• Join the 2024 Law Firm of the Year and make a real difference
• Supportive culture with a strong focus on staff well-being
• Not for profit salary packaging and additional leave benefits

We are:

Refugee Advice and Casework Service (RACS), one of Australia’s oldest and most successful dedicated community legal centres with a vision of justice and dignity for refugees and a world where those who seek Australia’s protection can live their lives with dignity, security, family unity and freedom.

RACS provides free, dedicated legal services to people seeking asylum and refugees. Through individual advice sessions, community education and public advocacy, RACS strives to ensure that individuals and families, at risk of persecution or other forms of significant harm, gain access to equal and fair representation before the law, and are granted protection by Australia, and opportunities to seek family unity, in accordance with Australia’s international obligations.

The Role:

This is an exciting opportunity for a Senior Solicitor to join the RACS team of committed human rights lawyers, in the position of Team Lead Solicitor.

This newly created position reporting into a Supervising Senior Solicitor will provide assistance to the RACS Leadership Team by sharing the responsibility for training, policy work, outreach, volunteer coordination, reporting and other external engagements as required by specific funding agreements.

The position requires a solicitor that holds, or is eligible to hold, a NSW legal practicing certificate with more than 5 years legal experience/PQE and/or at least 4 years refugee, migration or other relevant advocacy experience. You must also no longer be subject to condition 2 on your practicing certificate.

You will:

• Assist RACS advance its strategic mission in achieving justice and dignity for and with refugees through the provision of dedicated legal services and advocacy.
• Provide casework, limited assistance and advice as required in accordance with RACS’ Casework Guidelines to people seeking asylum and refugees. This can include advising and representing clients at Departmental, Immigration Assessment Authority and Administrative Appeals Tribunal and Judicial Review level.
• Identify and appropriately respond to the cultural needs or particular vulnerabilities of RACS’ clients in providing legal work.
• Manage a large volume of client data and documentation in line with legal requirements. This includes maintaining files effectively and in accordance with RACS’ file management policies and in accordance with the Risk Management Guide.
• Meet the reporting requirements of the Leadership Team.
• Attend external supervision and/or debriefing as arranged. Be alert to the danger of burnout, monitor your workload and be pro‐active in self-care for yourself and your team.
• Participate in and facilitate RACS’ training and education programs as required to maintain appropriate skills that will enable provision of high quality and professional migration assistance. This includes completing and maintaining records of MCLE/ CPD points completed.
• Consult with the Supervising Senior Solicitor if at any time you are unsure about an aspect of best practice on a client’s case.
• Support, supervise, mentor & lead RACS solicitors, volunteers and RACS Practical Legal Training students in the provision of services, which includes overseeing and supervising external (solicitor) volunteers in performing these tasks.
• Assist with the supervision of RACS Practice as determined by the Principal Solicitor, such as supervising other RACS lawyers and volunteers, advice and file checking, file closures and training delivery.
• Communicate with a wide range of stakeholders in a confident and a respectful manner.
• Assist to manage specific legal projects and prepare reports as relevant to your area of RACS engagement.

You are:

An admitted solicitor with a passion for law reform and advocacy work and a sound knowledge of Australian immigration law and practice, particularly refugee law. The successful candidate will have the following:

Essential

• Extensive experience in providing legal assistance to people that are seeking asylum, stateless or displaced.
• Extensive experience advocating for clients in a Court or Tribunal based setting.
• Experience mentoring and supervising a legal team.
• Experience leading projects or client service programs.

Desirable:

• Communications skills in a language other than English

Salary:

The remuneration for the position is at the SCHADS Award rate Level 7, plus super. Salary packaging is available to enable you to increase your take home pay.

To Apply:

If you're ready to join our team, please submit your CV, together with a cover letter addressing the above selection criteria. To find out more, contact Kirsty Wood on (02) 8317 6537.

RACS is committed to working together to achieve a more inclusive community. Our workplace strives to be one that embraces and celebrates diversity and the wide range of skills, expertise and experience we can all bring to strengthen our dynamic, collaborative and responsive environment.

RACS encourages people from all backgrounds to apply, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, people from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) backgrounds, people that identify as belonging to the LGBTIQA+ community and people with disabilities. RACS particularly welcomes applications from those with the lived expertise of seeking asylum, including those on temporary visas with the relevant permission to work.