Job: 2024-156 | Full-Time | Fixed Term (Up To 2 Years) | Moree, NSW

Primary Purpose of the Role

The purpose of this role is to provide high quality legal advice and representation to children and young people, and other clients, and to assist them to resolve their legal problems.

Why Join the ALS Team?

At the Aboriginal Legal Service (ALS) you can make an impact. You will join a strong movement fighting for social justice and equity for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, families and communities.

Our focus is our people: the people we support and the people we employ. We offer a career you can be proud of and a place where you feel safe to be yourself. We invest in our people and appreciate the rich diversity of lived experiences, languages, and culture.

Born out of a protest movement over 50 years ago, the ALS is an Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisation delivering high-quality, culturally safe legal and support services for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in NSW and the ACT. It’s an exciting time to be joining us. We recently received additional funding to deliver a range of new programs aimed at addressing systemic issues and driving structural reforms. This is creating significant opportunities for the ALS, our staff and communities.

As well as the satisfaction of working in a job that really matters, we offer our staff benefits including:

• Not-for-profit salary packaging to reduce your tax liability and maximise take-home pay
• Annual leave loading of 17.5%
• Career and professional development opportunities
• Access to personal counselling for you and your family
• Additional paid leave of up to 6 days per year, paid parental and study leave
• Flexible work options – talk to us about how we can make this role work for you

About the Role

The Senior Solicitor is part of the Children’s Criminal Law Practice based in our Moree office.

The Senior Solicitor will be responsible for:

• Provide high quality legal advice and representation to Aboriginal clients and assist them in resolving their legal problems and undertake Court responsibilities with a particular focus on the Children's Court but also the Local Court; Circuit travel; Coroner's Court; District Court and Crime Commission (if required).
• Provide high quality appearances and act as advocate in: List work; Short matters; Defended Hearings including complex Children's Court Hearings; Committal Proceedings; District Court Appeals and Sentences; instructing counsel in District Court Trials.
• Prepare and research representation of Aboriginal clients, and particularly children and young people in criminal matters and prepare briefs for counsel and attend to instructing counsel as directed.
• As directed, act as a mentor to more junior solicitors regarding law and procedure and the operations of the ALS.
• As directed, oversee the allocation of work and management of workloads including briefing and assignment of work to external legal representatives and the implementation of policies and procedures for those functions.

About You

We’re looking for someone who brings:

• Legal qualifications and a NSW Practicing Certificate with a minimum of 5 years’ experience in Criminal Law
• In-depth knowledge, understanding and of the criminal law, including practice and procedure with a particular focus on children and young people in the criminal law.
• Ability to display sound judgment and proven capacity to provide high quality legal representation and advice to Aboriginal clients, particularly children and young people.
• Ability to meet deadlines, work without supervision and manage a diverse workload, together with high level conceptual, analytical and research skills.

Pre-Employment Requirements

ALS is committed to implementing safe recruitment practices. Your application may be subject to pre-employment checks such as reference checks, Working with Children (NSW) or Working with Vulnerable People (ACT) check, Right to work in Australia, COVID-19 vaccinations and National Police History check.

If you have any enquiries or would like to discuss the role, please contact our recruitment team at [email protected], using the subject line: Senior Solicitor, Children's Criminal Law Practice enquiry via EthicalJobs.

A position description is attached.