• Full time or part time.
• Work from anywhere in Australia. Flexible work arrangements available.
• Technology-enabled service delivery – including via a new, live, webchat service.
• Negotiable salary. 

Youth Law Australia (YLA)  

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

YLA aims to enhance children and young people’s access to and engagement with their legal rights; assistance to exercise these rights; and to remedies when these rights are violated. YLA’s objective is to fulfil these aims by providing appropriate and targeted legal information, advice, education, representation, and advocacy. 

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;  and
• 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: https://gethelp.yla.org.au. 

Headquartered at the University of New South Wales, YLA is an accredited CLC and holds specialist consultative status (children’s rights) with the United Nations Economic and Social Council. YLA was founded in 1993 as the National Children's and Youth Law Centre.  

About the role

This is an opportunity to join the most important legal practice in the country, and help lead a team dedicated to preventing and intervening early in the maltreatment of young people.

YLA is recruiting a Senior Solicitor with the potential to act as sole or co-Principal Solicitor in the generalist practice. The Senior Solicitor will work within YLA’s generalist practice and participate in a new national program providing legal services to children and young people with a particular focus on family and domestic violence, sexual abuse, cyber harm and other forms of maltreatment.  

In this role you will make a positive difference in the lives of young people Australia-wide and work alongside dedicated Solicitors and children’s rights advocates.  

The Senior Solicitor will report to and work under the supervision of YLA’s Principal Solicitor and will work closely with YLA’s Director, fellow solicitors, pro bono solicitors, law student volunteers, interns and trainees to provide technology-enabled legal information, advice and assistance. The Senior Solicitor may also be required to act as Principal Solicitor on a maternity leave cover basis. Because YLA’s practice is paperless and delivered via YLA’s bespoke technology platform, collaboration, support, and supervision occurs within our online network of lawyers and law student volunteers.  

Interested Senior Solicitors should be technology savvy and comfortable working across multiple digital platforms, including live chat, soft phone, email and in online case management systems.  

We strongly encourage interest from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples for all positions. 

Specific Responsibilities  

• Providing verbal and written legal advice, information, referrals and assistance via telephone, online chat, and email, for or on behalf of young people (under 25) across Australia. 
• Working collaboratively with other Junior Solicitors, Senior Solicitors and Principal Solicitors based in different jurisdictions to promote and deliver YLA’s services.  
• Providing detailed advice and one-off assistance such as drafting letters, complaints, applications, or support for self-represented litigants.  

• Providing ongoing support, assistance, casework, and legal representation to vulnerable young people.  
• Assisting with Community Legal Education, law and legal services reform and stakeholder engagement and business development activities. 
• Collaboratively developing and maintaining accurate information sources for young people. 
• Maintaining accurate records, files, accountabilities, and reporting. 

Desirable Criteria  

• Must have, or be eligible for, a practicing certificate in an Australian jurisdiction. 
• Senior and Principal Solicitors should have at least 3 years of post-admission experience within Australia.  
• Experience providing generalist legal services, or a demonstrated capability to develop a broad knowledge of and practice in the law. (These roles may suit a lawyer with experience as an employee or volunteer in a  Community Legal Centre, at Legal Aid or in another not-for-profit organisation).
• Demonstrated ability to work without close supervision, set priorities, organise and manage own workloads and meet deadlines. 

• Senior and Principal Solicitors should have experience signing off on legal advice and managing own caseload. Provision of an efficient, timely and accurate legal advice service is essential.  
• Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively with internal and external stakeholders, and an ability to support, supervise and train junior lawyers and student volunteers, interns, and practical legal trainees. 
• Experience working with clients experiencing family and domestic violence, sexual abuse and/or cyber harm is highly desirable but not essential.  

Contact 

We would greatly value discussing your interest in this position. Please email [email protected], using the subject line: Senior Solicitor (Acting Principal Solicitor / Co-Principal Solicitor) - Australia-wide enquiry via EthicalJobs,  to arrange a call with Director, Matthew Keeley, or Legal Operations Manager, Kate Richardson.