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Junior / Senior Solicitor - Youth / Employment Law

Youth Law Australia
  • Work for the Territory’s future – for its young people.
  • Opportunity to contribute to the growth of a new and innovative employment and youth law practice in the NT.
  • Would suit an energetic and capable lawyer with a social justice orientation.
  • The role will significantly enhance access to justice for vulnerable young workers in the NT, including migrant workers and international students.
  • The successful applicant will work from their home within the Greater Darwin/Palmerston area, Katherine or Alice Springs. Youth Law Australia’s national legal practice is a technology-rich environment and the successful applicant must be comfortable within and able to quickly adapt to various ICT platforms. (The majority of client contact will be via phone, email, and webchat. Occasional face to face appointments will occur at the offices of our partners and outreach locations).
  • Occasional travel within the NT and to NSW or the ACT is required, COVID restrictions and health and safety permitting.
  • Working part-time (minimum 0.6FTE), full-time or flexibly is negotiable.
  • Above Award Package: Salary is negotiable depending on experience + Superannuation + Leave Loading + Fringe Benefits Tax Salary Packaging Available on request.

Youth Law Australia (YLA)

YLA is a specialist children’s and youth Community Legal Centre (CLC). We provide high quality, free and confidential legal assistance services to children, young people and their advocates nationally in all areas of the law. 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.

Amongst other things, 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: gethelp.yla.org.au/details ; and
  • TeachLaw, a community legal education resource for teachers and schools across Australia: teachlaw.org.au.

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

About the Role

In recognition of the unmet need for specialist employment legal services for young workers in NSW, the ACT and the NT, the Fair Work Ombudsman (FWO) has granted YLA funding to provide employment law support to vulnerable young workers, including children, apprentices, migrant workers and international students. With this funding YLA has established the Young Workers’ Rights Service (YWRS). The YWRS provides high quality legal information, advice, assistance, representation, education and community engagement relating to Commonwealth workplace laws to vulnerable young workers and their advocates/associates across NSW, the ACT and the NT.

You will report to and work under the supervision of YLA’s Principal Solicitor and work closely with and be well supported by YLA’s Director, the Senior Solicitor (Employment Law), YLA solicitors, pro bono solicitors, law student volunteers, interns and trainees to provide online, phone-based and some face to face services. Because YLA’s practice is paperless and delivered via YLA’s technology platform, a reasonably high degree of digital and ICT literacy is therefore expected of all applicants.

YLA strongly encourages applications from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples for all positions. Under YLA’s Reconciliation Action Plan, enhancing access to justice for young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander workers in the NT will be a particular focus of the role.

The FWO funding is for a dedicated 0.6 FTE position. YLA will consider funding an additional one or two days per week for a suitable applicant.

Specific Responsibilities

  • Providing verbal and written employment law advice, information, referrals and assistance via telephone, online chat and email, for or on behalf of young workers (under 25) in the NT.
  • Working collaboratively with the Senior Solicitor (Employment Law), based in Sydney, to promote and deliver YLA’s Young Workers’ Rights Service.
  • Providing detailed advice and one-off assistance such as drafting letters, complaints, applications, or support for self-represented litigants at outreach locations.
  • Providing casework and legal representation to vulnerable young workers.
  • Assisting with Community Legal Education activities relating to the Fair Work Act 2009 and other Commonwealth workplace relations legislation.
  • Collaboratively developing and maintaining accurate information sources for young workers.
  • Maintaining accurate records, files, accountabilities and reporting. Working from home, you will have a private office space from which to work.

Selection Criteria

  • Must have, or be eligible for, a practising certificate in the NT.
  • Demonstrated experience in a legal advice, assistance and dispute resolution environment.
  • Demonstrated experience in providing employment law assistance or demonstrated experience in successfully acquiring legal expertise in another field or fields of dispute resolution.
  • Excellent oral and written communication skills with people from diverse backgrounds, including client interviewing, advising and corresponding.
  • Demonstrated attention to detail and accuracy, including in legal research and advising.
  • Ability to work without close supervision, set priorities, organise and self-manage own workloads and meet deadlines.
  • Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively with team-members and internal and external stakeholders.
  • Ability to engage with community members, organisations and stake-holders to effectively promote the service and enhance its profile.

The successful applicant will be asked to undertake a national criminal record check and a working with children check.

For further information, please email [email protected], using the subject line: Junior / Senior Solicitor - Youth / Employment Law enquiry via EthicalJobs, to arrange a call with Principal Solicitor, Ms Ahram Choi or Director, Mr Matthew Keeley.

How to apply

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