Ruah aims to promote measures to achieve equality. Section 51 of the Equal opportunity Act applies to this role.

Ruah Legal Services are seeking two dedicated Lawyers to join our team for Parental Leave Cover, starting from December 2024. This is a full time, fix-term opportunity for 12 months. This is a unique opportunity to make a significant impact on the lives of vulnerable clients, particularly in Care and Protection matters.

About Us:

Ruah Legal Services (RLS) provides end-to-end legal representation integrated with psycho-social support. We also trade as the Mental Health Law Centre (MHLC), delivering legal services to clients experiencing severe mental illness. Our core practice areas include Care and Protection, Criminal Law, Restraining Orders, the Mental Health Act and Guardianship and Administration Act matters.

About the Role:

As a lawyer at RLS, you will provide the provision of legal information, advice, and representation in relevant courts and tribunals. The role involves close collaboration with social workers, support workers and other services to provide holistic and wrap-round services for clients. This role will be out and about often – not sitting in an office. You will be visiting various locations including hospitals, prisons, Ruah’s women’s refuges and other offices to provide timely, practical legal services.

If you thrive in a fast-paced environment and love advocating in court, this is the role for you. We are seeking lawyers who are passionate about holistic, trauma-informed, and culturally-safe legal practice. The role demands emotional resilience and excellent interpersonal skills, particularly when working with vulnerable clients facing complex challenges.

In addition to client and advocacy work, you will:

• Mentor and train junior lawyers
• Supervise paralegals and volunteers
• Participate in the community legal education services and policy work of the Centre.
• Build collaborative, constructive relationships with key sector peers, stakeholders, and service providers to enhance outcomes for clients.

Section Criteria

Essential:

• At least 3 years post admission experience in Family Law or Care and Protection Law, and a willingness to practice in other areas including representing clients at Mental Health Tribunals.
• Demonstrated competence in advocacy before Tribunals and Courts.
• Excellent interpersonal skills, including demonstrated ability to communicate sensitively and effectively with clients who are experiencing complex trauma and other circumstances of vulnerability, including mental illness.
• Understanding of and commitment to providing trauma-informed and culturally-safe legal practice to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds.
• Demonstrated capacity to work independently and collaboratively as part of a team and a willingness to contribute to the vision, mission, core values of the organisation.
• Exceptional time management skills, high level written and oral communication skills, and a demonstrated ability to prioritise tasks and work flexibly and efficiently.

Desirable:

• Experience working in a Community Legal Centre.
• Experience with integrated approaches to legal practice which involve collaboration with non-legal support services.

Qualifications:

• Admitted as a lawyer in the Supreme Court of Western Australia
• Hold a current practising certificate

Required Compliance Documents:

• Current drivers’ license
• Working with Children Check
• National Police Certificate
• Current Practising Certificate

What do we offer?

• An opportunity to work with a passionate and highly skilled team.
• A chance to work alongside supportive human beings who genuinely want the best for you and your career.
• 5 weeks annual leave.
• Salary packaging up to $15,900.
• Flexible working hours and office locations (if applicable).
• Opportunities to be active in the Ruah Community such as participating in a wide range of working groups, joining us at Pride events, being a part of a range of cultural events to promote and support reconciliation and much much more!

For more information about the position, please contact Rochelle Mitchell - Principal Lawyer at [email protected] using the subject line: Lawyer enquiry via EthicalJobs.

If the suitable candidate is successful prior to the listed closing date the ad will close early.

A position description is attached.