affecting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
• Experience in delivering legal services in a multidisciplinary service model.
• Knowledge and understanding of the public legal assistance sector in Australia and a strong commitment to providing high quality client services Knowledge and understanding of the public legal assistance sector in Australia and a strong commitment to providing high quality client services

Skills & attributes

• Highly motivated, ethical, and diligent. 
• Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively and flexibly in an environment of legal and non-legal staff and to co-ordinate service delivery across different sites and teams. 
• Excellent ability to engage respectfully and effectively with clients experiencing trauma and other circumstances of vulnerability. 
• Effective people-management skills, including the ability to actively engage and motivate staff and to drive change High level oral and written communication skills. 
• Ability to work with minimal supervision but to report and liaise appropriately.
• Computer literacy, including knowledge of the effective use of legal case management systems and databases

Organisational Obligations 

• Share our values and have a strong commitment to improving the lives of survivors of child abuse.
• First Nations cultural competency – to work in ways that recognise and counteract privilege and bias, and appreciate the values, traditions, belief systems, and experience of First Nations People.
• Demonstrate an active and dedicated commitment to knowmore’s Purpose, Vision and Values.
• Commitment to working within and supporting knowmore’s practice framework (trauma-informed culturally safe, person-centred).
• Comply with knowmore’s Policies and Procedures. 
• Observe all legal and legislative requirements. 
• Ensure a high level of confidentiality and integrity. 
• Assist in the development of, and participate in knowmore’s initiatives, projects and events. 
• Cultivate productive and collaborative working relationships and outcomes through open an inclusive planning, continuous improvement and transparent work practices.
• Liaise with others in a professional, respectful and constructive manner. 
• Take reasonable care to protect their health and safety and the health and safety of others. 
• To engage in professional supervision and other reflective practice opportunities as required. 

Qualifications and other Requirements

Hold or be eligible to immediately obtain a current unrestricted practising certificate in the relevant jurisdiction and, ideally, be eligible to obtain a principal’s practising certificate. 

Hold or be eligible to obtain a satisfactory National Police Records Check and a Working with Children Check. 

The role will involve intrastate and interstate travel, the ability and willingness to travel is essential and a current driver’s licence is desirable.

Benefits

A competitive salary commensurate with the not for profit sector is offered together with the availability of salary 

packaging to achieve a tax effective total salary package.  In addition to being a flexible workplace, knowmore offers 12% superannuation (0.5% above the SGC), a 37.5 hour working week and 4 weeks annual leave, including annual leave loading.

Employees have access to a training and development opportunities as well as our Employee Assistance Program.

Additionally, knowmore offers the ability to partially work from home to facilitate a balanced work life.

Meet Aunty Glendra

Aunty Glendra Stubbs is a Wiradjuri woman and an Elder in Residence at knowmore. She has been supporting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander clients since knowmore began in 2013.  In this video, Aunty Glendra shares her story about working at knowmore and supporting her clients on their journey. Video Link: https://youtu.be/Ib4Va2apySU.

Next steps

Further Information about knowmore is available at www.knowmore.org.au.

If this sounds like an opportunity you would be interested, please Apply Now.

A position description is attached.