Principal Lawyer or eligible Senior Lawyer

Our Team

In the face of rising levels of unmet legal need, Justice Connect designs and delivers high impact interventions to increase access to legal support and progress social justice.

Justice Connect’s Access Program is a multidisciplinary team of in-house legal, data, project, and service design expertise. We collaborate to increase access to legal assistance and progress social justice by responding quickly to a wide range of legal problems with a particular focus on disaster response, financial rights and employment law problems. We have expertise in dealing with issues that have escalated to court proceedings with a long history of running court-based services across a range of jurisdictions.

Our legal services use a range of approaches including specialist advice, pro bono referrals (leveraging our network of over 10,000 pro bono lawyers) and online resources to help people experiencing legal problems. We also operate weekly pro bono clinics for help seekers involved in litigation in Victorian courts, Federal courts and VCAT.

Our strategy commits us to identifying ways to scale legal help with digital solutions, including our in-house developed digital platform, Justice Connect Answers (JCA). We seek to identify and respond quickly to emerging legal need in the community. In all our work, we centre client experience and our commitment to impact.

Our ideal candidate

You’ll bring to the team experience in the following areas:

• At least 5+ years of post-admission experience, preferably with experience as a Principal Lawyer or Senior Lawyer who is eligible to obtain Principal Practising Certificate.
• People leadership of staff, including demonstrated capacity to achieve outcomes individually and in a team environment and to produce quality results in a timely manner.
• Demonstrated experience engaging and building strong stakeholder relationships to build organisational capacity.
• Demonstrated experience in one or more of the following areas of law:
• Administrative law, including Supreme Court appeals;
• Commercial Litigation;
• Property law; and/or
• Domestic Building law
• Bankruptcy, employment, discrimination law and administrative law
• Demonstrated ability to manage a legal practice, including strong understanding of professional and ethical obligations and risk management.
• Demonstrated knowledge of digital integrated service delivery
• Highly developed research and analytical skills.
• Highly developed oral and written communication skills.

Candidates will need to demonstrate commitment to Justice Connect’s vision, strategy and values.

What you will achieve in the role

In this role, you’ll work to:

• Lead and manage a team with the Access Program to deliver a high quality legal service, including self-represented clinic practices and pro bono referrals
• Lead the integration of technology into the Access Program’s service delivery
• Supervise lawyers and paralegals to deliver high quality legal services
• Embed Justice Connect’s values in the work of the team, share knowledge and provide leadership focused on delivering the Justice Connect strategy and building the culture and mindset of the team
• Build and maintain strong stakeholder relationships to maintain confidence in our legal services, to support strong referral pathways, and to support existing and new collaborations with sector partners
• Identify risks and issues impacting service delivery, stakeholder relationships, and projects, in close collaboration with other leaders in the Access Program team
• Represent Justice Connect externally at meetings, conferences and trainings as required.
• Engage with service research and data to identify opportunities for service improvement
• Contribute to or supervise legal policy and advocacy work
• Together with other Managers and Heads, help to ensure that Justice Connect promotes staff wellbeing, diversity, cultural competency and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples’ right to self determination
• Contribute to Justice Connect’s Reconciliation Action Plan activities

A week in this role

If you were here last week, you would have:

• Met with the legal team to discuss emerging issues in the legal practice, discuss more complex legal issues arising from help seeker enquiries, address any workflow issues and prioritise work for the fortnight
• Reviewed and approved a advice plans regarding issues such as an appeal from VCAT to the Supreme Court regarding the dismissal of a discrimination claim, summary possession orders in the Supreme and County Courts and breach of contract matter matter arising from a fraudulent investment
• Attended a meeting with the County Court of Victoria regarding service provision and referral processes between the Court and Justice Connect
• Consulted with staff regarding eligibility of help seekers with domestic building disputes
• Met with the Access Program leadership team to review fortnightly service data and staff insights to support decision making on how to further improve our intake and triage processes
• Weekly catch ups with staff reporting to the role

What we offer

We believe is creating an environment where people will thrive.

If you want your next role to have purpose, support you to master new skills and build meaningful relationships then Justice Connect is the place to work.

We offer a range of benefits including:

• Progressive leave entitlements
• Flexible working arrangements with a minimum of 40% in the workplace attendance across the month
• Access to EAP
• New hire and ongoing learning and development
• Flexible Parental Leave

Important role information

The position reports to Manager, Services, Access Program.

We are looking to fill a Principal Lawyer position, preferably with someone with previous experience as a Principal Lawyer, however for the right applicant we would commence someone in a Senior Lawyer position and support them to obtain the principal practising certificate as soon as possible.

The person must also hold a Victorian Practicing Certificate.

Employment is full time (37.5 hours per week) fixed term for 12 months parental leave backfill position. Part time arrangements will be considered.

The salary for this role is $108,367.83 per annum (pro rata) (plus 11% superannuation) with annual leave loading and generous salary packaging options.

This role can be based at our Melbourne CBD offices with 40% of the month in the workplace with hybrid working arrangements.

How to Apply

Please click “Apply Now” and upload your resume and cover letter which outlines your skills and experience that will help you achieve success in this role.

For further information contact Rebecca Chapman on +61 2 8599 2121 or [email protected] using the subject line: Principal Lawyer or eligible Senior Lawyer enquiry via EthicalJobs.

The recruitment is rolling and applications will be reviewed as they are received. Interviews will be scheduled when appropriate candidates apply, so don’t wait to apply.