Job title:
Senior Solicitor
Reporting to:
Managing Lawyer, Tasmania/Victoria
About the Organisation Environmental Defenders Office (EDO) is the leading environmental law practice in the Australia Pacific Region delivering legal solutions for people, nature and our climate.
Our vision is for a world where nature thrives. We are ambitious about the role we can play in delivering that vision and we have an incredible team across the country working to achieve it.
We are dedicated to protecting our climate, communities and shared environment by providing access to justice, running ground‑breaking litigation and leading law reform advocacy.
As the region’s legal experts in our field, we aim to be a brave, unified, and focused team, committed to inclusion and excellence in all that we do.
The opportunity We are looking for a talented lawyer with demonstrated planning and environmental and/or administrative law experience to join our team.
This role offers the opportunity to work across human rights, climate change, country and cultural heritage matters and environmental law and offers a high level of autonomy.
Lawyers who think outside the box and want a chance to think creatively about delivering systemic change are strongly encouraged to apply.
Candidate Profile You are a lawyer looking for an opportunity to use your skillset and experience to work with the largest public interest environmental law centre in the region.
You will have strong PAE working as a lawyer in environmental or administrative law. You want to work at the intersect of climate justice, human rights, the rights of First Nations and the environment and want an opportunity to make an impact for peoples and nature.
Key selection criteria
An unrestricted practising certificate with 5+ years post admission experience
Demonstrated experience in administrative and/or planning and environmental law
Strong problem‑solving skills and ability to make sound judgements and decisions based on consideration of different views
Demonstrated ability to work productively and to deadlines
Excellent oral and written communication skills suited to a range of audiences
Demonstrated litigation experience in administrative, human rights or environmental law and/or related disciplines
Demonstrated ability to mentor and contribute to the performance of junior legal staff
Capacity to undertake law reform or policy, experience desirable
Demonstrated experience working with First Nations people or diverse communities and individuals highly desirable
Personal qualities and cultural competency
A champion of the EDO values
Strong initiative and self‑motivation
Commitment to the protection of human rights and the environment
A solid sense of ethics and understanding of professional obligations
Demonstrated awareness of and sensitivity to the needs and concerns of First Nations and peoples from diverse cultures, backgrounds and orientations in both the delivery of our work and our internal culture
Demonstrated ability to work in a collaborative and team‑based environment
Our Culture and Benefits
The chance to be part of the largest environmental legal practice in the Australia-Pacific
A very flexible and family‑friendly workplace
8 weeks paid parental leave, regardless of gender or carer status
15 days personal/carer’s leave
20 days annual leave
3 days paid cultural leave
Extra leave over the Christmas period
Ability to attend NAIDOC week events
ICIP and Colonial Loading protection within employment contract
Access to Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
Option to work from the office or from home
EDO proudly has a JEDI (Justice, Equality, Diversity, Inclusion) Committee and a Mental Health Ambassador Committee, and has developed a First Nations Program with the aid of Indigenous‑led consultancies.
Affinity groups for the following: Global Majority, LGBTQIA+ & People with Disability
*Global Majority is a collective term that first and foremost speaks to and encourages those so-called, to think of themselves as belonging to the majority on planet earth. It refers to people who are Black, African, Asian, Brown, dual‑heritage, indigenous to the global south, and or, have been racialised as ‘ethnic minorities’.
Our Values Commitment
– We are committed to a united organisation, to each other, to collaboration, to justice, to our communities and to creating a world where nature thrives.
Diversity
– We are respectful of and welcome diversity of staff, volunteers, offices, environmental regions, communities, stakeholders.
Integrity
– We work effectively, efficiently, strategically, professionally, and ethically; “justice is in our nature”.
Vision
– We lead change and environmental empowerment using innovation, creativity, and courage.
Applications will be assessed as they are received Applications will be assessed as they are received. We encourage you to submit your application as soon as possible to be considered for this role.
Applications must include a CV and a letter that addresses each of the selection criteria.
Please note Your application may be considered for future roles at the EDO within the next 12 months without additional advertising. Please notify us in your application if you would not like to be considered for similar roles beyond this recruitment.
Accessibility and health requirements If you have any accessibility needs for the recruitment or interviewing process, please let us know in your application or by emailing
[email protected]
EDO is not issuing a vaccination mandate. EDO staff have the option to share vaccination details within the EDO HRIS system, EDO will maintain this record of vaccination status of EDO employees, however if staff do not wish to disclose this information, it will not be enforced.
Working with clients face‑to‑face
EDO works with diverse peoples and groups across the Australian and Pacific communities, including people who are considered a high‑risk group in terms of COVID‑19.
In order to ensure the safety of all EDO employees and the people we work with and around, staff visiting overburdened communities are required to take a COVID‑19 test three (3) days prior and on the day of travel to the overburdened community.
Other Information All offers of employment may be subject to satisfactory background checks including a National Police Check, disclosure of previous or current disciplinary action, referee checks, proof of eligibility to work in Australia and qualification checks.
The National Indigenous Times acknowledges and pays respect to past and present Traditional Custodians and Elders of this nation. We recognise Aboriginal Community's continuing connection to their lands, waters and stories and acknowledge that sovereignty has never been ceded.
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