• Now accepting part-time (0.6/3 days) applications
• Exciting opportunity to join Australia’s only community legal practice providing general legal information and advice to empower young people with access to justice, nationwide.
• Work from YLA’s offices (1-day WFH available) in Sydney, Melbourne or Hobart, or remotely from Queensland or South Australia.
• Join the team at a SCHADS 5-7 position, depending on skills and experience.
• Salary packaging (both living expenses and meals & entertainment) and additional self-care leave available.
• Well suited to a solicitor with 3-6 years of post-admission experience in civil, administrative or criminal law. Experience in areas such as employment, discrimination, social security or education law is highly desirable.
• Practice experience in two or more Australian jurisdictions is highly desirable.

Youth Law Australia (YLA)

YLA is the national children’s and youth Community Legal Centre (CLC). We provide high quality, free and confidential legal assistance services to children, young people, and their families and advocates nationally in all areas of the law.   YLA is a fast-paced, high-volume legal centre that provides over 6,000 legal services to clients each year. YLA is committed to being a child-safe organisation.

YLA aims to enhance children and young people’s access to justice and engagement with their legal rights; assistance to exercise these rights; and to remedies when these rights are violated.

YLA’s objective is to fulfil these aims by providing appropriate and targeted legal information, advice, education, representation, and advocacy. 

Amongst other things, YLA provides:  

• YLA website, the leading community legal information resource for young Australians. The site is an accessible, 24/7 pathway to legal information and assistance: yla.org.au.
• Get help now, the free, confidential legal information, advice and assistance service for all young Australians. Get help now is a clear and timely “next step" for help-seekers and access is by webform, phone, or email.
• Live webchat access for young Australians at risk of or experiencing a broad range of harms or maltreatment.

Headquartered at the University of New South Wales (UNSW), YLA is an accredited CLC and holds specialist consultative status (children’s rights) with the United Nations Economic and Social Council. YLA was founded in 1993 as the National Children’s and Youth Law Centre.

About the role

YLA is recruiting a Solicitor or Senior Solicitor to work within YLA’s General Practice. As a YLA Solicitor, you will play a key role in a national program providing technology-enabled legal services to children and young people. You will have the unique opportunity to gain legal experience across all Australian jurisdictions in a wide range of practice areas, setting you up to practice in any state or territory in Australia.

This is an opportunity to join an important legal practice that champions the rights of young people, nationwide, by facilitating access to justice for any legal problem.

In this role you will be:

• Working at the forefront of legal innovation. You will be using YLA’s bespoke case management system which has been created and updated to enhance user experience, efficiency and trauma-informed best practice.
• Making a positive difference in the lives of young people Australia-wide.
• Working alongside dedicated solicitors and committed children’s rights advocates.
• Using technology to facilitate access to justice.

The Solicitor/Senior Solicitor will report to and work under the supervision of YLA’s Principal Solicitors and will work closely with YLA’s Director, fellow solicitors, pro bono solicitors, law student volunteers, interns and trainees to provide technology-enabled legal information, advice and assistance. YLA provides close supervision and a trauma informed and supportive team environment. Because YLA’s practice is paperless and delivered via YLA’s bespoke technology platform, collaboration, support, and supervision occurs within our online network of lawyers and law student volunteers.

About you

The Solicitor/Senior Solicitor should have a commitment to children’s rights or human rights more broadly, dedication to enhancing access to justice or an interest in technology and how it can be used to enhance access to justice.

Interested solicitors should also have a moderate to high level of technological proficiency and be comfortable working across and learning to use multiple digital platforms, including live chat, soft phone, email and in online case management systems.   

We strongly encourage interest from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples for all positions.  

Specific Responsibilities   

• Providing verbal and written legal advice, information, referrals and assistance via telephone, online chat, and email, for or on behalf of young people (under 25) across Australia.  
• Working collaboratively with other Junior Solicitors, Senior Solicitors and Principal Solicitors based in different jurisdictions to promote and deliver YLA’s services.   
• Providing detailed advice and one-off assistance such as drafting letters, complaints, applications, or support for self-represented litigants.   
• In limited cases, providing ongoing support, assistance, casework, and legal representation to vulnerable young people.
• Assisting with Community Legal Education, law and legal services reform and stakeholder engagement and business development activities.  
• Collaboratively developing and maintaining accurate information sources for young people.  
• Maintaining accurate records, files, accountabilities, and reporting.  

Desirable Criteria   

• Must have or be eligible for a practicing certificate in one or more of Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, New South Wales or Victoria and have experience practicing in one or more of those jurisdictions.
• Solicitors should have at least 3 years of post-admission practice experience, and Senior Solicitors should have at least 5 years of post-admission practice experience.
• Experience providing generalist legal services, or a demonstrated capability to develop a broad knowledge of and practice in the law. This role may suit a lawyer with experience as an employee or volunteer in a Community Legal Centre, at Legal Aid, an Aboriginal Legal Service, and/or other justice agency.
• Demonstrated ability to work without close supervision, set priorities, organise, manage own workloads, and meet deadlines.
• Solicitors should have experience signing off on legal advice and managing their own caseload. Provision of efficient, timely and accurate legal advice services is essential.   
• Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively with internal and external stakeholders, and an ability to support, supervise and train junior lawyers and student volunteers, interns, and practical legal trainees using digital platforms.   
• If requiring remote work, demonstrated experience in maintaining a safe work environment while receiving/providing support, training and supervision remotely. Demonstrate a willingness to work in a co-located space if a suitable agency partnership is identified.
• Experience working with children and young people, and providing trauma informed telephone and electronic advice to clients who have experienced trauma or who are at risk of harm.

Contact  

We would value discussing your interest in this position. Please book a time to call with Principal Solicitor’s Meredith Hagger or Kim Richardson, via [email protected] using the subject line: Solicitor / Senior Solicitor, General Practice - Flexible Location enquiry via EthicalJobs.

A position description is attached.