Aboriginal Targeted – Solicitor IV (Outreach) – Legal Officer Grade IV – Early Intervention Unit (Family Law Division) – Parramatta – Ongoing Full-time & Talent Pool
 
• Aboriginal targeted ongoing full-time role
• Competitive Salary Package up to 142k
• Flexible work arrangement available

ABOUT LEGAL AID NSW
 
Legal Aid NSW is the largest legal aid agency in Australia, comprising of a Central Sydney office and 28 regional offices in metropolitan and regional centres across NSW and a number of specialist services and advice clinics. Working at Legal Aid NSW provides the opportunity to support people with disabilities, people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, women and children, Indigenous people and people with mental illness who may experience difficulties when enforcing and defending their rights.
 
ABOUT THE TEAM
The Family Law Early Intervention Unit (EIU) was created in 2011 to increase the breadth of legal services that can be provided to the NSW Community. The EIU is a state-wide service that is able to provide initial advice, duty services, minor assistance and community legal education at outreach and court locations. EIU solicitors currently provide duty services at the Family Law Registries at Newcastle, Sydney, Parramatta and Wollongong. Outreach services are provided at over 45 separate outreach locations each month.
 
ABOUT THE ROLE
In this role, you will provide day to day management of duty services on and leadership in the provision of family law services to socially and economically disadvantaged people in accordance with the Legal Aid NSW Plan and the Family Law Division Business Plan. This includes directly providing legal services to clients of Legal Aid NSW, including in more complex matters.

ABOUT YOU

The successful applicant will be able to:

• Provide an efficient and effective legal service to clients in accordance with legislation and directions, policy, guidelines and practice standards
• Supervise, lead and manage solicitors
• Utilizing the Legal Aid NSW electronic case management/tracking system and database
• Keeping up-to-date on legal developments and procedures.
• Identifying training and professional development needs of staff.
• Determining applications for legal aid under delegated authority and consistent with the Legal Aid Commission Act, policy and guidelines and/or submitting applications for Legal Aid to the Grants Division
• Identifying systemic issues affecting vulnerable or disadvantaged clients and contributing to legal, policy and creative and tailored service delivery strategies to address those issues.

 
ESSENTIAL REQUIREMENTS
 
• Admission or eligibility for admission as a legal practitioner in NSW 
• Ability to provide a valid Practising Certificate upon commencement 
• Willingness to undertake a Criminal Record Check and/or working with Children Check

• Hold Australian or NZ citizenship, Australian Permanent Residency is an essential requirement for ongoing employment
• Fully vaccinated against COVID-19 prior to commencement 
• Driver’s licence
 
HOW TO APPLY

Applications MUST be submitted online through www.iworkfor.nsw.gov.au to be considered. No late applications will be accepted.

Applicants should read the Role Description and consider the Focus Capabilities and Key Accountabilities when preparing their resume and cover letter.

Applicants are requested to attach:

• current resume / curriculum vitae (CV) (maximum 5 pages)

• cover letter (maximum 2 pages) responding to the following two questions:
 
1.            Please outline your own hands on experience, and your opportunities to mentor or supervise less experienced solicitors, working with vulnerable clients who are the focus of all Legal Aid NSW services. Please describe some of the ways you or the person you have supervised/mentored assisted these clients.
2.            Please outline the experience and skills you will bring to supervising or mentoring less experienced team members in a client focussed legal service.
Please save your CV and Cover Letter as 'LAST NAME, First name – CV/Cover Letter' in PDF or word format.
The selection process will include a range of comparative assessment techniques to assist in determining capability and suitability for the role.

This recruitment will be used to fill any current vacancies and may be used to create a Talent Pool for similar future temporary or ongoing vacancies that may arise over the next 18 months.

OUR COMMITMENT TO DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION
 
Legal Aid NSW welcomes applicants from diverse backgrounds, including people with disability, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, the LGBTI community, culturally diverse people and other diverse communities.
Legal Aid NSW is committed to increasing its Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander workforce to ensure the organisation is reflective of our client base. This position is targeted to Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. This recruitment activity is conducted in accordance with Rule 26 of the Government Sector Employment Rules 2014 in relation to employment of eligible persons. While this role is open to all applicants, Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander candidates are strongly encouraged to apply.
For Aboriginal specific information regarding working at Legal Aid NSW, our Aboriginal Staff network, career development opportunities and support systems please email: aboriginalservices@legalaid.nsw.gov.au.
Legal Aid NSW provides dignified access to accommodate the diverse needs of our community. We acknowledge and support the access needs of people with visible and invisible disabilities, as such all of our offices are accessible.
If you require a reasonable adjustment in order to participate in the recruitment process, or you are looking for general information about our reasonable adjustment process, please contact our team via email, and advise your preferred method of communication: erecruitment@legalaid.nsw.gov.au.

FURTHER INFORMATION

• Ongoing opportunity at Parramatta (35HPW) and Talent Pool
• Enquiries: Convenor Ruth Pilkinton on (02) 9066 6068 or Ruth.Pilkinton@legalaid.nsw.gov.au
• Applying for a Role
• Working at Legal Aid NSW

• Salary Range $126,120 – $128,547 plus superannuation & leave loading
 

• Jobs Board Ref No. 00008R0U
• Closing Date: Tuesday 1 March 2022 [11:59pm]
 

 
To ensure recruitment at Legal Aid NSW continues without interruption during the COVID-19 pandemic, virtual methods may be used for interviews and assessments. This may include interviews conducted by video, telephone interviewing, Microsoft Teams meetings and online assessments.