• 12-month maternity leave contract, full time (35hpw)
• Bankstown
• Community Legal Centre incorporating domestic and family violence services
• Salary range dependent on experience: up to Level 7 SCHADS $111,000.00
• Flexible work conditions, salary packaging, 5 weeks’ annual leave plus leave loading

We are seeking a generalist solicitor who also has expertise in Family Law, for a 12-month maternity leave contract. You will be part of a friendly and dedicated team, delivering telephone legal advice, information, referral, casework and legal representation to community members who are unable to afford private legal services.

You will also be involved in providing the community and community workers with legal information through legal seminars, training, resources and guidance.

About Justice Support Centre

Justice Support Centre (JSC) is a not for profit, community legal centre. We deliver legal services to facilitate access to justice for disadvantaged people in South West Sydney including specialised legal services for victim-survivors of DFV. We also provide information, court support, referral and casework to victim-survivors of DFV through government funded DFV services. Our DFV services cover LGAs in South West Sydney and Central Sydney.

JSC uses a multidisciplinary model bringing together lawyers, social workers, and community workers to provide trauma-informed, client-centered and culturally safe legal assistance and DFV support services to clients. Services are provided through phone support and face-to-face services in our offices, at courts and through outreach services and community engagement. JSC has offices in Liverpool, Bankstown, Bonnyrigg and Sydney.

About the role

Our legal team is based at Bankstown, together with our head office staff, and provides outreach legal services at partners’ offices and at courts around South West Sydney.

The successful applicant will have advanced litigation, advocacy and advice experience in Family Law, including representing clients in the family dispute resolution context. Additionally, the successful applicant will have the proficiency to provide advice, casework and representation in some other areas of law e.g. civil, criminal, traffic, employment. The solicitor will also have the ability to design and deliver plain language legal based education and information workshops.

Applicants must have a commitment to social justice and demonstrated ability to engage effectively with clients from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are strongly encouraged to apply.

Closing Date: applications will be reviewed progressively

Contact Person: enquiries about the role should be emailed to Liz Simpson, Principal Solicitor: [email protected] using the subject line: Generalist Solicitor - Family Law Focus - Community Legal Centre enquiry via EthicalJobs.

The preferred applicant will be required to undergo a Working with Children Check and a National Police Records Check.

How to apply for this position:

1. View the attached position description, essential and desirable criteria and instructions on how to apply
2. Click 'Apply Now' to apply online with your covering letter, resume and a document detailing how your skills and experience meet the essential and desirable criteria
3. Please address the essential criteria in full. Applications that do not address the essential criteria will not be considered.

Position Description

• Position: Generalist Solicitor – Family Law Focus
  
• Status: Contract
  
• Accountability: Directly accountable to the Principal Solicitor and Assistant Principal Solicitor

Focus Areas: Family Law

• To provide Justice Support Centre (JSC) clients with timely, effective, high quality telephone legal advice, information and referral to other sources of legal and community assistance
• To provide JSC clients with timely, effective, high quality legal assistance and representation
• To provide the community and community workers with accurate and effective legal information through legal seminars, training, resources and guidance
• To participate in the Centre’s law reform activities and projects as directed from time to time.

Legal Work

Provide high quality legal advice, information and casework to clients by:

• providing timely, high quality, accessible and effective telephone and face to face legal information and referral to clients in accordance with JSC’s policies and procedures
• providing timely, high quality, accessible and effective telephone and face to face legal advice to clients in accordance with JSC’s policies and procedures
• providing timely, high quality and effective casework, advocacy and representation to clients in accordance with JSC’s policies and procedures
• planning, developing and delivering community legal education to the community and community workers on legal issues and developments and responding to identified training needs
• monitoring legal, procedural and media developments and providing briefings and updates to relevant JSC staff
• developing, reviewing and maintaining plain language legal information resources for the community, community workers and other avenues of delivery JSC may employ from time to time.

Focus Area of Law

JSC is a Generalist Legal Centre and as such provides advice and casework services across broad cross-section of areas of law. This position is required to effectively contribute to and participate in such a generalist environment, however the emphasis of this position will be in Family Law to the extent determined from time to time by the Principal Solicitor by:

• strategically assisting and supporting the Principal Solicitor and Assistant Principal Solicitor with the development, coordination and monitoring of the Centre’s legal practice, programs and initiatives in Family Law
• facilitate community engagement, consultation and education initiatives with respect to Family Law
• represent JSC at and participate in relevant Family Law networks
• build and maintain effective working relationships with stakeholders relevant to the Family Law
• keep up to date with legislation, practice and procedure and developments relevant to your position requirements from time to time.

GENERAL FUNCTIONS AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• remain generally informed about policy and social issues affecting the community and the community sector in the Liverpool, Fairfield and Bankstown areas and the wider environment
• where appropriate, facilitate local responses to policy and social issues affecting the community and the community sector in the Liverpool, Fairfield and Bankstown Area through appropriate mechanisms (e.g. discussion papers, information sessions) as required by the Principal Solicitor
• facilitate the development and implementation of innovative strategies to meet the information needs of the community and community services in Liverpool, Fairfield and Bankstown, as appropriate and as approved by the Principal Solicitor
• assist in the compilation and production of the Centre’s publications
• adhere to and work within codes of practice relevant to the legal profession
• undertake training such as to develop and maintain skills and qualifications necessary to effectively fulfil your position, including complying with professional requirements for mandatory continuing legal education
• maintain an up to date working knowledge of the law and practice and procedure and professional requirements and obligations relevant to the position
• maintain a working familiarity with office equipment required within the position
• attend and participate actively in meetings, staff appraisals and Centre planning activities, including planning days, as required
• undertake your own practice’s word processing and file management requirements
• at Justice Support Centre’s discretion and to the degree stipulated by Justice Support Centre, you may be required and you agree to operate in accordance with and perform your position within a fee for service context. Fee refers to payment by clients for legal services delivered by Justice Support Centre or delivered for or on behalf of Justice Support Centre
• Justice Support Centre conducts regular client services (for example, telephone advice sessions and outreach). You are required to structure your work schedule and attendance to ensure, as far as practicable, your availability to participate in these services when you are required to do so. This requirement includes the arrangement of court attendances and hearing dates.

ACCOUNTABILITY AND ADMINISTRATION

• develop personal annual work plans
• collect and record data for all activities relating to legal advice, referral, casework and non-casework in accordance with the Centre’s processes
• contribute to the production of reports as required by the management committee and the funding body including the annual report
• accept direction from and be responsible to the Principal Solicitor and Assistant Principal Solicitor.

COMMON TEAM FUNCTIONS AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• work collaboratively with other team members by sharing skills, resources, projects and ideas
• respect and work within the codes of behaviour, policies and procedures of the Centre
• encourage and maintain an atmosphere of harmony in the workplace by promoting and observing ethical practices and professionalism.

DEFINITIONS

• Family Law: including all aspects of Family law, family law mediation, alternative dispute resolution, domestic/family violence and child support law.

ESSENTIAL AND PREFERRED CRITERIA

Essential Criteria

• current NSW Law Society practising certificate or eligible to obtain same prior to commencement of employment
• demonstrated 4 years+ solid years PAE experience in Family Law.
• demonstrated advanced litigation and related court advocacy experience in Family Law
• demonstrated ability to deliver timely, effective, high quality casework, advocacy and representation to clients of various socio-economic backgrounds in Focus Areas of Law
• demonstrated ability to efficiently deliver, effective, high quality telephone legal information and advice to clients in plain language in a busy phone advice context
• demonstrated ability to design and deliver plain language legal based education & information workshops
• demonstrated ability to work as part of a multi-disciplinary team
• very good computer literacy, in particular word processing and the efficient preparation of your own correspondence and file management
• excellent written and verbal communication and interpersonal skills
• demonstrated understanding of and commitment to social justice issues and those experiencing economic, social and cultural disadvantage and lack of access to legal services
• current driver licence and availability of own motor vehicle for work use, duly registered and with property damage insurance as outlined in the Contract of Employment.

Preferred Criteria

• demonstrated significant experience (including representation and advocacy) in Victim Services, Civil or Criminal Law.