The Organisation

Westjustice is a rights-based Community Legal Centre servicing Melbourne’s West on the lands of the Bunurong and Wurundjeri peoples and including the local government areas of of Wyndham, Maribyrnong, Hobsons Bay, Melton and Brimbank - a population of over a million people. Melbourne’s Western Suburbs are the thriving backbone of the state, and home to Australia’s most diverse and fastest-growing population.

Westjustice’s purpose is to deliver targeted services and drive meaningful change to achieve fairness, safety and justice for Melbourne’s West.

We work to uphold peoples’ rights by providing free legal, social work, financial counselling services, community engagement, and advocacy for systemic reform across the five impact areas of Workers’ Rights, Children and Young People’s Rights, Women and Gender Diverse people’s Rights, Economic and Housing Rights, and Our Team. We provide place-based, multi-disciplinary programs, and partner with values-aligned organisations to focus on servicing those most impacted by these issues, and to ensure people have access to the services they need where they need them.

Through our work, we consistently see complex legal issues and the cyclical impact they have on longer term justice, economic, health, and life outcomes. This is why our services and programs focus on prevention and early intervention in the cycle of economic precarity, criminalisation, violence and housing insecurity. It is also why we advocate for legal, social and policy reform to ensure the people of Melbourne’s West have access to services and the best version of justice.

Benefits & Culture

• Be a part of an organisation that 98% of our employees are proud to work for
• We pay 3% above the SCHADs award
• Not for profit salary packaging up to $15,900 per annum
• Flexible working conditions
• 17.5% annual leave loading
• Passionate, professional and dedicated team
• Gifted additional paid leave over the Christmas holiday period
• Strong focus on collaboration, wellbeing, inclusion and diversity

The Role

Westjustice’s Workers’ Rights Program is seeking to employ a Lawyer or Senior Lawyer on a 12-month, maximum term contract (with potential for a longer-term contract depending on availability of funding).

Working with a multidisciplinary team, you will provide legal advice and assistance for clients in employment and equality law matters, including for the Working Women’s Centre Victoria. You will also be required to coordinate and deliver legal education, information, and outreach services to our communities in Melbourne’s West. You may supervise, train and mentor junior staff or volunteers, and will assist the Program Managers to deliver legal services and projects.

Role Requirements

• Admitted as an Australian lawyer with an unrestricted practising certificate
• Legal practice experience in employment and discrimination law, including managing all aspects of casework and case management to a high standard
• Community legal education or equivalent experience (training or teaching) including experience preparing and delivering high quality, effective presentations or training
• Demonstrated experience contributing to systemic impact work, such as research, drafting or coordinating law reform submissions or policy briefings
• Strong commitment to social justice, community education and engagement, including a demonstrated understanding of the social context of law and the issues faced by communities experiencing vulnerability and/or disadvantage
•  Advocacy and litigation experience including in the Fair Work Commission, Australian Human Rights Commission, Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission and/or Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia would be an advantage.
  

This position is primarily based at our Sunshine office and will be required to work at our other offices and/or clinic sites as the need arises. Travel around the Western region of Victoria will be required for the role.

Remuneration

Salary is commensurate with experience under the Victorian Community Legal Centres Multi-Enterprise Agreement 2024-27 with additional financial benefits of 17.5% leave loading, generous salary packaging of up to $15,900 for general living expenses, accommodation and meal packaging plus statutory employer funded superannuation.

For more information about Westjustice, please visit our website (www.westjustice.org.au)

Please apply by submitting a cover letter and resume via clicking ‘Apply Now’.

Applicants will be screened as their application is received and if progressed, may be interviewed quickly. Please note, Westjustice may at its discretion cease advertising prior to 5pm on the advertised closing date subject to the number and suitability of applicants.

Alternatively, please contact Jennifer Jones on (03) 9749 7720 for a confidential discussion.

The successful applicant will require a current Working with Children’s Check and a Police Check or be prepared to apply for both.

Applicants must possess the right to work in Australia.

Westjustice is committed to building a diverse workforce. We strongly encourage applications from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, people living with a disability, people from diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds, mature age workers and LGBTIQA+ identifying people. People with lived experience of the justice system are encouraged to apply. A police check result does not automatically disqualify an application which in each case will be individually assessed for the relevant role. If you require any adjustments throughout the application or recruitment process please contact [email protected] Any information disclosed will be held in the strictest of confidence.