Criminal Defence Lawyer – Cairns | 2+ years PAE

$105,000–$140,000 plus superannuation | Full-time | Cairns

Civic Law is a specialist criminal defence practice in Cairns. We are looking for a lawyer with at least two years’ post-admission experience, gained substantially in criminal law, who is ready to take meaningful responsibility for clients and files.

You must hold, or be immediately eligible to hold, a current Queensland practising certificate. Relevant experience may have been gained in defence, prosecution, Legal Aid or ATSILS.

The role combines ownership of Magistrates Court criminal and domestic and family violence matters with a genuine pathway into increasingly complex criminal, District Court and coronial work.

The role

Your primary responsibility will be the conduct of criminal and domestic and family violence matters in the Magistrates Court. You will have your own clients and files, appear regularly and make practical decisions with immediate consequences.

You should already be able to conduct common appearances—including mentions, bail applications, pleas and sentences—with sound judgment and appropriate autonomy. You will be trusted to take responsibility while knowing when a matter requires input, discussion or escalation.

That work is the foundation of the role, not its ceiling.

The broader practice includes serious indictable matters, District Court proceedings and complex coronial work. From the outset, you will contribute to the preparation and strategy of those matters—working through the evidence, shaping case theory, preparing written submissions and taking part in client and counsel conferences.

As your role develops, you will also appear in suitable matters. The pace of that development will turn on your judgment and the quality of your work, not simply your years since admission.

When complex work is allocated to you, your ordinary caseload will be adjusted to make room for it—it will not simply be added on top.

Advocacy at Civic Law

Civic Law’s principal spent nine years practising as a criminal defence barrister at the independent Bar in New Zealand and now practises as a solicitor in Queensland, appearing regularly as a solicitor-advocate. Counsel is briefed where that is right for the client and the particular matter.

Advocacy remains part of the practice’s day-to-day work. Working directly with the principal, you will contribute to both preparation and appearance, and see how each informs the other.

The existing team comprises the principal lawyer, a practice manager and a receptionist. This is a newly created position as Civic Law grows, and you will join as the practice’s second lawyer. Dedicated practice-management and client-service support is already in place.

Technology

Technology is not an administrative layer around the legal work at Civic Law. It is how the practice operates.

Our client portal, app and connected workflows have been built specifically for the firm to support accurate file management, clearer communication and a better client experience.

You will need to learn new systems quickly, understand how they connect and use them reliably rather than creating parallel processes. You must maintain accurate digital files and deadlines and be able to navigate technology confidently and independently.

Digital capability is an essential requirement and will form part of the selection process.

What the position offers

• Salary of $105,000–$140,000 plus superannuation, depending on your criminal-law experience, advocacy and demonstrated file autonomy.

• Your workspace includes: a private, modern office approximately one minute’s walk from Cairns Courthouse; a new high-quality sit–stand desk and ergonomic chair; a new iMac; and a MacBook for court and flexible work.

• A court-compatible flexible model, including genuine scope to work from home in the afternoons when court and client commitments allow.

• Direct access to the principal, without layers of management between you and the person responsible for the practice and its matters.

How we work

We describe Civic Law as a low-ego practice, and recognise the slight contradiction in announcing it.

Low ego does not mean timid or unambitious—criminal advocacy requires confidence, judgment and presence. It means confidence without self-importance, candour without theatre, and never treating a task, a client or another person as beneath you.

Strong views are welcome. Status games are not. If you understand that distinction, we are interested in who you are.

Progression at Civic Law means more complex work, greater trust, increasing autonomy and a stronger voice in how the practice develops—not accumulating layers of hierarchy beneath you.

How to apply

Apply through SEEK with your CV and a brief note—no formulaic cover letter—telling us:

• What criminal and domestic and family violence work and appearances you currently undertake, and with what degree of autonomy.

• About a digital system or workflow you have learned, adopted or improved.

Applications will be treated confidentially.

Shortlisted candidates will be told the selection process in advance. It will include a brief practical exercise based on a fictional matter.