• International parental child abduction lawyer 
• Interesting and specialised field of law 
• Community legal centre 
• Pyrmont, New South Wales 
• Part-time, 4 days/week (0.8FTE), commencing as soon as possible

 The Role 

Reporting to the Managing Lawyer, you will be responsible for the provision of legal advice and casework to clients throughout Australia who are affected by international parental child abduction (IPCA).

The Legal Service primarily provides legal advice and assistance by telephone and email, with some face-to-face contact with clients. Your duties include: 

• Provision of advice to clients and professionals on our Legal Advice Line regarding IPCA and other international parenting matters
• Drafting outgoing return and access applications under the 1980 Hague Convention and applications under the Bilateral Agreements with Egypt and Lebanon
• Appropriate internal referrals to ISS Australia’s Social Work and Mediation services

• Liaising with Commonwealth Government stakeholders
• Preparation of legal information resources
• Provision of training and information about IPCA and the 1980 Hague Convention to professionals, government, and non-government organisations. 

For more information about the role, please see the Position Description attached to this job advertisement.  

We offer a flexible work environment, salary packaging, access to an Employee Assistance Program and workplace health and wellness activities.  Your salary will be based on the national Social, Community, Home Care and Disability Services (SCHCADS) Award and will range between $84K - $92K commensurate with experience.

 You will be working in a small team of lawyers who work closely with one another. The Legal Service is comprised of two lawyers in our Melbourne Office and two lawyers in our Sydney Office, with the support of a paralegal.

 About you 

 The ideal candidate will: 

• Have a practising certificate, with supervision conditions lifted 
• Have at least two years’ experience in family law
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills 
• Excellent legal drafting skills
• Be keen to assist people in times of considerable personal distress. 

 We are looking for someone who is warm and professional, who is able to work collaboratively in a multidisciplinary team and is able and open to learning quickly and continuously.   

Written Task

We particularly require a candidate who has excellent legal drafting skills. With a view to finding the right candidate, we have set a written task for applicants to complete and submit with their application. This is to ensure that the ideal candidate has excellent legal drafting skills.

The written exercise is attached to this job advertisement. A position description is also attached.

About ISS Australia

ISS Australia’s Legal Service is a community legal centre focused on international parental child abduction law and the 1980 Hague Convention. The service was established in 2012 and is funded by the Commonwealth Attorney-General’s Department. 

ISS Australia is a small not for profit organisation providing inter-country casework services to families separated by international borders, with a special emphasis on the rights and interests of children. We have an office in Melbourne and an office in Sydney. We form part of the ISS international network represented in over 130 countries worldwide. For further information about ISS Australia, see our website www.iss.org.au.