Legal Team Leaders

Lead lawyers who are changing lives and help shape the next generation of socially conscious legal practitioners.

• Above-Award Salary of $125K – $143K+ 12.75% Super + Salary Packaging
• Enjoy Six Weeks of Paid Leave each year, including Two Weeks' Ex-Gratia Leave over Christmas/New Year
• Step into genuine legal leadership with external supervision, leadership coaching and professional development
• Join a purpose-driven women's legal service advancing access to justice across North and Far North Queensland

Our Story

North Queensland Women’s Legal Service (NQWLS) is a community-based legal service that advocates for and empowers women through free, accessible and high-quality legal advice and assistance.

Since our establishment, we have delivered more than 165,000 legal services to women across North and Far North Queensland. Our impact extends beyond individual legal matters: we deliver community legal education and contribute to policy and law reform to address systemic injustice and inequity affecting women.

Our clients often come to us during some of the most difficult periods of their lives. Our work therefore requires more than legal expertise. We practise through a trauma-informed, feminist, intersectional and human-rights-based framework, with a strong commitment to the safety of women and children.

As our service continues to develop, we're looking for experienced lawyers who want to make their impact not only through their own legal work, but through the lawyers they lead.

The Opportunity

We have opportunities for Legal Team Leaders in Cairns and Townsville - QLD, each leading a team of locally based and remote lawyers and paralegals.

Reporting to the relevant Legal Practice Director, you'll take responsibility for the quality and effectiveness of legal service delivery while creating an environment in which lawyers can learn, develop and perform at their best.

This isn't simply a senior lawyer position with supervision added on.

NQWLS is committed to developing the next generation of legal practitioners, and many of the lawyers you'll support are building their careers. You'll be the person they can turn to for guidance on complex matters, professional obligations, court work and day-to-day practice.

You'll still remain connected to the law, maintaining a small caseload with a particular focus on more complex matters, while your broader impact comes through the capability and confidence you build across your team.

How You'll Make a Difference

Your leadership will directly influence both the experience of our people and the quality of legal support received by women across the region.

You'll:

• Lead, supervise and mentor lawyers and paralegals, including team members working remotely
• Oversee legal caseloads and ensure high-quality, trauma-informed advice, assistance and casework
• Review files and maintain high standards of client communication, documentation, record-keeping and professional compliance
• Guide lawyers through complex legal matters and court appearances
• Maintain a small caseload, particularly involving more complex matters
• Coordinate professional development and identify opportunities to build capability across the legal team
• Conduct performance reviews and work alongside the Legal Practice Director to manage performance and training needs
• Foster a respectful, collaborative and high-performing culture grounded in continuous learning
• Apply an understanding of trauma not only to client work, but to the way you support and lead people
• Contribute to Duty Lawyer Services, community legal education, policy and law reform initiatives
• Strengthen relationships with community, government and other stakeholders.

This is an opportunity to multiply your impact: your experience helps another lawyer grow, and their growth improves the support NQWLS can provide to more women.

What You'll Bring

You're an experienced legal practitioner who has reached the point in your career where developing people is as rewarding as resolving a difficult legal matter.

You know what good legal practice looks like and can set clear professional standards without losing the empathy required to lead people working in emotionally demanding areas of law.

You'll bring:

• A Bachelor's Degree in Law
• An unrestricted Practising Certificate as a solicitor of the Supreme Court of Queensland and High Court of Australia
• A minimum of five years' relevant and practical post-admission experience
• Demonstrated ability to deliver quality, trauma-informed legal advice and casework, particularly across family law, domestic violence and child protection
• The ability to supervise, mentor and develop legal practitioners
• Strong judgement and the confidence to guide others through complex matters
• Excellent interpersonal, communication, organisation and decision-making skills
• An understanding of community legal centres, social justice and human-rights issues affecting women
• A current Blue Card (Working with Children) - or the ability to obtain one
• A current C Class Driver Licence

Experience working with women affected by domestic violence, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women, culturally and linguistically diverse communities or within a community legal centre will be highly regarded.

Most importantly, you'll be someone who can combine high standards with humanity. You're patient enough to coach, confident enough to have difficult conversations, and motivated by seeing the people around you become better practitioners.

Supporting You as a Leader

Leadership shouldn't mean carrying everything alone.

NQWLS provides its Team Leaders with access to external supervision and leadership coaching/training, alongside an experienced network of colleagues across the organisation.

You'll also join an organisation with internal HR support and a strong focus on employee wellbeing — particularly important given the nature of the work undertaken by our teams.

The Benefits

In return for your expertise and leadership, you'll receive an above-award salary of $125,090 – $143,420 + 12.75% Super, alongside benefits designed to support your career and wellbeing.

These include:

• Relocation Assistance may be negotiated for the right candidate
• Six Weeks of Paid Leave each year — Four Weeks' Annual Leave + Two Weeks' Paid Ex-Gratia Leave over Christmas and New Year
• Generous Salary Packaging/Salary Sacrifice Arrangements to help maximise your take-home pay
• Access to External Supervision and Leadership Coaching/Training
• Internal and external professional development opportunities
• Access to EAP (Employee Assistance Program)
• A strong organisational focus on Employee Wellbeing
• On-Site Parking for the Cairns position

Beyond the package, you'll have something harder to quantify: the opportunity to use the experience you've built throughout your legal career to develop other lawyers, strengthen access to justice and help improve outcomes for women and children across North Queensland.

Ready to Lead With Purpose?

If you're an experienced lawyer who wants your next career move to be about more than your own caseload, this is your opportunity to make your expertise go further - APPLY NOW!