Deputy Principal Solicitor and Family Lawyer
Job No:
116960
Location:
Cairns & Townsville
- Two rewarding opportunities to utilise your legal skills to make a real difference in the lives of women in need of legal assistance!
- Enjoy an attractive remuneration circa $90,000 - $100,000 plus super for the Deputy Principal Solicitor role, and $80,000 - $90,000 plus super for the Family Lawyer, & NFP salary packaging!
- Live and work in either Cairns or Townsville, and experience the unique lifestyle opportunities on offer from the beaches to the vibrant local communities
About the Organisation
North Queensland Women's Legal Service (NQWLS) is a community legal centre, with offices in Townsville and Cairns. The NQWLS seeks to improve women’s access to justice and to promote change within the justice system. Solicitors are available in both the Cairns and Townsville offices, and is a free legal service for women by women. NQWLS can provide legal advice, casework assistance, and information and referrals for women who reside from Sarina in the south, to the Torres Strait in the north and west out to the Northern Territory border.
NQWLS provides information and referrals in all areas of law, specialising in family/domestic violence, family law (parenting and property), defacto matters (parenting and property), discrimination, sexual assault, child protection, and Victim Assist.
For more information about the organisation, visit their website here.
About the Opportunities
North Queensland Women's Legal Service Inc. currently have two full-time opportunities to join their established team. They are seeking a motivated Deputy Principal Solicitor for their Cairns office, and a Family Lawyer for their Townsville office.
For both these roles, your main responsibility will be to provide high quality, trauma-informed legal services, primarily in the areas of family law and domestic violence. This is your chance to practice law that truly matters.
Deputy Principal Solicitor:
In the newly created role, you will be responsible for supervising and supporting the Cairns legal team to ensure that information, advice and casework services are appropriate, efficient and effective. This will be achieved by:
- Providing high quality, holistic, trauma-informed legal services for women who have experienced domestic violence or family breakdown;
- Assisting with the supervision and support of the legal team in the Cairns office;
- Assisting with the accountability requirements of the legal practice;
- Assisting with the planning, delivery and evaluation of services, including community legal education and law reform activities; and
- Contributing to the collaborative team culture for staff and volunteers, consistent with the NQWLS Workplace Philosophy and Values.
The ideal candidate will be an experienced Family Lawyer, with a history in providing support to women who have experienced domestic violence or trauma. Supervisory experience will also be highly regarded, but more important is your attitude and motivation to provide legal support to those most in need.
Family Lawyer:
Reporting to the Principal Solicitor, as a Family Lawyer you will be joining the Townsville team. This is a contract role until June 2020.
Your key responsibilities will include, but not be limited to:
- Providing high quality, holistic, trauma-informed legal services for women who have experienced domestic violence or family breakdown;
- Ensuring all files are maintained to the highest standards, meeting relevant professional and ethical requirements;
- Participating in the community legal education and law reform activities undertaken by the NQWLS team; and
- Contributing to the collaborative team culture for staff and volunteers, consistent with the NQWLS Workplace Philosophy and Values.
NQWLS are open to applications from both experienced candidates as well as those with less experience, voluntary or professional, in a relevant area.
About You
For both roles, as a minimum you must be a Family Lawyer and hold (or be eligible for) an unrestricted Queensland Practising Certificate, along with a current drivers' licence.
Candidates with a caring and empathetic approach will best suit these positions, enabling you to work compassionately with a broad range of women, the majority of whom are seeking legal support and advice following trauma.
There will be a requirement to work autonomously with minimal supervision on a variety of tasks and projects, effectively managing competing deadlines whilst staying flexible enough to deal with urgent situations as required.
Your excellent interpersonal and communication skills will support NQWLS' vision to work holistically with the broader community, by providing education to address injustice and inequity experienced by women.
This is your chance to practice law that matters. You will need to enjoy solving legal problems creatively and tackling a variety of legal issues across a number of areas of law including family, domestic violence, civil and criminal.
Sound computer knowledge will also be a must.
About the Benefits
These are highly rewarding, community-focused roles, working with a multi-disciplinary team and with an organisation that truly makes a difference in the lives of women and children. You will be joining a team of resilient, passionate and dedicated individuals working together to support disadvantaged women.
In exchange for your hard work and dedication, you will be rewarded with an attractive base salary circa $90,000 - $100,000 for the Deputy Principal Solicitor role, and $80,000 - $90,000 for the Family Lawyer position (commensurate with skills and experience) plus super and access to an attractive not-for-profit salary sacrifice package. Relocation assistance can also be negotiated for candidates applying from interstate for the Deputy Principal Solicitor role.
These are challenging and rewarding positions, offering high levels of job satisfaction and a unique opportunity to shape the lives of women and children for the better.
Utilise your legal skills to help make a genuine difference to the lives of vulnerable women and children - Apply Now!