• Part-time (0.7FTE), fixed term to 4 April 2025
  
• This is a long service leave backfill position. Hours are negotiable
• We are keen to appoint this role as soon as possible and may commence interviewing prior to the application closing date. Please get your application in quickly.

This role supports Fitzroy Legal Service’s Generalist and Integrated Services Team to provide high quality, integrated legal assistance via our generalist practice, including outreach services, and migration legal assistance to the communities of Yarra and Darebin. The role is also responsible for our specialist integrated services for criminalised women and trans and gender diverse people.

The Managing Lawyer is a Nominated Person under the Community Legal Centres Australia Risk Management Guide.

ABOUT FLS

Fitzroy Legal Service (FLS) is dedicated to assisting the most marginalised members of the community with legal information, advice and representation, as well as championing law reform and conducting public interest litigation.

Fitzroy Legal Service provides legal services for communities who are disproportionately impacted by law and policy, and those who face systemic barriers to accessing justice. We provide various multidisciplinary outreach programs reaching communities of colour, people at risk of or experiencing homelessness, LGBTIQA+ communities and people who use drugs.

Our vision: A fairer Victorian community, where the legal and social systems support equality and justice for all.

Further information about FLS can be found on our website: fls.org.au.

ABOUT THE ROLE

You will make a difference by:

• Supporting the Generalist and Integrated Service Team (GIST) to ensure quality and consistency of delivery. This involves:
• Continuous liaison and regular meetings with direct reports regarding the standard of advice, and casework services undertaken, appropriate client contact / communication, and the implementation of processes to capture and communicate strategic work.
• Provision of regular supervision and mentoring for direct reports, including file reviews.
• Oversight and development of systems, forms and precedents that ensure effective maintenance and review of client files, recording of statistics and service activities.
• As a Nominated Person, ensure compliance with relevant professional and ethical standards relating to legal practice, including the Legal Profession Act 2004 and the National Risk Management Guide of the National Association of Community Legal Centres.
• Undertake staff recruitment, rostering, locum cover arrangements, performance management and professional development; and
• Monitor financial reports and report against business plan as relevant to GIST services.
• Grant management, including responsibility for reporting to funders and acquitting grants.

See attached position description for more information.

ABOUT YOU

To be successful in the role you will ideally have:

• An unrestricted Practising Certificate.
• Substantial post-admission experience and knowledge in the areas of criminal and civil law.
• Proven leadership and management ability, and the capacity to identify and respond to changing circumstances and priorities.
• Demonstrated ability to lead and model processes and engage in supportive and constructive mentoring and supervision of legal staff.
• Highly developed interpersonal and communication skills, and ability to produce high quality written and verbal reports.
• Experience in maintaining best practice in the delivery of legal advice, information and casework services ensuring legal compliance.
• Demonstrated ability to engage and liaise successfully with a diverse range of stakeholders in the community, legal and government sectors.
• Highly developed organisational skills and the ability to work under pressure and manage competing demands.
• Good self-care and stress management skills.
• Strong commitment to social justice and the philosophy of FLS.

If you meet some, but not all, of the above, we encourage your application. We appreciate that people obtain skills and experience in a range of ways, and value people’s curiosity and openness to learning.

WHAT WE OFFER:

• 5 weeks annual leave, 17.5% leave loading plus bonus leave over the summer shutdown period.
• Above-award salary and the ability to increase your take-home pay by accessing salary packaging benefits (use this link to see how much this benefit could mean to you).
• A range of leave options, including 16 weeks parental leave for primary carers, gender affirmation leave, cultural and ceremonial leave, the ability to swap public holidays as well as purchase additional leave.

For more information about this position, please contact Amy Frew, Director of Legal Practice at [email protected].

A position description is attached.

Fitzroy Legal Service is an inclusive employer and complies with the laws prohibiting discrimination on the basis of age, race, sex, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, family responsibilities, irrelevant criminal record and other protected attributes. We strongly encourage and welcome applications from members of diverse communities and people with relevant lived experience.

To be eligible to apply for this position you must be an Australian or New Zealand citizen, permanent resident, or hold a valid work permit or visa.

The successful candidate must undergo a National Police Check.

NOTE: Disclosure of a criminal record does not necessarily preclude employment with FLS, but if needed, we invite applicants to address this issue early in the application phase. Should a criminal record disclosure be advised by a candidate, FLS will endeavour to provide clarity over whether the conviction would preclude a candidate from being able to carry out the position duties.