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 the role Children and Young People (CYP) are among Legal Aid’s highest service users, and some of our most vulnerable clients. By the time CYP enter the criminal justice system, they have often experienced significant trauma or disadvantage. They may have a child protection history, and an array of civil law issues requiring attention.
This newly created role within the Criminal Law Division Executive team will play a central role in providing statewide oversight of our children’s criminal practice by identifying, monitoring and responding to local and systemic law reform and policy issues, as well as developing and leading strategic advocacy projects.
Two key purposes of the role will be to:
1. Develop and manage our key internal and external youth justice stakeholder relationships as a representative of the Criminal Law Executive and Legal Aid NSW; and
2. Lead the development and implementation of children’s criminal justice reforms, major projects and strategic advocacy initiatives, in collaboration with our specialist units, regional office teams, as well as our civil and family law divisions.
About you The ideal candidate for this role will be an experienced solicitor with extensive criminal law practice experience, including in children’s matters. As the candidate is expected to operate in the role with a high level of autonomy, you will have highly developed communication and problem-solving skills, and a collaborative approach to stakeholder engagement.
Previous experience in leadership roles, participation in justice-related working groups, or with law or policy projects relating to children and young people is desirable.
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 · 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)
How to apply You MUST submit your application online through
iworkfor.nsw.gov.au. If you submit your application late or by email it will NOT be accepted.
Applicants are requested to attach:
· current resume / curriculum vitae (CV) (
maximum 5 pages)
· cover letter (
maximum 2 pages) responding to the following
two questions:
1. Outline the skills and experience that you think would make you the ideal candidate for the role.
2. Discuss a time when you influenced a policy or legislative change or led a strategic project. What did you do and why was it important? The selection process will include a range of comparative assessment techniques to assist in determining capability and suitability for the role.
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 - Melissa Burgess on (02) 9219 5816 or
melissa.burgess@legalaid.nsw.gov.au. Alternatively, Crime Senior Legal Project Officer - Rhiannon McMillan on (02) 4725 4631 or
rhiannon.mcmillan@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.
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Applying for a Role·
Working at Legal Aid NSW
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