Senior Solicitor – Legal Officer Grade IV - Aboriginal Women Leaving Custody (AWLC) program - Civil Law Service for Aboriginal Communities – Central Sydney – Full time – Temporary-00009O9K
Senior Solicitor – Legal Officer Grade IV - Aboriginal Women Leaving Custody (AWLC) program - Civil Law Service for Aboriginal Communities – Central Sydney – Full time – Temporary – up until 30 June 2025
About us
Legal Aid NSW helps people experiencing disadvantage with their legal problems. We can help people with criminal, family and civil law issues. We give legal advice, represent people at courts and tribunals and provide family dispute resolution. Assistance is available over the telephone or at one of our 27 offices.
Our commitment to diversity and inclusion
Legal Aid NSW is committed to being a culturally safe and genuinely inclusive organisation and workplace for all people and communities that work with and interact with us, where people feel valued, welcomed, respected and heard.
We want people with diverse backgrounds to apply — including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, people with disability, the LGBTQI+ community, culturally diverse people and other diverse communities. We acknowledge, support and accommodate the diverse access needs of people with visible and invisible disabilities. If you need a reasonable adjustment to participate in the recruitment process, or you’d like information about what we can do to help you, please contact our team at .
We strive to be a place where Aboriginal people want to work and where Aboriginal voices and culture are valued. Our commitment to having culturally safe workplaces, means that we will actively engage in culturally safe practices and deliver culturally safe services to Aboriginal people and communities. For Aboriginal specific information regarding working at Legal Aid NSW, our Aboriginal Staff network, career development opportunities and support systems please email: .
Other benefits of working with us
· You will have access to training, development and mentoring opportunities.
· We are an accredited Flex Ready certified employer and are recognised as leaders in the area of flexible work. Most of our staff work flexibly — for example, from home some of the time or in a way that helps them balance family and work life.
About the team
The Civil Law Service for Aboriginal Communities (CLSAC) is an interdisciplinary team within the Civil Law Division that delivers holistic, client-centred and culturally responsive services by phone and outreach to Aboriginal clients and communities. CLSAC works with Aboriginal communities and community workers to increase their capacity to deal with civil law problems and to work in partnership with other legal and non-legal services. The Aboriginal Women Leaving Custody (AWLC) program sits within CLSAC. AWLC addresses the civil law needs of Aboriginal women while they are in custody, to reduce barriers to housing on the transition back into the community, as well as reducing other factors that may contribute to ongoing disadvantage. AWLC staff provide civil law advice and casework services to women in custody at Silverwater Correctional Centre, with the program expanding to the Mid-North Coast Correctional Centre at Kempsey.
About the role
In this role you will:
1. provide legal advice, assistance, and casework
2. supervise solicitors and staff
3. attend outreach with a focus on Silverwater Correctional Centre and provide advice to clients at other correctional centres across NSW
4. provide community legal education
5. work directly with stakeholders and service partners
The position will be based in the Central Sydney Legal Aid office with travel to Silverwater Correctional Centre and other correctional centres as required.
We may use this recruitment to create a talent pool for similar ongoing or temporary vacancies we have over the next 18 months.
About you
You’re a lawyer with experience in providing legal advice and casework services to Aboriginal people. You will:
6. be able to provide high quality advice, minor assistance and representation services to Aboriginal women leaving custody who have complex needs.
7. have experience managing a diverse high-volume legal practice.
8. be willing to work with stakeholders and communities, and deliver targeted outreach services, designed to promote access and equity.
The essential requirements for this role
You must:
9. be admitted or be eligible for admission as a legal practitioner in NSW
10. be able to provide a current NSW Practising Certificate before you start
11. have a Drivers Licence
12. have the ability to travel to regional and remote areas
13. be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 before you start
14. be willing to undertake a Criminal Record Check
15. hold Australian or New Zealand citizenship or Australian permanent residency (for ongoing vacancies) or a valid visa to work in Australia (for temporary vacancies).