Job Reference: 366916143

Solicitor V ACLU - Full-time - Family Law - Central Sydney - Ongoing & Talent Pool

 

 

About us

 

Legal Aid NSW helps people with their legal problems. We can help people with most areas criminal law, family law and every day civil law legal issues. We give legal advice, help at court and do family dispute resolution. We can do this over the telephone or at one of our 28 offices.

 

The Appeals and Complex Litigation Unit is a specialist unit within the Family Law Division of Legal Aid NSW. Solicitors within that Unit:

• Provide advice and assistance to solicitors in the in-house practice,
• Aid in the delivering of high quality legal services to our clients.
• Conduct complex litigation and appeals in accordance with Legal Aid NSW policies and guidelines.
• Develop written resources targeted towards solicitors who undertake work on behalf of our client group.
• Participate in working groups and contribute to submissions on law reform issues.

 

About the role

We’re looking for an experienced lawyer to join our Appeals and Complex Litigation Unit in Family Law. In this ongoing full-time role, you’ll take on complex legal cases and appeals, providing expert advice to junior lawyers and guiding them through difficult legal matters. You’ll act as a key point of contact for internal legal teams, offering support and practical solutions. This role also involves contributing to law reform efforts and working on important projects to improve legal services.

 

About you

You are an experienced lawyer with a solid background in family law, child protection, or administrative law. You:

• Have handled complex court cases or appeals.
• Write clearly and effectively, especially when preparing legal documents.
• Enjoy mentoring junior lawyers and helping them develop their skills.
• Work well with others in a team environment.
• Care about social justice and are committed to supporting clients through challenging times.
  
  

This role is ideal for someone who wants to make a real difference by sharing their expertise, supporting junior staff, and helping families through complex legal issues.

We may use this recruitment to create a talent pool for similar ongoing or temporary vacancies we have over the next 18 months.

 

 

WHY YOU SHOULD JOIN LEGAL AID NSW!

 We are committed to diversity and inclusion

 

We are committed to creating a culturally safe and genuinely inclusive organisation and workplace for everyone who works and interacts with us. We strive to be a place where people from diverse backgrounds want to work, where voices and cultures are valued and where people feel valued, welcomed, respected and heard.

 

We want a workforce that reflects our clients, so we can deliver a service that meets the needs of the community. We welcome applications from people with diverse backgrounds — 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 an 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 erecruitment@legalaid.nsw.gov.au.

 

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.

  

The essential requirements for this role

 

You must:

 

• be admitted or be eligible for admission as a legal practitioner in NSW
• be able to provide a current NSW Practising Certificate and Working With Children Check before you start work with us
• be willing to do a Criminal Record Check and Working with Children Check
•  hold Australian or NZ citizenship, Australian Permanent Residency (for ongoing vacancies) or a valid visa to work in Australia (for temporary vacancies)
• have a NSW Driver Licence and willingness to drive

 

How to apply

 

You MUST submit your application online through iworkfor.nsw.gov.au. If you submit your application late or by email it will NOT be accepted.

 

Your application must include:

 

•  your resume (no more than 5 pages)
•  cover letter (no more than 2 pages). In your cover letter, please address the below two target questions:

 

1. Please outline your experience conducting complex litigation or appeals in administrative law, child protection or family law.
2. Please outline your experience providing complex legal and strategic advice to other lawyers (by way of mentoring/supervision/guidance).

 

 

Make sure your application is complete and you have answered all questions before you submit it.

 

Do you need help to apply?

 

It’s important to properly prepare before you apply for a role. Here is some other information to help you:

 

•  If you have questions about the role, you can contact the Hiring Manager – Kerri Phillips on +61 2 9219 5932 or email: kerri.phillips@legalaid.nsw.gov.au 
•  If you are an Australian Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander and are thinking about applying, you can contact the Aboriginal Services Branch to arrange a confidential conversation about any questions you may have.
• The Role Description sets out the responsibilities of the role.
• The focus capabilities and key accountabilities in the role description indicate what is expected at that level. Being familiar with these will help you understand what the panel will be looking for in the successful candidate. 
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•  Working at Legal Aid NSW