Civil Law / Community Legal Education Lawyer

• Permanent, full time (35 hours per week)
• Bankstown (hybrid work available)
• Community Legal Centre incorporating domestic and family violence services.
• Salary: SCHADS Level 5 + super
• Flexible work conditions, salary packaging to increase take-home pay, 5 weeks annual leave plus leave loading, additional Gratis leave at Christmas.

You're a civil lawyer with strong technical skills, sound judgement and a genuine commitment to social justice. You bring solid experience in civil law casework and advocacy — particularly in Victim Services, domestic financial abuse and motor vehicle accident property damage matters — and you're confident working with clients facing disadvantage and complex, intersecting issues. You communicate clearly across both legal and plain-language settings, build strong relationships with community organisations and stakeholders, and are motivated by the opportunity to coordinate community legal education and law reform initiatives that improve access to justice for the community across South West Sydney.

About Justice Support Centre

Justice Support Centre is a Not-for-Profit organisation committed to providing timely, effective, and high-quality legal services to the community. We focus on delivering legal support through telephone advice, face-to-face consultations, legal representation, community legal education, and participation in law reform activities. We primarily assist clients who are financially-disadvantaged, as well as victim-survivors of domestic violence & family violence, in addition to other priority criteria.

About the role

The primary purpose of this position is to provide high quality civil law advice, casework, advocacy and representation to clients. The secondary purpose of the role is to coordinateJSC's community legal education, community and stakeholder engagement, and law reform advocacy activities that improves access to justice, strengthens community partnerships, and enhances the impact and profile of Justice Support Centre across South West Sydney.

Nature and Scope of Position

Legal Work (approx. 3 days pw)

Provide high quality legal advice, information, and casework to clients by:

• providing timely, high quality and effective casework, advocacy, and representation to clients in accordance with Justice Support Centre’s policies and procedures
• delivering legal assistance in the position's focus areas of Victim Services, domestic financial abuse and motor vehicle accident property damage matters, while contributing to other civil law areas as required
• monitor legal, procedural and media developments relevant to JSC civil law focus areas as well as emerging legal trends and service gaps and provide updates to relevant Justice Support Centre staff
• contribute to the Centre’s law reform, policy and systemic advocacy work, including drafting submissions, participation in CLCNSW networks, working groups, communities of relevant to the position's practice areas
• working collaboratively with community organisations, referral partners and internal stakeholders to improve access to legal assistance for priority client groups and increase the legal profile of JSC in the South West Sydney area.

Civil Law – Focus Area

This role primarily covers:

• Civil Law, including Victim Services, domestic financial abuse and motor vehicle accident property damage. You may also contribute to other practice areas depending on community needs and Centre priorities.

Justice Support Centre is a Generalist Legal Centre and as such provides advice and casework services across a broad cross-section of areas of law. This position is required to effectively contribute to and participate in such a generalist environment, however the emphasis of this position will be in the Focus Area to the extent determined from time to time by the Principal Solicitor.

Community Legal Education & Engagement (approx. 2 days pw)

To manage the community legal education program for the Legal Service, in consultation with the Assistant Principal Solicitor and Principal Solicitor, including:

• coordinating and delivering accessible, high-quality community legal education and training that builds legal capability and improve access to justice for community members and community workers
• developing, reviewing, and maintaining plain language legal information resources for the community, community workers and other avenues of delivery Justice Support Centre may employ from time to time
• maintaining, updating and developing new marketing and promotional resources for the Legal Service
• collaborating with external and internal stakeholders to plan, develop, implement and evaluate legal education and training sessions
• consulting with external and internal stakeholders to identify community legal education and information needs of the community and community workers
• raising the legal team’s and JSC’s profile and increasing referrals, education and community legal education opportunities
• representing the Legal Service at stakeholder events and meetings
• reviewing and updating the Legal Service website as required in consultation with the Communications Manager
• contribute to law reform opportunities as they arise.

General Functions and Responsibilities

• remain generally informed about social issues affecting the community and the community sector in the Liverpool Fairfield and Canterbury Bankstown local government areas (Catchment Area) and the wider environment
• assist in the compilation and production of the Centre’s publications
• adhere to and work within codes of practice relevant to the legal profession
• undertake training such as to develop and maintain skills and qualifications necessary to effectively fulfil your position, including complying with professional requirements for mandatory continuing legal education
• maintain an up to date working knowledge of the law and practice and procedure and professional requirements and obligations relevant to the position
• maintain a working familiarity with office equipment required within the position
• attend and participate actively in meetings, staff appraisals and Centre planning activities, including planning days, as required
• undertake your own practice’s word processing and file management requirements.

Accountability and Administration

• develop annual work plans
• collect and record data for all activities relating to legal advice, referral, casework, community engagement, and non-casework in accordance with the Centre’s processes
• accept direction from and be responsible to the Assistant Principal Solicitor.

Common Team Functions and Responsibilities

• work collaboratively with other team members by sharing skills, resources, projects and ideas
• respect and work within the codes of behaviour, policies, and procedures of the Centre
• encourage and maintain an atmosphere of harmony in the workplace by promoting and observing ethical practices and professionalism.

Essential and Desirable Criteria

Essential Criteria:

• current NSW Law Society practising certificate or eligible to obtain same prior to commencement of employment
• demonstrated 2+ years PAE experience in civil law, including Victim Services
• demonstrated ability to design and deliver plain language legal based education & information workshops
• demonstrated ability to build and maintain effective relationships with community stakeholders and organisations
• demonstrated ability to work as part of a multi-disciplinary team
• excellent and flexible written and verbal communication and interpersonal skills
• demonstrated understanding of and commitment to social justice issues and those experiencing economic, social, and cultural disadvantage and lack of access to legal services
• good computer literacy, in particular word processing and the efficient preparation of your own correspondence and file management
• current driver licence and availability of own motor vehicle for work use.

Desirable Criteria:

• demonstrated advanced litigation and related court advocacy experience in the Focus Areas of law
• demonstrated experience in other areas of law including consumer, credit & debts, motor vehicle property damage, AVOs & family law.

How to apply for this position

1. Apply with your cover letter, detailing how your skills and experience meet the essential and preferred criteria along with your resume.
2. Please address the essential and preferred criteria in full. Applications that do not address the essential criteria will not be considered.

Contact Person: Enquiries about the roles should be emailed to Liz Simpson, Principal Solicitor, liz.simpson@jsc.org.au using the subject line: Civil Law / Community Legal Education Lawyer enquiry via EthicalJobs.

The preferred applicants will be required to undergo a Working with Children Check and a National Police Records Check.