· Are you looking for a sea-change and fulfilling work life balance while upskilling?
· Coffs Harbour Legal Aid are seeking a Specialist Homelessness Solicitor - Legal Officer Grade I-III for a temporary contract up to 3 January 2025.
· You will be part of the amazing Civil Law team based in Coffs Harbour but also form part of the Homelessness Legal Service program.
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
The role is based in our Coffs Harbour office.
Your primary role will be in dealing with housing issues and homelessness for some of our most vulnerable clients. You will be given the opportunity to gain specialist knowledge and improve your litigation skills.
The position is also responsible for:
- Providing high-quality advice, minor assistance and casework services targeting clients who are homeless or at risk of homelessness in areas such as Housing and tenancy, consumer, mental health, human rights, social security and other areas of civil law.
- Engage in stakeholder engagement with relevant partners including specialist homelessness services including the provision of CLE
- Conduct an efficient and effective legal practice in accordance with the standards required by Legal Aid NSW.
- Assist people experiencing deep and persistent disadvantage
- Comply with the Legal Aid Commission Act, policies and practice management standards and undertake all related administrative and case management activities
About you
The successful applicant will be an experienced lawyer who is able to provide high quality advice, minor assistance and casework services to clients who are homeless or at risk of homelessness. You will have experience working with clients with high needs, and knowledge of the legal issues that affect disadvantaged communities. You will also have experience with building and maintaining stakeholder relationships. You will have tribunal and/or court advocacy experience. Ideally you will have a passion for housing and homelessness issues and experience advising and representing clients in these areas including representation in the NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal (NCAT).
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 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
· hold Australian or NZ citizenship, Australian Permanent Residency (for ongoing vacancies) or a valid visa to work in Australia (for temporary vacancies)
· Hold a current NSW Drivers’ Licence
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.
Your application must include:
· your resume (no more than 5 pages)
· cover letter (no more than 2 pages). In your cover letter, please respond to these two questions:
1. There are a range of legal issues that produce, perpetuate and are caused by homelessness. Please outline your understanding of these issues and your experience in these areas of law.
2. Tell us what strategies you could employ to manage a complex and demanding workload including engaging with external stakeholders. How would you manage exposure to clients who have experienced trauma?
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 – Kylie Hyde on ( 02) 6650 6003 or email:
kylie.hyde@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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