Senior Lawyer (Youth Engagement)

Salary Offering $94,458 - $98,625.80 (depending on experience)

Plus superannuation (currently 11%)

Located 150 Commercial Road, Morwell, Vic 3840

Full Time Fixed Term until 30th of June 2025

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

Overview

The Senior Youth Outreach Lawyer will work closely with the VALS Community Justice Program in order to provide high quality legal assistance and deliver community legal education for Aboriginal children and young people. 

 Key Performance Indicators, Duties & Responsibility

• Plan and deliver a quality legal service for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander youth including appearing as a senior advocate on behalf of clients in various courts including the Children’s Court Criminal Division, Magistrates’ Court and Koori Courts. 
• Supervise and mentor junior lawyers and contribute to the organisation through the delivery of professional legal education and training.
• Ability to act in the Principal Managing Lawyer (PML) position in a higher duties capacity when required.
• Participate in, and as required plan and deliver community legal education (CLE) projects, law reform and other VALS projects. 
• Participate in weekly case-planning meetings.
• Maintain positive and collaborative relationships with key stakeholders, including Victorian Legal Aid, pro bono law firms, the Victorian Bar, Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisations (ACCOs) and other agencies in the legal and non-legal sectors. 
• Keep up to date with relevant legal developments and procedures by engaging in continuous professional development relevant to the justice system.
• Maintain an understanding of issues impacting the justice system and members of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, particularly young people. 
• Be prepared to travel across Victoria to provide legal assistance to Balit Ngulu clients and deliver community legal education. Sometimes this travel will occur outside of usual business hours.
• Engage positively with VALS colleagues and always remain professional. This includes upholding VALS values, operating consistent with VALS policies and procedures and participating in all staff training. 
• 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. 

Key section Criteria

Essential

1. A commitment to and understanding of the youth legal issues faced by members of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Youth Communities in Victoria. 
2. Capacity to work as an advocate and caseworker in complex matters and deliver Community Legal Education. 
3. The ability to work collaboratively with others and to foster a co-operative and supportive team environment.
4. Sound interpersonal skills and the capacity to communicate effectively with members of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community. 
5. A knowledge of the principles and values of the Victorian Aboriginal Legal Service. 
6. Ability to work with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and acknowledge their diverse backgrounds, personalities and varying needs and the unique cultural ways in which they may be expressed.
7. Demonstrated computer literacy skills and proficiency using the Microsoft Office and other relevant software. The capacity to quickly acquire competency in the of VALS’s client data base (ActionStep). 
8. Experience working in the non-profit sector. 
9. At least 3+ years experience as a legal practitioner, with demonstrated capability to work as an advocate and caseworker in complex matters involving children and young people.
10. Applicants with less than 3 years are encouraged to apply and title application as ‘Youth Outreach Lawyer – Balit Ngulu’. 

Desired

• A member, or eligible to be a member, of Victoria Legal Aid’s Youth Crime practitioner panel. 
• An LIV Accredited Specialist (Children’s Law, Criminal Law or Family Law)
• Experience working in the not-for-profit sector

HOW TO APPLY:

To apply for this opportunity, please provide:

• A covering letter outlining who you are and why you are suited to this position.
• A statement addressing each of the key selection criteria – applications submitted without a statement addressing the key selection criteria will not be accepted. Please note the key selection criteria is found within the position description.
• Your resume detailing your education and professional experience and two referees.

Applications close 15th of March 2024.

Please submit your application to ****@vals.org.au using the subject line: POSITION TITLE

Please note:

*Only successful applications will be contacted*

We do not accept unsolicited resumes from employment agencies. No (search) fee will be paid in the event we hire a candidate whose resume is submitted by an employment agency to any of our employees without a valid written recruitment agreement. Such resumes shall be deemed the sole property of VALS.