Inquests, Inquiries and Representation
Principal location – Parramatta. Flexible working arrangements may be negotiated.
Employment type – Ongoing (Full time, 35 hours).
Salary – Legal Officer – Grade 6, Base Salary ($165,865 - $169,359), plus employer's contribution to superannuation and annual leave loading.
Your role
This is a senior leadership opportunity to manage complex, sensitive and high‐profile inquests, inquiries and conduct litigation on behalf of the State. As a Solicitor Advocate in the Inquests, Inquiries and Representation team, you will lead advocacy and strategic legal work while supervising and mentoring a skilled legal team. The role offers meaningful public sector impact, exposure to significant matters including deaths in custody and commissions of inquiry, and the opportunity to shape legal practice, standards and capability within the Department.
What You'll Do
As part of the Inquests, Inquiries and Representation team within Legal, you will lead and manage highly complex litigation, advisory and inquiry matters. You will provide strategic legal advice, appear as a solicitor advocate, and supervise the delivery of high‐quality, client‐focused legal services across the team, including:
* Provide assistance in coronial inquests and inquiries
* Represent the Department in inquests, inquiries, courts and tribunals, including matters against senior and opposing counsel
* Represent the Commissioner of Corrective Services in inquests into deaths in custody
* Advise and represent the Attorney General in interstate prisoner transfer matters
* Represent witnesses before investigatory bodies such as ICAC and the Law Enforcement Conduct Commission
* Represent Youth Justice in the Children's Court with respect to parole matters
* Manage complex, contentious and sensitive cases of significance to the State
* Supervise and mentor solicitors (Grades I–V) and paralegal staff
* Review and settle complex legal documents including submissions, briefing notes and reports
* Contribute to legislative review, law reform initiatives and practice development
* Lead strategic legal projects and contribute to continuous improvement of legal services
* Work as part of a high‐performing, collaborative team of experienced litigators and advocates committed to excellence in public law practice.
What We're Looking For
* Extensive experience managing complex litigation, inquests or inquiries, with demonstrated capability to appear as a solicitor advocate in courts, tribunals or commissions of inquiry.
* Strong leadership experience supervising and mentoring legal practitioners, allocating work, monitoring performance and fostering a cohesive, high‐performing team.
* Demonstrated ability to manage sensitive, high‐profile matters involving multiple stakeholders, balancing competing priorities while maintaining professional and ethical obligations.
* Legal qualifications and eligibility to hold a practising certificate as a government legal practitioner issued by the NSW Law Society, with Condition 2 removed.
* Willingness to undertake travel for regional court and other commitments as required.
Benefits
* A challenging and rewarding career
* Flexible, autonomous work environment
* Competitive pay and conditions
* Training and development opportunities to build and maintain capabilities
* Health & Wellbeing and Employee Assistance Programs
Inclusion and Diversity
We continue to hire great people with a wide variety of skills, experience and backgrounds. This includes people with disability, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People, women, people identifying as LGBTIQ+, culturally and linguistically diverse people, carers and other diversity groups. To find out what our Department is doing to build an inclusive and diverse workforce, visit Inclusion and diversity on the DCJ website.
Applications
Applications close: Sunday, 15 March 2026 at 11:59pm AEDT.
To apply directly via the DCJ Careers site, search for the job and click the 'Apply now' button.
For more information about the role or what it's like to work for DCJ, please contact the hiring manager Lyncoln Chee at lyncoln.chee@justice.nsw.gov.au. If you need an adjustment in the recruitment process, contact Lois Jebin at lois.jebin@dcj.nsw.gov.au.
Contact
Recruitment adjustments can be found on the DCJ website. If you have any other questions, please reach out to the appropriate contact listed above.
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