Aboriginal Identified role
- Senior leadership position
- Salary package up to $164k
This vacancy is an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander identified recruitment under Part 5, clause 26 of the Government Sector Employment (General) Rules 2014.
Legal Aid NSW considers that being Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander is a genuine occupational qualification under Section 14 of the Anti-Discrimination Act 1977 (NSW). Applicants for this role must satisfy the Aboriginality criteria. Aboriginality is defined by descent through parentage, identification as being Aboriginal and being accepted in the community as such. In the pre-screening questions you will need to provide information on how you satisfy the Aboriginality criteria.
**WHY YOU SHOULD JOIN LEGAL AID NSW**
Legal Aid NSW is the largest legal aid agency in Australia, comprising of a Central Sydney office and 28 regional offices in metropolitan and regional centres across NSW including the two satellite offices located at Walgett and Bourke, and a number of specialist services and advice clinics. Working at Legal Aid NSW provides the opportunity to support people with disabilities, people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, women and children, Indigenous people and people with mental illness who may experience difficulties when enforcing and defending their rights.
We believe a workforce that reflects our clients is important in delivering a service that meets the needs of community and are proud to say we have the largest number of Aboriginal solicitors in any legal practice in NSW. We are aiming for 11% of all staff to be Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander.
Legal Aid NSW is committed to providing culturally safe workplaces, actively engaging in culturally safe practices and to delivering culturally safe services to Aboriginal people and communities. Legal Aid NSW strives to be an organisation where Aboriginal people want to work, where we value Aboriginal voices and culture, and where we are on a journey of healing and learning together.
We offer flexible work arrangements to all our staff. Most of our staff work flexibly.
**ABOUT THE ROLE**
Legal Aid NSW operates two offices in Newcastle which cover the broad catchment of Greater Newcastle and the Hunter Region. There is a Criminal Law office in Hunter St Newcastle with its own Solicitor in Charge. This new role is for the second office which is the Family and Civil Law Office in Bolton St Newcastle. The criminal law Solicitor in Charge has historically managed both offices, but this has become unsustainable with the multi-jurisdictional practices spread over two sites and 55 staff.
We have therefore decided to create this significant new role of Solicitor in Charge Family and Civil Law
- Aboriginal Identified to manage the staff and service delivery for the Bolton St Office. This role has been Identified in recognition of the communities we serve and the process of healing and connection to rebuild trust with those communities. The role is one of Legal Aid NSW's senior leaders and will therefore contribute to and shape the future of our organisation.
The two Newcastle Solicitors in Charge will work collaboratively on a regional service plan and will also collaborate on staff development and well
- being, stakeholder engagement and the development and implementation of Cultural Safety Plans for the two offices.
The primary purpose of the role is to:
- Lead and manage the day-to-day activities of the Bolton St Office to ensure the effective use of resources to deliver high-quality services that meet the needs of clients and the community.
- Develop key relationships with internal and external stakeholders including the private profession, legal assistance providers, community and the courts.
- Take the lead on ensuring the well-being of staff and the fostering of a secure, respectful, and collegial office culture
- Conduct and lead a small legal practice whilst prioritising leadership of the office.
**ABOUT YOU**
You will be a highly experienced Family and/or Civil Law practitioner with experience managing staff and engaging with stakeholders. You will be passionate about serving the Newcastle and Hunter communities and building trust and relationships with community to make sure we are serving our clients respectfully and meeting their needs. You will be a compassionate and principled person who can lead by example in growing cultural safety practices in the office for both staff and clients. You will not be afraid to roll up your sleeves and do what is necessary to fulfil Legal Aid's objectives of making legal aid easily accessible to people experiencing disadvantage in Newcastle and the Hunter.
**ESSENTIAL REQUIREMENTS**
- Aboriginality
- Qualifications to practice as an Australian legal practitioner
- Admission or eligibility for admission as a legal practitioner in NSW
- Ability to provide a valid Practising Certificate upon commencement
- Current driver's
📌 Aboriginal Identified - Solicitor In Charge (Family
🏢 NSW Government -Legal Aid Commission, Office of the
📍 Newcastle