The North Australian Aboriginal Justice Agency Ltd (NAAJA) provides legal assistance and justice services for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in the Northern Territory. We have offices in Darwin, Palmerston, Katherine, Tennant Creek, and Alice Springs. We are recognised as a leading legal service and have received national and local human rights and crime prevention awards for our work.

• Flexible working arrangements
• Salary Packaging options
• Leave Entitlements

Position Overview

The North Australian Aboriginal Justice Agency Ltd (NAAJA) provides legal assistance and justice services for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in the Northern Territory. We have offices in Darwin, Palmerston, Katherine, Tennant Creek and Alice Springs. We are recognised as a leading legal service and have received national and local human rights and crime prevention awards for our work.

NAAJA’s legal practice is the largest in the Northern Territory, providing high quality, culturally proficient and accessible advice, casework and court advocacy in both criminal and civil law. NAAJA particularly seeks to achieve social justice for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people through strategic litigation, law reform and education.

The criminal law practice consists of criminal solicitors working in the areas of youth summary, indictable and appellate crime, supported by administrative and client service staff who play a vital role in ensuring the provision of effective legal services to our clients.

The youth practices its within the criminal practice. It delivers legal services within a specialist jurisdiction to some of the most vulnerable of NAAJA’s clients. The youth practice aims to provide holistic services to young people by addressing both their legal issues and the broader social setting which has led to their involvement in the criminal justice system. It draws upon this experience to advocate for systemic change in youth justice issues.

The role requires a strong commitment to youth justice, the capacity to work in a high volume, fast paced environment, initiative, exceptional interpersonal skills, and personal resilience.

NAAJA seeks an appropriately qualified legal practitioner with a minimum of 5 years post admission experience for the Alice Springs Youth Managing Solicitor position.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

1. To provide high quality legal advice and representation to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people charged with criminal offences.
2. In conjunction with other staff, to undertake work aimed at overcoming the disadvantage suffered by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander youth.

DUTIES

1. To manage the multidisciplinary Youth Team which consists of three lawyers ,a client Services Officer, a specialised Social Worker, and a Personal Assistant (Youth Managing Solicitor).
2. To practice manage the Youth section including the overseeing and allocation of casework (Youth Managing Solicitor).
3. To undertake work in the Youth Court for criminal matters, including a duty lawyer service bail application, direction hearings, pleas, hearings, preliminary examinations, and youth matters in the Supreme Court.
4. To attend circuit courts as required.
5. Provide high quality advice on criminal law issues to clients and the Managing Criminal Solicitor – Top End and the Principal Legal Officer as required.
6. To develop and implement goals in accordance with NAAJA’s Strategic Plan.
7. To assist the Managing Criminal Solicitor as required.
8. To assist in training, development and mentoring of youth lawyers, interns and paralegals.
9. To identify issues that cause disadvantage to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in the criminal justice system and to assist NAAJA through the Principal Legal Officer to respond to those issues through, legal education, law reform and/or community development strategies.
10. To develop and maintain strong working relationships with stakeholders including Registrar of the Darwin Childrens Court, Territory Families, the Education Department and other service providers to address issues that affect NAAJA’s youth clients.
11. To participate in all staff and team meetings as required.
12. Work co-operatively with secretarial and client service staff as required.
13. Other duties as directed.

SELECTION CRITERIA ESSENTIAL:

1. A minimum of 5 years’ experience in criminal law with proven ability as a court advocate (Youth Managing Solicitor).
2. A demonstrated ability to provide high quality oral and written advice on a range of legal issues.
3. Demonstrated ability to undertake work in the Youth Justice Court and Supreme Court in youth criminal matters, including trial and appellate work.
4. Experience in management and mentoring of staff (Youth Managing Solicitor).
5. Capable of identifying issues that cause disadvantage to Aboriginal youth in the criminal justice system and to respond to and refer those issues through test cases, legal education, law reform and/or community development strategies.
6. Excellent communication skills, including the ability to communicate effectively with Aboriginal people living in the Top End.
7. Ability to work constructively with a diverse team of legal and non-legal staff to achieve the goals of the position, specifically in the provision of mentorship to junior solicitors and a demonstrated willingness to seek advice from client service officers on cultural issues.
8. Good time management and organisational skills including demonstrated capacity to perform under pressure and ability to effectively handle high volume workloads within tight deadlines.
9. Ability and willingness to undertake work at circuit courts (including travel and overnight stays in remote communities).
10. Working with Children clearance and current driver’s licence.
11. Satisfactory criminal history check and no history of disqualification from employment by a legal practice.

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