• Temporary – Full-Time – 35 hours per week
• Talent Pool - This talent pool applies to Indictable Teams 1, 2 & 3 and the High-Risk Offenders unit ONLY. The talent pool may be used to fill ongoing roles in these teams over the next 18 months.
• Legal Officer Grade VI (between $154,850 - $ 158,102 plus super & annual leave loading)
• Location – Central Sydney Office (Haymarket)

 
 
 
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
 
As a Senior Solicitor leading the Indictable teams or the High-Risk Offenders Unit, based in Sydney CBD, your focus is to lead and manage a team that provides legal advice and representation to clients of Legal Aid NSW on complex matters in the Local, District and Supreme Courts.
 
Additionally, you will be responsible for supervising and mentoring junior legal staff.
You will also develop and maintain key relationships with internal and external stakeholders including the private profession, ODPP, Crown Solicitors Office, legal assistance providers and the courts.
 
About you
 
You will be a highly experienced criminal lawyer with a commitment to delivering high quality, culturally appropriate legal services to legally aided clients. You will have led, managed and mentored teams of lawyers and non-legal staff.
 
You will be a compassionate and principled person who can lead by example in growing cultural safety practices in the office for both staff and clients. You will be passionate about advocating for your clients and leading and supporting your team.
 
We will use this recruitment to create a talent pool that may be used to fill ongoing or temporary vacancies we have over the next 18 months in Indictable teams 1, 2 & 3 and the HRO Unit.
 
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
• be able to provide a current Working with Children Check before you start work with us
• 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.
 
 
Your application must include:
 

• your resume (no more than 5 pages)
• cover letter (no more than 2 pages). In your cover letter, please indicate your work preference by stating if your application is for
  • the Indictable team 1 6-month temporary vacancy and/or;
  • the High-Risk Offenders Unit 11-month temporary vacancy and/or;
  • for the talent pool and if so, which one – Indictable teams 1, 2 & 3, and/or HRO.  

 

• Additionally, please describe your skills and experience in:

 

• Leading and managing a team of legal and non-legal staff.
• Providing advice on complex criminal matters.

 
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 email: melissa.burgess@legalaid.nsw.gov.au. Or Steven Wright on 02 9219 5972 or e-mail steven.wright@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 for the Solicitor In Charge High Risk
• Offender Unit and Solicitor In Charge 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