• Salary Offering: $100,000 – $115,000
• This position is full time for 12 months

Locations hiring for:

• Shepparton - Unit 3/ 262 Maude Street
• Morwell – 150 Commericial Road
• Mildura – 81 Pine Avenue

Additional benefits

• 17.5% Leave Loading
• 5 extra days leave on top of 20 days annual leave
• Only required to work 35 hours per week, any extra hours worked will be calculated as your Time In Lieu (TOIL) – which you may use as additional leave hours
• Access to company vehicles for any work-related trips
• Salary packaging of up to $15,900+ per FBT available via Maxxia

Key Performance Indicators, Duties & Responsibilities

• Deliver a quality legal service by conducting casework in Civil law matters, including serious indictable matters, for Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander clients in the Mildura region.
• As a back-up, participate in the on call after hours roster to provide emergency advice to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in Victoria. As a priority, providing legal assistance to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in police custody.
• Prepare and comply with applications for grants of legal assistance and reporting requirements for matters eligible for VLA funding.
• Participate in case-planning meetings with the civil law section weekly.
• Partner with service providers and Aboriginal community stakeholders in the region to plan and deliver CLE and professional legal education.
• Oversee the work of CSOs within the team including in 1:1 assistance to clients and in developing referral pathways and partnerships relevant to VALS clients.
• Develop collaborative relationships with VLA and other community legal centres and service providers with which VALS interacts.
• Keep up to date with relevant legal developments and procedures and maintain an understanding of issues, risks and trends impacting upon the provision of legal services to Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people in Victoria.
• Participates in ongoing training and staff development and acts and remains professional at all times, upholding VALS values.
• As directed, undertake other duties as directed which are incidental and peripheral to the main tasks, provided that such duties are reasonably within the employee’s skills, competence, and training.

The role holder will have the endorsement or is eligible to become a Panel Certifier on Victorian Legal Aid (VLA) Criminal Law Panel.

This role is full-time fixed term for 12 months.

This position may require regional and very occasional interstate travel.

KEY SELECTION CRITERIA:

• Admitted or eligible for admission as a legal practitioner in Victoria and in the High Court of Australia (with an unrestricted practising certificate).
• Capability to work as an advocate and caseworker in complex civil law matters, with knowledge of, and practical experience in the law and court procedures within the civil law jurisdiction.
• Ability to supervise, mentor and train staff and volunteers and contribute to the development of individuals and their knowledge and skills in civil law.
• Sound interpersonal skills and the capacity to communicate effectively with members of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community and more broadly with multidisciplinary colleagues and VALS partners.
• A commitment to and understanding of VALS and the legal issues faced by members of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities in Victoria.
• Basic competency in the use of MS Office Software (particularly MS Word, Excel, E-mail) and the capacity to quickly acquire competency in the use of VALS’ client management system.

Desirable:

• Experience working in the non-profit sector.· Member or eligible to be a Victoria Legal Aid Panel member for summary, indictable and youth matters· Accredited Civil Law Specialist