Position Description

 

 

Position Title

  

Pro Bono Lawyer/Trainee Lawyer

 

 
Position Status Full-time to Part Time (minimum 0.8FTE) – Fixed term 2 years

 
Award Classification of role at Womens Legal SCHADS Modern Award 3 or 4
Position Reports to Managing Lawyer, WLSV
Position Supervises Nil

We specialise in the defence of accident compensation claims. Our biggest client is WorkSafe and we are on the Victorian Government Legal Services panel and the majority of our work is acting for the public sector.

IDP are partnering with Women’s Legal Service Victoria as part of our pro bono commitment. We will be providing a full time secondee to Women’s Legal. While you will be part of the IDP Family, you will be embedded in the legal practice team of Women’s Legal as a secondee.

Women’s Legal Service Victoria

Women’s Legal Service Victoria is a specialised and state-wide organisation providing services and support to women since 1982. WLSV exists to help build a gender equitable society, driving systemic change and advocating for solutions for equality, safety and economic security. WLSV is committed to working alongside women experiencing disadvantage to promote their rights to live free from violence. They use their experience to inform their policy, law reform and education work.

WLSV provides legal services within a multi-disciplinary and trauma-informed practice in the areas of family law, family violence, victims of crime, migration, child protection and victims of crime assistance. Their model incorporates social work and financial counselling to provide wrap-around support to our clients.

Women’s Legal Service Victoria Legal and Policy Teams

The  Legal and Policy teams comprise lawyers, policy managers, social workers, financial counsellors, paralegals, and administrators. They provide legal advice and ongoing representation, together with wraparound supports, to women experiencing significant disadvantage in the areas of family law, family violence, child protection, migration and victims of crime assistance. WLSV’s direct client work informs our cross-jurisdictional policy and law reform work. The Lawyer will provide high quality legal advice and representation to women experiencing disadvantage.

Position Objectives

This position provides an opportunity to contribute to the scope of legal services provided by WLSV. Under the supervision and guidance of the Managing Lawyer you will work within the Legal team to deliver advice, advocacy and casework support to clients. This involves working collaboratively with members of our legal team to draft correspondence, take instructions from clients, prepare briefs and conduct legal casework. Additionally, you will have the opportunity to participate in policy, education, law reform and litigation activities.

If you are not yet admitted to practise, you will be provided with a professional development and training program designed to equip you with the foundational skills and knowledge you need to meet requirements for admission to legal practice and begin your career as a lawyer.  The Trainee Lawyer role will involve undertaking the College of Law Practical Legal Training program.

Once you are admitted to practice, you will provide high quality legal advice and representation in family law (property and parenting), family violence and/or victims of crime applications to the Financial Assistance Scheme for clients experiencing family violence and disadvantage. Your practice will include litigation, in court advocacy (other than trials)and family dispute resolution.

This role will contribute to the Legal & Policy team’s strategic advocacy priorities and outcomes.

Key Responsibilities

Casework under supervision

  • Assist with legal casework matters with an emphasis on cross-jurisdictional matters that may include family law, family violence, child protection, migration and victims of crime assistance
  • Work with clients, respond to inquiries, receive instructions, and offer referrals when needed
  • Prepare briefs for solicitors or counsel
  • Undertake legal research
  • Complete administrative tasks, manage files, and carry out data collection procedures
  • Collaborate with other client facing staff and external stakeholders to deliver client services as required

Education, Law Reform & Policy

  • Contribute to policy and law reform work including submissions and reports
  • Attend WLSV Education & Engagement activities

General

  • Contribute to a healthy, productive group culture where work practices, decision making and behaviour reflect WLSV’s feminist philosophy and values.
  • Engage in internal staff and planning meetings, as well as supervision and performance review processes
  • Participate in professional growth opportunities, including attending Practical Legal Training (where applicable)
  • Perform other duties as directed and necessary for the proper performance of the role

Position Requirements

Skills, Knowledge, and Behaviour

The following skills are required to be demonstrated:

  • Excellent analytical and research skills
  • Excellent oral and written communication skills, with demonstrated ability to foster constructive working relationships with staff, clients, external stakeholders, and organisations
  • Advanced ability to sensitively communicate with a diverse range of people whilst having understanding and empathy for their complex needs, including people with cognitive impairment or language barriers, alcohol or other drug dependence, and people experiencing homelessness
  • Ability to maintain consistent standards of quality service

Qualifications and Experience

The following qualifications and experience are required for the position:

  • Tertiary qualification in Law at the time of commencement of the position
  • Strong academic record, with a demonstrated interest in legal issues affecting women
  • Commitment to social justice and women’s rights
  • Admission to practice in the State of Victoria (preferred).

Shared Organisational Requirements

Women’s Legal Service Victoria has the following expectations of all its employees and therefore also anyone seconded to their organisation.

Values and Behaviours WLSV works within a feminist framework, which means that we work:

 

Alongside women, promoting ‘power with’ or ‘power for’ our clients, rather than being complicit in a legal system that maintains ‘power over’ their clients

 

In a way that is woman-focussed, engaging the whole person, appreciating the complexity of her situation and supporting women to address all of their needs

 

As part of a movement for social change to challenge the social, political, economic and legal structures that oppress women. WLSV lawyers work as equal partners with everyone with whom they work, recognising their strengths and unique contributions. WLSV takes up a leadership role, when they can be most effective by engaging or influencing others

 

It is through this framework, that high quality services are delivered to clients. It also defines how they treat each other.

 

Employees and secondees have an important role to play in upholding WLSV’s ethics and values, including the Code of Conduct.
Safe Workplace Actions The responsibilities of this position are completed in line with organisational Occupational Health and Safety (OH&S) policies and procedures. The incumbent will display and promote safe actions

in the workplace at all times.
Policies and Procedures The responsibilities of this position are completed in line with all

WLSV policies related to the position. As an employee of IDP Lawyers, IDP’s policies will also apply.
Legislative Framework The responsibilities of this position are completed in line with the

relevant legislative framework of the position’s team.

Equal Opportunity Employer

IDP Lawyers and Women’s Legal Service Victoria  are Equal Opportunity Employers committed to promoting a diverse and inclusive workforce and we strongly encourage Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to apply for positions within our organisations. We support principles of self-determination by increasing Aboriginal employment. We recognise that our workforces can benefit greatly from the unique knowledge, skills and expertise of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in achieving a culturally safe and responsive service for our clients.

Child Safety

Women’s Legal Service Victoria (WLSV) is committed to protecting children and vulnerable people who have contact with their service. It is a condition of employment for all staff or secondees to have a Working with Children Check. This must be provided at the time of appointment, and maintained for the duration of employment.

National Criminal History Check

It is a condition of employment for all staff and secondees to WLSV to produce a current National Criminal History Check.

GENDER SPECIFIC ROLE

Women’s Legal Service Victoria relies upon an exception under the Equal Opportunity Act to employ women only.