About SMLS

Established in 1973, South-East Monash Legal Service (SMLS) is a community legal centre that provides free legal assistance to people in Southeast Melbourne. SMLS provides legal information, advice and case work including representation for people experiencing disadvantage on a range of legal matters, such as family law and family violence, employment law, debt and fines, civil litigation, wills, power of attorney, and tenancy.

SMLS aims to empower and support members of the community to understand and make use of the law and the legal system to protect their rights and to increase their awareness of their legal responsibilities. SMLS is a strong advocate of and committed to the use of integrated service models to address multifaceted challenges facing our community members.

SMLS is committed to advocacy and social change. SMLS is a leader in the provision of community and clinical legal education; advocacy through policy submissions and lobbying; outreach services; and targeted referral programs.

Our Vision 

A fair and inclusive community where people can access the resources, networks and support they need to resolve legal issues and overcome barriers to social, cultural and economic inclusion and participation

Our Purpose

To help resolve people’s legal and interconnected issues and ensure that laws and legal processes are fair.

Our Values

Our core values are Respect, Community, Excellence and Courage.

About safe landing

SMLS partnered with Northern Community Legal Centre (NCLC) to deliver the Safe Landing Program broadly across Victoria to ensure the most vulnerable women can have access to justice.

The Safe Landing Program supports victims/survivors of family violence on various forms of temporary visas or uncertain visa status to recover and thrive, by assisting them to navigate the complex legal system.

Often temporary visa holders or persons in an uncertain visa situations are at a greater risk of suffering family violence and other abuses.

The program provides service on three main areas of law: migration, family, and family violence. It also provides social support through SCIP and CLE. In this integrated service, experienced lawyers in these areas of law and social workers work collaboratively.

Our migration law service includes:

• Legal advice
• Discrete legal assistance and
• Ongoing case representation at the Department of Home Affairs (DHA) and Administrative Appeals Tribunal (AAT)

Position Purpose

The Immigration Lawyer will work to deliver SMLS’ Safe Landing immigration program, supporting victim/survivors of family violence on temporary visas to recover and thrive. Immigration, Family, and Family violence lawyers will work collaboratively to assist victims/survivors to access visas that allow independence from perpetrators and address legal problems related to immigration, family violence, family law, tenancy, and debt.

Within Safe Landing, integrated family, family violence and immigration lawyers work collaboratively, assisting people to access visas which allow them independence from perpetrators, intervention orders to keep them safe, financial compensation to rebuild their lives and family law orders to ensure safer relationships. Community legal educators increase diaspora communities’ understanding of their legal rights and responsibilities while promoting the service and building tailored referral pathways for local community organisations and associations. 

The Immigration Lawyer will work to enhance and ensure collaboration and integration within the multidisciplinary Safe Landing team.

POSITION REQUIREMENTS

Essential Selection Criteria

• Eligibility to hold an unrestricted Victorian legal practicing certificate with at least twoyears’ post admission experience
• Knowledge of Commonwealth Immigration law and procedure
• Ability to research and analyse a variety of legislation and policy
• Strong interpersonal skills including the ability to communicate sensitively and build mutually beneficial relationships with internal and external stakeholders 
• Strong cross cultural communication skills
• Ability to work independently and in a multidisciplinary team.

Desirable Selection Criteria

• Experience providing legal services in a range of other legal areas affecting victims of family violence, including family law, family violence intervention orders, victims of crime and other civil areas of law.
• Experience in conducting casework and giving advice in refugee law and/or other immigration matters and a strong working knowledge of laws, policies, and procedures in the jurisdiction, including the Family Violence Provisions.
• Experience and/or interest in tribunal or court representation
• Experience working in the community legal centre sector or Immigration law firm.

For more information please see the attached Position Description.

Any further questions can be directed to [email protected], using the subject line: Immigration Lawyer enquiry via EthicalJobs.