• Temporary – 1 August 2024 to 30 July 2025
• Legal Officer Grade I-III
• Full Time – 35 hours per week 

About us 

Legal Aid NSW helps people with their legal problems. We can help people with most areas criminal law, family law and every day civil law legal issues. We give legal advice, help at court and do family dispute resolution. We can do this over the telephone or at one of our 28 offices.

About the role

The successful candidate will provide high quality advice, minor assistance and casework services in areas such as consumer, mental health, human rights, employment, housing, immigration, social security, and/or coronial inquests, or other areas of civil law.

The role will involve the following:

• Deliver client-centred, trauma informed services to clients experiencing deep and persistent disadvantage and dislocation.
• Effectively engage and work collaboratively with communities and external stakeholders.
• Deliver targeted Community Legal Education.
• Provide high quality advice and casework service to disadvantaged clients, including representing clients in alternative dispute resolution processes, Courts and Tribunals. 

About you

You will be dedicated to service excellence and committed to access for justice especially for those in regional and remote NSW. You will be committed to ongoing learning and development and be able to communicate effectively with a broad range of the community.

We may use this recruitment to create a talent pool for similar ongoing or temporary vacancies we have over the next 18 months. 

The Location

Coffs Harbour offers more than just the Big Banana. For practitioners it offers engagement in a dynamic regional hub where you will have professional opportunities coupled with a wonderful community.

In our office we have 18 Solicitors (Civil, Crime and Family) and 9 Legal Services Officers. In addition to the local office team, we have Solicitors from State-wide teams such as RAWLS and the DV unit come into the office on a regular basis. There is great support and assistance provided across the teams. 

Coffs provides the perfect balance between work and life. Plus, with convenient transport options to Sydney, including regular flights and rail connections, accessing the city is a breeze. Experience the best of both worlds in Coffs Harbour while developing your legal career.

WHY YOU SHOULD JOIN LEGAL AID NSW!

We are committed to diversity and inclusion

We are committed to creating a culturally safe and genuinely inclusive organisation and workplace for everyone who works and interacts with us. We strive to be a place where people from diverse backgrounds want to work, where voices and cultures are valued and where people feel valued, welcomed, respected and heard.

We want a workforce that reflects our clients, so we can deliver a service that meets the needs of the community. We welcome applications from people with diverse backgrounds — including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, people with disability, the LGBTQI+ community, culturally diverse people and other diverse communities. 

We acknowledge, support and accommodate the diverse access needs of people with visible and invisible disabilities. If you need an adjustment to participate in the recruitment process, or you’d like information about what we can do to help you, please contact our team at [email protected].

Other benefits of working with us

• You will have access to training, development and mentoring opportunities.
• We are an accredited Flex Ready certified employer and are recognised as leaders in the area of flexible work. Most of our staff work flexibly — for example, from home some of the time or in a way that helps them balance family and work life. 

The essential requirements for this role

You must: 

• be admitted or be eligible for admission as a legal practitioner in NSW
• be able to provide a current NSW Practising Certificate before you start work with us
• be willing to do a Criminal Record Check and/or Working with Children Check
• hold Australian or NZ citizenship, Australian Permanent Residency (for ongoing vacancies) or a valid visa to work in Australia (for temporary vacancies)
• current valid Drivers Licence

How to apply 

You MUST submit your application online through our portal by clicking the Apply Now button. If you submit your application late or by email it will NOT be accepted.

Your application must include:

• your resume (no more than 5 pages)
• cover letter (no more than 2 pages). In your cover letter, please outline your motivation for applying for this position and how your skills and experience are relevant to the role. 

Make sure your application is complete and you have answered all questions before you submit it. 

Do you need help to apply? 

It’s important to properly prepare before you apply for a role. Here is some other information to help you:

• If you have questions about the role, you can contact the Hiring Manager – Kylie Hyde on (02) 6650 6003 or email [email protected] using the subject line: Solicitor - Legal Officer I-III - Civil Law Division - Coffs Harbour enquiry via EthicalJobs.
• If you are an Australian Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander and are thinking about applying, you can contact the Aboriginal Services Branch to arrange a confidential conversation about any questions you may have.
• The Role Description sets out the responsibilities of the role.
• The focus capabilities and key accountabilities in the role description indicate what is expected at that level. Being familiar with these will help you understand what the panel will be looking for in the successful candidate. 
• Applying for a Role
• Working at Legal Aid NSW