Salary Offering: VALS D 1.1 – 1.6 - $68,351.38 - $73,351.38(Full-time equivalent) per annum plus 11.5% Superannuation

Additional Benefits:

• 17.5% Leave Loading
• 5 extra days leave on top of 20 days annual leave
• Only required to work 35 hours per week, any extra hours worked will be calculated as your Time In Lieu (TOIL) – which you may use as additional leave hours
• Access to company vehicles for any work-related trips
• Salary packaging is available via Maxxia
• Office Locations: 273, High Street Preston Vic 3072
• Full -Time / Part -Time with option to extend based on funding and performance.

OVERVIEW OF THE ROLE:

To provide high quality secretarial and support services to the legal staff in the provision of criminal law assistance to members of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community in Victoria. This includes for the Criminal Law team and Balit Ngulu, a dedicated youth justice service that VALS makes available to young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. You will be operating as part of an integrated and diverse team that includes junior lawyers, senior lawyers, administration staff and client service officers.

Responsibilities

• Assist in the logging of client data recording including court dates on internal calendar systems.
• Undertake all secretarial tasks and associated file management tasks as provided by solicitors in relation to the ongoing file management of clients of the Service in areas of Criminal law, including youth justice law (overseen by Balit Ngulu).
• Prepare documentation for briefing Counsel or other professionals as directed, including photocopying, collating and arranging delivery.
• Assist in arranging appointments for clients or making contact with clients directly.
• Lodge and maintain Victoria Legal Aid grant applications within the ATLAS system as required, including invoice payments.
• Undertake filing of reports and other documentation on behalf of clients.
• Keep up to date with relevant procedures by attending professional education programs and maintain an understanding of issues impacting the justice system and members of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities of Victoria.
• Assisting our VALS reception including taking of incoming calls and assisting in person where necessary.
• As directed, undertake other administrative duties which are incidental and peripheral to the main tasks, provided that such duties are reasonably within the employee’s skills, competence and training.

Key Selection Criteria

• Demonstrated ability and experience as a legal secretary.
• Advanced skills in the use of MS Office 365 Software (particularly MS Word, Excel, E-mail) to a legal practice and the capacity to quickly acquire competency in the use of VALS’ client data base.
• Professional and courteous phone manner and interpersonal skills and the capacity to communicate effectively with members of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community, including young people and families.
• Works collaboratively with others and fosters a co-operative/supportive team environment.
• A commitment to the legal issues faced by members of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Community in Victoria including an ability to work with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and acknowledge their diverse backgrounds, personalities and varying needs and the unique cultural ways in which they may be expressed.

Personal accountability

• Compliance with all VALS values, code of conduct, policies and procedures and relevant government legislation and standards where relevant.
• Demonstrate a commitment to the principles of social justice and aim to ensure every individual is treated with dignity and respect regardless of their background, ability, ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation or religion.
• Ensure appropriate use of resources.
• Actively participate in initiatives to maintain, build upon and promote a positive and collaborative workplace.
• Take reasonable care for your own health & safety, and health and safety of others (to extent required)
• Maintain own self-care and wellbeing with support of line management.
• Promptly respond to and report health and safety hazards, incidents and near misses to management.
• Attend mandatory training sessions (i.e.. equal employment opportunity, health and safety, cultural safety) and mandatory training specific to position.