First Nations Solicitor – Women’s Legal Centre ACT

• Deliver culturally safe legal services to support First Nations women
• Work in a close-knit team where your ideas and skills will be genuinely valued
• Suits First Nations lawyers with family law knowledge, all PAE levels considered

The Organisation

The Women’s Legal Centre ACT (WLC) is an innovative, specialist community legal centre providing crucial legal and social support services to women in Canberra, to keep them safe, strong and in control of their lives. WLC provides legal services within a multi-disciplinary, trauma informed practice model that incorporates cultural support and collaborative services to provide wraparound support to women.

The Mulleun Mura Access to Justice Program

The Mulleun Mura Program sits within WLC’s family law practice and is dedicated to supporting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women who are affected by family and domestic violence, relationship breakdown and who need help engaging with the family law system and/or care and protection. The program provides free, confidential and easy to access advice for First Nations women to be informed of their options in a safe way. Mulleun Mura is led and staffed by a team of experienced Aboriginal women with its priority focus being to help keep Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women and their children safe and connected to culture.

Benefits & Culture

• Tax effective not for profit salary packaging and additional paid leave
• Cultural mentoring and annual health and wellbeing allowance
• Paid cultural and reproductive health leave
• Genuine commitment to a flexible, supportive working environment
• Brand new office with modern facilities, supportive of women and their children
• A highly rewarding, manageable caseload of clients, with true focus on quality outcomes
• Relocation assistance available

The Role

Working within the Mulleun Mura Program alongside a passionate team of solicitors and paralegals, you will be responsible for providing quality legal advice and representation to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women on matters such as separation, care arrangements for children, family violence orders and the division of property after separation. This includes representing clients at Federal and State/Territory Courts and Tribunals. Specifically you will:

• Manage a mixed caseload of family law matters including litigation
• Provide culturally appropriate legal advice and casework to clients
• Develop and sustain relationships with community and partner organisations and services
• Support the development and strategic direction of the program
• Ensure consistent and reliable data entry and collection
• Maintain and practice a high level of technical competence

Skills Required

This is an Aboriginal identified role, suited to a solicitor with a deep commitment to working with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women in a way that is empathetic, trauma informed and culturally safe and appropriate.

You may be either an experienced family law practitioner or a developing lawyer, and importantly you are motivated by the opportunity to work within an Aboriginal led environment and trauma-informed service delivery model to achieve outcomes that improve Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women’s safety and financial security.

Additionally you’re able to:

• Deliver high quality, accurate legal advice and manage casework
• Provide culturally safe and responsive practices
• Work and build connections with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities
• Demonstrate a personal commitment to reflection and self-care practices

Applicants must be eligible to hold or apply for a Restricted Practising Certificate in the ACT.

Please note this position is open to people who identify as women. Being a woman is considered a genuine occupational qualification under section 34 of the Discrimination Act 1991 (ACT) and section 30 of the Sex Discrimination Act 1984. Part-time applications will be considered.

If you’re an Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander solicitor eager to work within a highly purposeful program to improve the safety and security of women, please apply to submit your interest addressing the skills required above along with your resume. Alternatively, call Kerri Olafsen on 02 8243 0570 to discuss your interest or email [email protected] using the subject line: First Nations Solicitor – Women’s Legal Centre ACT enquiry via EthicalJobs.

Please note there is no formal closing date for this role, if you are interested, we would encourage you to apply as soon as possible.

NGO Recruitment values equitable recruitment practices and is committed to representing candidates reflective of the diverse organisations and communities we work with. We welcome and encourage applications from all backgrounds, ages, and identities, and are happy to adjust our recruitment process to support accessibility needs. If you are interested in this position and have most of the skills or experience, we are looking for, please go ahead and apply.