Senior Solicitor – Legal Officer Grade IV – Family Law – Broken Hill

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 Working at Broken Hill

• Work Life Balance
• Remote Location Allowance/Additional Leave

Broken Hill is one of NSW most remote cities and the first to be heritage listed. With a population of around 17,000 and servicing a number of local areas Broken Hill is the hub for many smaller local communities. Located approximately 1,114km from Sydney, 500km from Adelaide and 300km from Mildura and serviced by Regional Express Airlines and Qantas, Broken Hill is also only 48km from the South Australian Border. Made famous by immortalisation in a number of Australian films, Broken Hill is renowned for heritage and culture in a remote setting. The Broken Hill office of Legal Aid NSW services Broken Hill, Wentworth and Wilcannia and has four full time experienced criminal lawyers, two full time family lawyer, full time civil lawyer and a number of administration staff as well as welcoming a range of visiting lawyers from all over NSW delivering local services.

Relocating to a regional area can be a novel experience for many people. Check out the video and article in the links below to see how a 6-month job at Broken Hill has evolved into a cherished career and way of life for a Legal Aid lawyer.

• Move To More Broken Hill Steven Wright Lawyer – YouTube
• On the border: The life of a Broken Hill lawyer – Law Society Journal (lsj.com.au)

Online Drop-In Session

To learn more about working at Legal Aid’s Family Law team at Broken Hill and the application process, please join our online drop-in session on Wednesday 27 March 2024 from 4:30pm to 5:30pm (click the link to join the online meeting on Microsoft Teams).

Please note that this is a combined drop-in session with another Family Law recruitment at Broken Hill for the role of Solicitor, Legal Officer Grade I-III. Representatives from the Family Law Division, the Broken Hill Office, and the Human Resources Division will attend the session to answer questions. You may see other applicants who are going to apply for the Solicitor IV and Solicitor I-III roles in the drop-in session too.

About the role

This role provides senior management and leadership in the provision of family law services to socially and economically disadvantaged people in accordance with the Legal Aid NSW Plan and the Family Law Division Business Plan. This includes directly providing legal services to clients of Legal Aid NSW, including in more complex matters.

About you

You will be an experienced Family Law solicitor who can maintain a busy practice whilst simultaneously supervising and leading junior solicitors. The successful applicant will be committed to delivering legal service for clients from diverse backgrounds including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders, people with disability/s, and other disadvantaged or vulnerable groups. You will have an extensive knowledge of Family Law and Care and Protection, demonstrated ability to manage a high-volume caseload, and strong stakeholder engagement skills. Experience as a Family Law solicitor is required and management experience is preferred.

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 [email protected] using the subject line: Senior Solicitor – Legal Officer Grade IV – Family Law – Broken Hill enquiry via EthicalJobs. 

Other benefits of working with us

• 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:

• 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
• Have the ability and willingness to travel remotely

The Family Law Division have a number of roles where it is a statutory obligation for staff to hold a valid Working With Children Check. You will be required to provide your Working With Children Check details prior to commencement in any role requiring the check.

How to apply

You MUST submit your application online through the “Apply Now” link below. 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, in word or PDF format)
• Cover letter (no more than 2 pages, in word or PDF format). In your cover letter, please describe your interest in a role at Broken Hill and address the criteria below:

1. Substantial knowledge of and demonstrated experience in conducting a Family Law and Care & Protection practice.
2. Excellent interpersonal skills with the ability to work collaboratively with others and capability in providing mentorship and guidance to junior team members.

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 the Hiring Manager – Sally Cole on (02) 9407 2926 or email: [email protected] using the subject line: Senior Solicitor – Legal Officer Grade IV – Family Law – Broken Hill enquiry via EthicalJobs.
• 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
• Online drop-in session: Wednesday 27 March 2024 from 4:30pm to 5:30pm (click the link to join the online meeting on Microsoft Team).

A position description is attached.