Senior Solicitor - Grade IV - Children's Civil Law Service - Dubbo

• Location – Dubbo, NSW
• Full Time – Ongoing – 35 hours per week
• Legal Officer Grade IV

About us 

Legal Aid NSW helps people with their legal problems. We can help people with most areas criminal law, family law and every day civil law legal issues. We give legal advice, help at court and do family dispute resolution. We can do this over the telephone or at one of our 28 offices. 

About the team

The Children’s Civil Law Service (CCLS) is a specialist interdisciplinary team within Legal Aid NSW that provides targeted and holistic legal and casework services to young people identified as having complex needs. The team work with young people who are participants in the Youth Koori Court, and young people who are in out of home care.

We assist young people across a range of civil law issues including consumer debt, fines, human rights, housing, social security and advocacy within the out of home care environment.

In early 2023, with the extension of the Youth Koori Court to Dubbo, the CCLS expanded its practice to work with children and young people in Dubbo and surrounding areas in western NSW. The service is now well-established, consisting of a Senior Solicitor and Youth Caseworker based in Dubbo, working closely with the broader CCLS team based in Sydney.

About the role 

This is a rare and exciting ongoing opportunity for a driven and experienced Senior Solicitor to join our team to lead and manage the Dubbo CCLS practice.

Based in our Dubbo office on beautiful Wiradjuri country, you will deliver high quality civil law advice and representation services across a range of civil law issues to children and young people experiencing structural disadvantage. A particular focus of the role will be to work with young people who are participants in the Youth Koori Court. You will play a vital role in maintaining and developing relationships with local stakeholders to contribute to meaningful positives outcomes for our clients.

The role will involve opportunities to contribute to advocacy and law reform work to bring about change to policies, practices and laws that have a direct impact on children and young people. It may involve supervision responsibilities including of solicitors, youth case workers and/or paralegals.

About you 

You will have a passion for working to support and assist children and young people, and experience working with clients with complex needs. As most clients of our service are Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander children and young people, experience working alongside First Nations clients and providing a trauma informed, culturally safe service is highly desirable. You will also have experience supporting clients across a range of civil law issues to address their fundamental needs.

You will be capable of building relationships and working collaboratively with criminal lawyers, caseworkers and other professionals to provide wrap around support to clients.

You are highly motivated and able to work independently whilst also contributing as a senior member of the CCLS team.

We may use this recruitment to create a talent pool for similar ongoing or temporary vacancies we have over the next 18 months. 

WHY YOU SHOULD JOIN LEGAL AID NSW! 

We are committed to diversity and inclusion 

We are committed to creating a culturally safe and genuinely inclusive organisation and workplace for everyone who works and interacts with us. We strive to be a place where people from diverse backgrounds want to work, where voices and cultures are valued and where people feel valued, welcomed, respected and heard.  

We want a workforce that reflects our clients, so we can deliver a service that meets the needs of the community. We welcome applications from people with diverse backgrounds — including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, people with disability, the LGBTQI+ community, culturally diverse people and other diverse communities.   

We acknowledge, support and accommodate the diverse access needs of people with visible and invisible disabilities. If you need an adjustment to participate in the recruitment process, or you’d like information about what we can do to help you, please contact our team at erecruitment@legalaid.nsw.gov.au. 

Other benefits of working with us 

• Work life balance - additional one week of leave per year.
• You will have access to training, development and mentoring opportunities; some opportunities involving fully funded travel to Sydney.
• We are an accredited Flex Ready certified employer and are recognised as leaders in flexible work.

 The essential requirements for this role 

You must: 

• be admitted or be eligible for admission as a legal practitioner in NSW 

• be able to provide a current NSW Practising Certificate before you start work with us 

• be willing to do a Criminal Record Check and Working with Children Check 

• hold Australian or NZ citizenship, Australian Permanent Residency (for ongoing vacancies) or a valid visa to work in Australia (for temporary vacancies) 

• hold a valid NSW Drivers licence. 

How to apply 

You MUST submit your application online. If you submit your application late or by email it will NOT be accepted.  

Your application must include: 

• your resume (no more than 5 pages) 

• cover letter (no more than 2 pages). In your cover letter, please address both of the following questions:

1. Describe your skills and experience working with:

a. young people and/or clients with complex needs; and

b. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander clients?

2. What experience do you have establishing and building relationships with relevant stakeholders?

Make sure your application is complete and you have answered all questions before you submit it. 

Do you need help to apply?

It’s important to properly prepare before you apply for a role. Here is some other information to help you:  

• If you have questions about the role, you can contact Anna Dawson on (02) 9219 5173 or email: anna.dawson@legalaid.nsw.gov.au.
• If you are an Australian Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander and are thinking about applying, you can contact the Aboriginal Services Branch to arrange a confidential conversation about any questions you may have. 
• The Role Description sets out the responsibilities of the role. 
• The focus capabilities and key accountabilities in the role description indicate what is expected at that level. Being familiar with these will help you understand what the panel will be looking for in the successful candidate. 
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