In brief

• Must have or soon will have at least 3 years of post-admission experience within Australia.
• Will play a significant role in access to civil justice nationally.
• Location: YLA’s office at the University of New South Wales Law Faculty, Sydney; or working remotely from anywhere in Australia.
• Fixed- term contract to 30 June 2020 with possibility of extension.
• Full-time (38 hours per week) – will consider flexibility, secondment, part-time and/or job-share.
• Package: $87,00 - $100,000 p.a., negotiable + 9.5% Superannuation + Leave Loading + FBT Salary Packaging available.

Youth Law Australia

Since 1993, Youth Law Australia (YLA), formerly called the National Children’s and Youth Law Centre, has provided the only legal service for all Australians aged under 25 years.

Based at UNSW Law, YLA is an accredited community legal centre and holds specialist consultative status (children’s rights) with the United Nations Economic and Social Council.

YLA’s objectives are:

• To help solve young people’s legal and human rights problems through the provision of legal assistance;
• To enhance awareness, knowledge and skills regarding young people’s legal and human rights problems; and
• To work for systemic reform with the aims of preventing young people’s legal and human rights problems and of enhancing young people’s access to justice and to their rights.

Pursuing these objectives YLA provides:

• YLA website, the leading community legal information resource for young Australians. The site is an accessible, 24/7 pathway to legal information and assistance: yla.org.au;
• Get help now, the free, confidential legal information, advice and assistance service for all young Australians. Get help now is a clear and timely “next step" for help-seekers on the website: www.lawmail.org.au; and
• TeachLaw, a new community legal education resource for teachers and schools across Australia: teachlaw.org.au.

About the role

YLA is an accessible, technology-enabled and highly collaborative service that specialises in preventing and intervening early in young people’s legal problems and connecting young people with legal solutions.

YLA’s Civil and Administrative Law practice is our largest practice area. Currently, YLA is turning away approximately 15 - 20 Civil and Administrative Law advice clients each week due to high demand for our services. In response, the Attorney-General for Australia and Minister for Industrial relations, the Hon. Christian Porter MP has kindly provided YLA with funding for this role.

The Solicitor will report to and work under the supervision of YLA’s Principal Solicitor and will work closely with YLA’s Director, Junior Solicitor, pro bono Solicitors and law student volunteers, interns and trainees to provide online and phone-based legal information, advice and assistance. Because YLA’s practice is paperless and delivered via YLA’s bespoke technology platform, collaboration, support and supervision occurs within an Australia-wide online network of lawyers and law student volunteers.

Specific responsibilities

• Draft, review and (some) sign-off on timely and accurate legal information, advice and minor assistance in a range of Civil and Administrative Law contexts.
• Support the delivery and supervision of quality legal work experience for a team of UNSW PLT and other law student volunteers and interns, including by assisting with induction and management; supervising student engagement; and supporting the delivery of training. (This responsibility will be somewhat reduced for a successful applicant working remotely).

• Help ensure YLA’s legal practice and risk management requirements are met and records are properly maintained.

• Assist with reporting to funding bodies, partners and the Board.
• Assist in the development of YLA’s online legal resources.

• Assist in maintaining and developing relationships with pro bono providers, legal centres, youth organisations, referral agencies and other professional bodies.

• Undertake general administrative duties.

• Such other work as the Board or Management Team may reasonably require.

Selection criteria

Essential criteria

• Must have or soon will have at least 3 years of post-admission experience in a legal practice(s) or service(s) within Australia and have or be eligible to have a current practising certificate in an Australian jurisdiction.
• Solid experience in providing and/or signing-off legal advice and/or casework in Civil and Administrative Law practice areas relevant to community legal or legal aid services, including demonstrated attention to detail, accuracy and timeliness.
• Excellent written and oral advising, client interviewing, legal research and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to draft legal information and advice using plain language.
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively and efficiently in an environment with competing demands and deadlines.
• Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively.

Desirable criteria

• Experience providing legal advice and/or casework in one or more of education law; employment law; anti-discrimination law; consumer, credit and debt law; social security law; fines law; traffic law; children’s law; or family/domestic violence law.
• Ability to support, supervise and train junior lawyers and student volunteers, interns and practical legal trainees.