• Reporting to: Chief Executive Officer
• Classification: EO2, plus 12% superannuation ($176,699.00) and full salary packaging options
• Position: Full-time (38 hours per week) preferred

ABOUT TEWLS

The Top End Women’s Legal Service (‘TEWLS’) is a not-for-profit, specialist women’s legal service focused on advancing the rights of women and non-binary persons. Located on Larrakia Land in Darwin, we support women across the Top End Region of the Northern Territory to access integrated, trauma-informed, and culturally safe free legal and client support services. TEWLS is an accredited community legal centre, a member of Women’s Legal Services Australia, and a specialist domestic, family and sexual violence (‘DFSV’) service.

WHAT YOU WILL DO

The Principal Lawyer is responsible for supervising the legal practice and ensuring the service’s compliance with Community Legal Centre Australia’s risk management framework, as well as legal and regulatory requirements. The Principal Lawyer will lead and operate TEWLS’ legal and client support practices in line with the service’s Strategic Plan, providing leadership, coordination and supervision in the provision of high quality, trauma-informed, culturally safe and holistic legal assistance, including legal advice, casework and representation (litigation), and legal information and referral within TEWLS’ practice areas.

In this role, you will:

• Oversee and ensure the quality of legal and client support work undertaken by the service;
• Hold and maintain a strong level of technical competence in TEWLS’ core practice areas, including court representation at Northern Territory and Federal Courts, negotiations, and alternative dispute resolution processes;
• Lead and work collaboratively within the TEWLS Legal Practice, comprising the Family and Civil Law Practice and Sexual Assault Legal Service, and more broadly, the TEWLS team, including client support workers, to ensure legal and client support services are trauma-informed and well-integrated to meet client needs; and
• Alongside the TEWLS CEO, lead and contribute to the strategic goals and operations of the service, including involvement in community legal education and law reform work.

ABOUT YOU

We’re looking for a practitioner who:

• Identifies as a woman, trans or non-binary person
• Holds or is able to hold a practising certificate with a minimum of seven (7) years PAE
• Has demonstrated management, legal supervision, mentoring and leadership experience
• Is reliable, organised and detail-oriented
• Is able to listen to and manage difficult conversations
• Is committed to promoting the interests of women
• Enjoys working in a fast-paced environment

WHAT WE WILL OFFER YOU

At TEWLS, we offer:

• Competitive remuneration package – EO2 ($176,699.00), plus 12% superannuation
• Salary packaging of everyday living expenses as well as meals and entertainment (adding approx. $5,500.00 to your take-home pay)
• Generous leave entitlements – 6 weeks annual leave plus 17.5% loading, 3 weeks personal leave, and 3 gifted days over Christmas/New Year
• No billable targets, sustainable workloads, and a supportive environment dedicated to developing and maintaining employee wellbeing and resilience, including monthly external trauma supervision
• The opportunity to lead a front-line, supportive and integrated practice to address gender inequity and support vulnerable women and non-binary persons in the community
• Flexible working arrangements, including work-from-home
• Relocation assistance – up to $3,000 for eligible interstate candidates

Apply

To submit your application, please click “Apply Now” by the closing date. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis.

If you have any questions about the role, please email Rachael Hillier, Office Manager, at [email protected] using the subject line: Principal Lawyer enquiry via EthicalJobs.

TEWLS 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.

TEWLS encourages people from all backgrounds to apply, particularly those that identify as part of LGBTIQA+ community, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, people from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) backgrounds, and people with disabilities.

A position description is attached.