Youth Lawyer

The Organisation

Westjustice is a leading community legal centre providing free services to priority members of our western suburbs community. From our offices in Werribee and Sunshine and through our outreach services we provide advice on a broad range of issues including employment, discrimination, consumer disputes, tenancy, credit and debt, family disputes, family violence, criminal law and now citizenship.

Our vision is for fairness, safety and justice for Melbourne’s West.

Our purpose is to deliver targeted services and drive meaningful change through:

• Targeted legal, financial and social work services
• Working in partnership
• Community legal education and development
• Focusing on prevention and early intervention
• Advocacy and system reform

Be part of an organisation that provides high-impact services and outcomes delivering best practice services and working on systemic reform of complex, widespread issues.

Benefits and Culture

• Be a part of an organisation that 98% of our team are proud to work for
• We pay 3% above the SCHADs award
• Salary packaging
• Up to 5 hours study leave per week
• Flexible working conditions
• 17.5% annual leave loading
• Passionate, professional and dedicated team
• Gifted additional paid leave over the summer holiday period
• Strong focus on wellbeing
• Ongoing commitment to being a diverse and inclusive organisation
• With 90% of our team recommending WEstjustice as a great place to work we can provide a culture of a values driven, inclusive, feedback oriented workplace 

The Role 

Westjustice is seeking to employ a Lawyer with two years post admission experience, preferably in a migration setting on an 18-month, fixed term contract on a part-time (0.80FTE) or full-time basis to join our growing Children and Young Person’s Rights Team.

This role will report to the Children and Young Person’s Rights Program Manager/s and will work closely with our Economic and Housing Rights team and will provide in reach and outreach citizenship legal services to children and young people aged 10-25 and their families in diverse settings including our youth service hubs, settlement services, residential care homes and schools.  You will also have the opportunity to work closely with our partner, Victoria Legal Aid’s migration team.

The legal work includes advice, case work and developing and delivering community legal education. You will also contribute to law and policy reform activity and the achievement of our strategic advocacy priorities that aspire for excellent legal and life outcomes for clients.  There will be an opportunity to develop legal skills and knowledge across other areas of practice.

Skills required:

• The ability to engage and communicate effectively with children and young people and their families from migrant and refugee backgrounds
• Demonstrated ability to engage with diverse audiences spanning young people and their families, sector colleagues and supports.

This position will be based at our Sunshine Visy Cares Hub office but will be required to work at our other offices and/pr clinic sites, as need arises.

Remuneration:

Salary range - $102,457 to $104,842 p.a. plus employer funded superannuation in accordance with Superannuation Guarantee (Administration) Act 1992 (Cth). In addition, generous salary packaging is available (including access to Accommodation and Meal Entertainment packaging).

A copy of the position description is available here.

To apply, please email a short cover letter, your CV and your responses to key selection criteria 1-5 to recruitment@westjustice.org.au addressed to Theresa Mai, Senior People and Culture  Officer, by 5.00pm on 29 January 2025. Please use the subject line: Citizenship in the West Project Lawyer [your name] application via [website].

If you have any questions in relation to the role, please contact our office on 9749 7720 and ask to speak to Vincent Shin or Josephine Choimes, Program Managers.

Late applications will not be considered. 

Due to the role involving outreach, it is preferred that the applicant has access to their own vehicle.

Applicants must possess the right to work in Australia.

The successful applicant will require a current Working with Children’s Check and a Police Check or be prepared to apply for both. People with lived experience of the justice system are encouraged to apply. A police check result does not automatically disqualify an application which in each case will be individually assessed for the relevant role.  Applicants must possess the right to work in Australia.

Westjustice is committed to building a diverse workforce. We strongly encourage applications from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, people living with a disability, people from diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds, mature age workers and LGBTIQA+-identifying people.   People with lived experience of the justice system are encouraged to apply. A police check result does not automatically disqualify an application which in each case will be individually assessed for the relevant role.

If you require any adjustments throughout the application or recruitment process please contact recruitment@westjustice.org.au 

Please ensure that you let us know, in advance, of any reasonable adjustment you may require during any part of the recruitment process including application and interview by contacting Theresa via theresa@Westjustice.org.au.  Any information disclosed will be held in the strictest of confidence.

Lawyer 

The Organisation

Westjustice is a leading community legal centre providing free services to vulnerable and disadvantaged people. From their offices in Werribee and Sunshine and through its  outreach services it provides advice on a broad range of issues including employment, discrimination, consumer disputes, tenancy, credit and debt, family disputes, family violence, criminal law and more.

Our vision is fairness, safety and justice for Melbourne’s West and our purpose is to deliver targeted services and drive meaningful change.

Benefits and Culture

• Be a part of an organisation that 98% of our team are proud to work for
• We pay 3% above the SCHADs award
• Salary packaging
• Up to 5 hours study leave per week
• Flexible working conditions
• 17.5% annual leave loading
• Passionate, professional and dedicated team
• Gifted additional paid leave over the summer holiday period
• Strong focus on wellbeing
• Ongoing commitment to being a diverse and inclusive organisation
• With 90% of our team recommending Westjustice as a great place to work we can provide a culture of a values driven, inclusive, feedback-oriented workplace

The Role

Westjustice is seeking to employ a full time Tenancy Lawyer on a 12-month, fixed term parental leave cover, contract to join our Economic and Housing Rights Program.

The role involves working exclusively in the area of Victorian residential tenancy law.

Working on a multidisciplinary team as part of a highly regarded tenancy law team, you will provide legal advice, assistance, advocacy, and court and tribunal representation in a range of residential tenancy, rooming house, and other rental accommodation matters.

The person we are seeking to fill the role will be admitted to practice law and preferably have at least 2 years’ practice experience as a lawyer. However, applications will be considered by those with less than 2 years experience.

The role will primarily be based in our Werribee office, with outreach and attendance at Westjustice’s other sites as directed.

Remuneration

Salary range – $87,674.00 per annum $104,842.00 per annum (depending on experience), plus employer funded superannuation in accordance with Superannuation Guarantee (Administration) Act 1992 (Cth). In addition, generous salary packaging is available (including access to Accommodation and Meal Entertainment packaging).

For more information about Westjustice, please visit our website (www.westjustice.org.au)

Please apply by 5pm 17 January 2024 by sending your resume together with a cover letter responding to the key selection criteria in the Position Description to  joe@westjustice.org.au. Alternatively, please call Christopher Carr, Program Manager - Tenancy on 03 9749 7720 for a confidential discussion.

Late applications will not be considered.

For a copy of the position description, please click here.

The successful applicant will require a current Working with Children’s Check and a Police Check or be prepared to apply for both. Applicants must possess the right to work in Australia.

Westjustice is committed to building a diverse workforce. We strongly encourage applications from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, people living with a disability, people from diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds, mature age workers and LGBTIQA+-identifying people.   People with lived experience of the justice system are encouraged to apply. A police check result does not automatically disqualify an application which in each case will be individually assessed for the relevant role.

If you require any adjustments throughout the application or recruitment process please contact recruitment@westjustice.org.au

Practical Legal Traineeship Placements – Westjustice

Westjustice is currently looking for Practical Legal Trainees (PLT) to work 2 days per week. The placement is for a minimum of 20 days over 10 weeks (2 set days a week). We are we are recruiting for placement opportunities all year round with flexible start dates.

Westjustice are a leading community legal centre providing free services to vulnerable and disadvantaged people. From our offices in Werribee and Sunshine and through our outreach services we provide advice on a broad range of issues including employment, discrimination, consumer disputes, tenancy, credit and debt, family disputes, family violence, criminal law and more.

Westjustice’s vision and purpose

• Fairness, safety, and justice for Melbourne’s West​

• We deliver targeted services and drive meaningful change​

Westjustice delivers

• Targeted legal, financial counselling​ and social work services​

• Empowerment through education and community development​
• Advocacy and system reform​
• Develop and nurture impactful networks and relationships​
• Prevention and early intervention that addresses the causes and impacts ​

The Practical Legal Training (PLT) Program at Westjustice

PLTs provide a vital contribution to our work and the functioning of our team. Successful applicants will gain valuable and practical experience and training working under the supervision of experienced lawyers within the following programs:

• Family Law Family Violence Program (Tuesdays and Wednesdays)
• Youth Law Program (Wednesdays and Fridays)
• Economic Justice Program (Mondays and Thursdays)
• Employment and Equality Law Program (Tuesdays and Wednesdays)

For specific information on the above listed programs, please refer to our website.

Key Responsibilities/Expectations can include:

• Triaging and preparing matters under guidance of the lawyers
• Coordinating court lists andcommunicating with external key stakeholders across multiple digital platforms under guidance of the lawyers
• Conducting intake (basic instructions) with clients, many of whom are from culturally and linguistically marginalised backgrounds, experiencing poverty, family/intimate partner violence
• Collating and analysing court documents
• File management tasks
• Preparing and sending correspondence with guidance of a lawyer
• Data entry
• Legal research, analysis and problem solving to assist lawyers with their case work

Key Selection Criteria:

• A degree in law
• Be currently completing your Graduate Diploma of Legal Practice (through Leo Cussen or an equivalent institution).
• Ability to undertake a minimum of 20 days (2 set days per week) of practical legal training at Westjustice over 10 weeks
• Ability to work from our office located in Sunshine or various outreach locations across Melbourne
• Ability to attend the various Courts and Tribunals across Melbourne
• Excellent IT skills, including use of real time portals, Sharepoint, Actionstep (or case management systems), Teams, Microsoft Office, Outlook
• Strong commitment to social justice, including a demonstrated understanding of the social context of law, crime, family violence, discrimination and the issues faced by vulnerable young people in our community and the ability to contribute to Westjustice’s systemic impact work
• Ability to listen to and engage with vulnerable, distressed or disadvantaged clients
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively with a range of internal and external stakeholders
• High level personal skills, including resilience and the ability to communicate and consult effectively
• Excellent problem-solving skills with a can-do attitude when offering solutions
• Excellent attention to detail and a friendly demeanour
• Excellent written and oral communication skills
• Confident, strong initiative, compassionate, with an interest in community legal work
• Thrives in a busy and sometimes unpredictable environment
• Competency in working with diverse communities, including LGBTIQA+, Disability and multicultural communities

*Please note that PLT positions are unpaid*

We offer a robust structured training program that includes practical skills workshops, and a Certificate of Completion is awarded upon completion of the 10-week program.

How to Apply:

To apply, please email a cover letter that indicates your interest in each of the programs in order of preference, addresses the key selection criteria (maximum 2 pages) and your CV to recruitment@westjustice.org.au . Please note, we will try to allocate successful applicants to their preferred programs, but this may not always be possible. Please use the subject line: PLT [your name] application.

Feel free to email us any questions you may have via the above email address.

The successful applicant will require a current Working with Children’s Check and Police Check. People with lived experience of the justice system are encouraged to apply. A police check result does not automatically disqualify an application which in each case will be individually assessed for the relevant role. Applicants must also have the right to work in Australia. If you require any adjustments throughout the application or recruitment process please contact recruitment@westjustice.org.au

Westjustice is committed to building a diverse workforce. We strongly encourage applications from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, people living with a disability, people from diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds, mature age workers and LGBTIQA+ identifying people. 

Please contact us on (03) 9749 7720 if you wish to make a donation to WEstjustice.

Donations over $2.00 are tax deductable.

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Unfortunately, WEstjustice does not currently have any vacancies.

WEstjustice relies heavily on the work of legal and non-legal volunteers. Volunteer roles include:

• Policy volunteers (at capacity)
• Administrative volunteers (at capacity)
• Paralegal volunteers (at capacity)
• Solicitor volunteers (at capacity)

Skills we require of all of our volunteers include:

• Excellent communication skills
• High attention to detail
• Ability to work as part of a team and independently
• Reliability and punctuality

We ask that volunteers give us a minimum commitment of twelve months.

Demand for volunteer positions may vary.

If there is a position available and you are a suitable candidate, we will contact you. 

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Westjustice has several current PLT opportunity, please see here for more details.