• This position is funded for four years, commencing January 2021, by the Fair Work Ombudsman’s Community Engagement Grants Program.
• It would suit a person with significant employment law experience with a plaintiff/social justice orientation and a desire to drive the start-up of a new and innovative employment law practice.
• The role will significantly enhance access to employment law services for vulnerable young workers, including migrant workers and international students, at a time when young and migrant worker’s rights and entitlements to fair work are of increasing concern.
• The successful applicant will work remotely from home within the Greater Darwin region.
• Occasional travel within the NT and to NSW is required, COVID restrictions and health and safety permitting.
• Part time – 22.8 hours per week.
• Above Award Package: Base salary for 3 days per week negotiable up to $64, 500.00 p.a. + 9.5% Superannuation + Leave Loading + Fringe Benefits Tax Salary Packaging Available on request. 

Youth Law Australia

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.

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

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

TeachLaw, a new community legal education resource for teachers and schools across Australia: teachlaw.org.au.

Based 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 demand for specialist employment law services in NSW, the ACT and the NT, the Fair Work Ombudsman (FWO) has granted YLA funding to provide workplace law support to vulnerable young workers, including children, apprentices, migrant workers and international students. With this funding YLA will ensure that high quality legal information, advice, assistance, representation, education and community engagement relating to Commonwealth workplace laws is provided to vulnerable young workers and their advocates/associates across NSW, the ACT and the NT.

The Senior Solicitor (Employment Law) – NT will report to and work under the supervision of YLA’s Principal Solicitor and will work closely with YLA’s Director, the Senior Solicitor (Employment Law) – NSW/ACT, fellow 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 bespoke technology platform, collaboration, support and supervision generally occurs within an Australia-wide online network of lawyers and law student volunteers. A 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.

Specific Responsibilities

• Providing workplace relations legal advice, information, referrals and assistance via telephone, webform and email, for or on behalf of young workers (under 25) in the NT
• Work collaboratively with the Senior Solicitor (Employment Law) – NSW/ACT, based in Sydney, to grow and deliver YLA’s employment law service for vulnerable young workers.
• Providing face to face advice and one-off assistance such as drafting letters, complaints, pleadings, or support for self-represented litigants at outreach locations.
• Providing ongoing support, assistance, casework and legal representation to vulnerable young workers under Commonwealth workplace laws and within Commonwealth institutions, commissions, courts and tribunals.
• 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 that provide clear jurisdiction-wide guidance about referral pathways.
• Maintaining accurate and helpful employment law information on the employment law pages of the YLA website.
• Potential to act as Team Leader (Employment Law) and Acting Principal Solicitor (in the absence of the Principal Solicitor).

Essential Selection Criteria

• Must have, or be eligible for, an unrestricted practising certificate in the NT.
• Must demonstrate over 3 years’ post admission experience in a legal advice, assistance and dispute resolution environment with significant experience, knowledge and skills gained in Commonwealth workplace laws and institutions.
• Demonstrated experience in providing employment law assistance in the types of matters relevant to the employee clients of unions, CLCs or Legal Aid Commissions.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills with people from diverse backgrounds, including client interviewing and advising.
• Demonstrated attention to detail and accuracy, including sound legal research, writing and problem-solving skills.
• Demonstrated 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.

Desirable Selection Criteria

• Knowledge of community resources and organisations (legal and non-legal) relevant to employment and the needs of vulnerable workers.
• The successful applicant will be asked to undertake a national criminal record check and a working with children check. 

For further information, please email admin@yla.org.au, using the subject line: Senior Solicitor (Employment Law) - NT to arrange a call with Principal Solicitor, Ms Ahram Choi or Director, Mr Matthew Keeley.