Exciting opportunity for an experienced Lawyer or Senior Lawyer to join our Child Protection team delivering best practice legal assistance to women and non-binary people who are victim-survivors of family violence and sexual violence.

Women’s Legal Service Victoria | Melbourne CBD | Immediate start | Hybrid working model | Full time or Part time - negotiable (minimum 0.8 FTE) | Ongoing

Be a part of a feminist community legal service supporting Victorian women.

Your expertise will directly contribute to building a more gender-equitable society.

Competitive remuneration, 5 weeks annual leave and flexible work arrangements.

About Us

For over 40 years Women’s Legal Service Victoria (Women’s Legal) has championed women’s rights to live free from violence. We are a dedicated team with a passion for working with women and non-binary people to live free from violence and discrimination by:

Providing high quality integrated legal services for Victorian women and non-binary people who are victim-survivors of family violence and disadvantaged or marginalised by structural and systemic barriers.

Building the capacity of professionals who work with women and non-binary people, to better understand the law and navigate the legal system safely.

Advancing gender equality by challenging unsafe and discriminatory policies and laws and informing and advocating for legal and policy initiatives that respect and promote the rights of women and non-binary people.

About the Role

The Lawyer will provide high quality legal advice and representation in child protection matters for women and non-binary people experiencing family violence and disadvantage including litigation and court advocacy. This includes:

Duty lawyer services at Melbourne Children's Court.

Maintaining a caseload of legal matters in child protection and family violence.

Providing legal advice and representation through our service delivery programs, including our Health Justice Partnership at Monash Hospital.

Providing an integrated and holistic client service, working with social workers and financial counsellors, to address both legal and non-legal needs.

In addition to the above, the Senior Lawyer will conduct more complex matters as well as provide mentoring and support to other lawyers.

About You

You are a driven, motivated self-starter who works autonomously to deliver results that exceed the client's expectations. You have high attention to detail, strong communication skills and the ability to build rapport with people quickly.

Key to your success is your:

Strong understanding of family violence and child protection;

Passion and drive to work alongside women and non-binary people to support their rights to live free from violence;

Confidence in appearance work;

Excellent organisational and time management skills, and the ability to manage changing priorities; and

Understanding of the gendered nature and impact of family violence.

You will:

Be eligible for admission to the legal profession as an Australian Legal Practitioner (unrestricted for Senior Lawyer positions).

Have a minimum of 2 years (4+ years for Senior Lawyer positions) post admission experience in child protection.

Have skills in a trauma informed approach to working with women and non-binary people experiencing family violence (desirable).

Why Women’s Legal?

In return for your dedication, we offer:

Competitive remuneration

5 weeks annual leave, plus bonus leave between Christmas and New Year!

Paid parental leave and reproductive health leave

Cultural leave

A strong commitment to your professional development, personal development, and wellbeing

A hybrid working model and a flexible working environment that supports work/non-work balance

NFP salary packaging benefits (up to $15,900 in tax-free pay every year) plus meal and entertainment benefits (up to $2,650 tax-free pay per year)

Fresh fruit available in the office

Access to our Employee Assistance Program

To apply

Submit a resume and covering letter to tell us how you are the right candidate for this role. Please ensure the cover letter addresses how you personally align to Women’s Legal values as described in the attached position description.

Research shows that women are less likely to apply for roles if they don’t meet 100% of the selection criteria. We encourage you to apply even if you don’t meet all the criteria, but this role sounds like a good fit for you.

All successful candidates will be required to produce a national criminal history check prior to the commencement of their employment.

Disclosure of a criminal record does not necessarily preclude appointment by Women’s Legal, but if needed, we invite applicants to address this issue early in the application phase. Should a criminal record disclosure be advised by a candidate, Women’s Legal will endeavour to provide clarity over whether the conviction would preclude a candidate from being able to carry out the position duties.

Please note, all staff employed by Women’s Legal Service Victoria are required to comply with Section 121 of the Legal Profession Uniform Law.

Enquiries

Enquiries can be emailed to Ruth McKendrick, HR Officer at [email protected].

Equal Opportunity Employer

We recognise our work benefits greatly from the unique knowledge, skills, and expertise of individuals with diverse experiences, including people who are Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander, with disability, with lived experience of family and sexual violence, and from migrant, refugee, culturally and racially marginalised backgrounds.

If this is you, we strongly encourage you to apply.

Women's Legal relies on an exception under the Equal Opportunity Act to employ women only.