Policing and Generalist Solicitor

• Sydney based
• Permanent, full time or part time
• Supervision: Police Accountability Practice Lead, or Assistant Principal Solicitor

Redfern Legal Centre

Redfern Legal Centre is a non-profit community legal centre that promotes social justice and creates change. We provide free legal advice, legal services and education to people experiencing disadvantage in New South Wales. We drive innovation and change through policy and law reform work to address inequalities in the legal system, policies and social practices that cause disadvantage.

We provide effective and integrated free legal services that are client focussed, collaborative, non-discriminatory and responsive to changing community needs - to our local community as well as state-wide. Our specialist legal services focus on tenancy, credit, debt and consumer law, financial abuse, employment law, international students, First Nations justice, police accountability. We also provide outreach services including through our health justice partnership.

Position Overview

Redfern Legal Centre’s Police Accountability practice is a high impact, strategic practice that creates positive change for people and the community. The statewide practice provides advice on police complaints and responds to systemic issues that arise from our casework through test cases, advocacy and law reform.

The Solicitor provides advice and representation on police powers, police complaints, civil tort claims against police, minor criminal matters, traffic matters and challenging fines. The solicitor also undertakes advice and legal assistance work in the Generalist practice, in areas including discrimination, victims’ compensation, AVOs, Stolen Generations Reparations, National Redress Scheme, guardianship and government complaints.

The solicitor will contribute to our community legal education program and law reform activities and may supervise and assist the UNSW Police Powers Clinic. This role involves working with local and statewide organisations to identify systemic issues and develop policy, law reform and advocacy strategies to address these issues.

Position Responsibilities

• Conduct advice and casework in policing, criminal, traffic and generalist law.
• Prepare publications such as fact sheets and website material to assist clients to understand their rights.
• Conduct training on police powers for community workers, support workers and client/target group(s).
• Contribute to systemic policy and law reform work to achieve change in relation to police accountability.
• Contribute to Redfern Legal Centre through attendance at staff meetings, contribution to board and funding reports, assistance with intake including intake supervision shifts, and contribution to the effective implementation of our Reconciliation Action Plan.

Knowledge, skills and experience

Essential

• Qualified to practice as a solicitor in NSW and holds or is eligible to hold a current practising certificate and at least 2 years relevant post qualification experience.
• Demonstrated commitment to social justice.
• Demonstrated ability to take initiative, accept responsibility, and work with limited supervision providing advice and conducting casework on a range of civil and criminal legal issues, including police powers, minor criminal matters, traffic matters, fines, victims’ compensation, AVOs and discrimination.
• Demonstrated ability to work with people experiencing disadvantage, particularly Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, as well as people from non-English speaking backgrounds and people with disability.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills.
• Experience working collaboratively with team members and other organisations undertaking systemic law reform, policy and advocacy work, and delivering community legal education.

Conditions

Salary and benefits: $117,002 to $127,841 p.a. (pro rata for part time) depending on qualifications and experience.

Superannuation and annual leave loading are paid in addition to this and salary packaging is available.

Redfern Legal Centre offers a 35-hour working week, time in lieu options and a paid end of year closure of two weeks (including public holidays) on top of four weeks annual leave. We prioritise staff wellbeing through external debrief supervision, a generous training and professional development budget and flexible working conditions.

Applications

Applications close: 9am, on the closing date.

Your application should be no more than six pages long and should include a cover letter, your resume and must include responses to the selection criteria included in the job description. Applications are to be lodged through the link provided.

Redfern Legal Centre is a diverse and inclusive workplace. We strongly encourage applications from First Nations applicants, people from diverse cultural backgrounds and people with disability.

Inquiries should be directed to Alexis Goodstone on Alexis@rlc.org.au using the subject line: Policing and Generalist Solicitor enquiry via EthicalJobs.