Senior Solicitor, In-House Counsel - Talent Pool

Senior Solicitor, In-House Counsel – Talent Pool 

• Temporary – Full Time  
• Legal Officer Grade V (between $149,906 - $152,845 plus super & annual leave loading) 
• Location – Central Sydney

About us 

Legal Aid NSW helps people with their legal problems. We can help people with most areas in 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 role 
Provide complex legal advice to the Board, Executive and staff on a range of complex matters including advice to in house solicitors on client legal privilege and professional obligations as well as administrative law, employment law, subpoenas, contracts, information and privacy laws, funding agreements, litigation and the interpretation of the Legal Aid Commission Act 1979 (NSW). Supervise and mentor a team of legal staff. 
 
About you 
You are a senior lawyer, with proven experience working in an In-house Counsel role, providing complex legal advice and representation to the agency.  You are a people leader with the ability to prioritise conflicting demands whilst meeting deadlines.  You are interested in supporting the work of Legal Aid NSW to meet its key objective of providing legal representation and advice to the most vulnerable members of our community. 
 

We will 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 

• Additional leave benefits  

• You will have access to training, development and mentoring opportunities. 

• We are an accredited Flex Ready certified employer and are recognised as leaders in the area of flexible work. Most of our staff work flexibly — for example, from home some of the time or in a way that helps them balance family and work life. 

The essential requirements for this role 

You must have: 

• Practising Certificate (unsupervised)  

• Legal Qualifications 

• be willing to do a Criminal Record Check and/ or Working with Children Check (for regional offices and some specialist teams) 

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

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 respond to the below 2 targeted questions. 

Targeted Question 1: What interests you about this role? 

Targeted Question 2: What are the main challenges you have experienced when providing in-house counsel legal advice and representation? 

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

Applications Close: Wednesday 9 April 2025 at 11:59PM 

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 the Hiring Manager - Pauline Chau, Manager In-house Counsel Unit on pauline.chau@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. 

• Applying for a Role 

• Working at Legal Aid NSW