Organisation : Justice Connect
Work type : Contract/Temporary
Sector : Law, Justice & Human Rights
Salary type : Annual Package
Application closing date : 22 Sep, 2021
About the organisation
An exciting opportunity has arisen to join one of Australia’s most successful public interest and social justice organisations. In the face of rising levels of unmet legal need, Justice Connect designs and delivers high impact interventions to increase access to legal support and progress social justice.
We are committed to taking an impact-focused approach, applying research and design principles to develop our products and services to ensure they make a tangible difference for our clients and sector peers.
We deliver services that assist both people and community organisations. Those we assist often struggle to navigate the law, are unable to use the law in their daily lives and experience the impacts of harsh and unjust laws. We aim to prevent and to solve legal problems so that we can prevent the negative impacts on people’s lives and organisations and empower the community to use the law as a force for good.
Given the scale of the challenges we address, we use digital innovation to extend our reach and impact, supporting us to be more efficient and accessible, while helping us capture and use data to better understand legal need and underlying systemic issues.
We harness the extraordinary pro bono contributions of over 50 member firms and the barristers we work with across the country. We channel pro bono effort through our innovative service models to ensure that pro bono hours deliver real impact for the community.
We develop strategic interventions to help address the system-level drivers of legal problems and barriers people face when engaging with the legal system. By addressing root causes of flawed or unfair laws and poorly designed systems, we prevent the long-term challenges that people and organisations continue to face.
Our creative and passionate staff drive us forward with a commitment to evaluation and iteration that ensures our impact increases year on year.
About the role
Role purpose:
The Principal Lawyer will supervise the legal practice of Justice Connect’s Not-for-profit Law program to deliver high quality legal services to not-for-profit community organisations.
Key responsibilities:
- Supervise Not-for-profit Law’s legal practice, including:
- Overseeing the intake of enquiries from community organisations (including assessments of eligibility) and where appropriate referral to pro bono member firms
- Providing (and supervising the provision of) legal advice and information to community organisations on a range of legal issues
- Overarching responsibility for client advice files, particularly in relation to quality control and legal accuracy
- Contributing to the development and delivery of training, both in person and via webinar
- Reviewing information resources for legal accuracy and sign-off
- Ensure compliance with high professional standards of service delivery including professional indemnity insurance and community legal centre accreditation obligations
- Lead, motivate and develop staff, including paralegals, lawyers and secondees
- Contribute to legal practice management and coordination across Justice Connect, including as Not-for-profit Law’s representative on the Practice Management Group
- Identify and pursue strategic opportunities for legal service delivery that further the aims and objectives of Justice Connect and Not-for-profit Law
- Undertake legal research and analysis on issues that affect not-for-profit organisations and, as time permits, contribute to law reform and advocacy activities
- Actively participate in the promotion of Not-for-profit Law activities, including representing Not-for-profit Law in a range of public forums, media and by contributing to internal and external publications
- Develop and maintain collaborative relationships with key stakeholders, including Justice Connect member law firms, peak not-for-profit community organisations, regulators and other key stakeholders
- Subject to capacity, contribute to Not-for-profit Law’s work to provide information and training to pro bono lawyers and other professional advisors
- In collaboration with the Head and Managers of Not-for-profit Law, assist with the governance, reporting and evaluation requirements of Not-for-profit Law, including reports for the Justice Connect Board and funders
- Contribute to Justice Connect’s Reconciliation Action Plan activities.
- Together with Managers and Heads, help ensure that Justice Connect promotes staff wellbeing, diversity, cultural competency and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples’ right to self-determination.
- Perform other duties as directed and necessary to the proper performance of the role
Selection Criteria:
- Please view attached PDF for information regarding selection criteria.
Employee benefits:
Justice Connect offers employment benefits including salary packaging (making part of your salary tax-free), flexible working arrangements, above award annual leave provisions and opportunities for professional development. Justice Connect is an organisation that strives to show leadership, operate sustainably and demonstrate our effectiveness. You will be rewarded with a workplace culture that is professional, committed, collaborative and creative and where you can make a real difference through your work.
How to apply
Applications not allowed for this job listing.
Please quote in application: Principal Lawyer, Not-for-profit Law via Pro Bono Australia.
Sector: #Law_Justice_and_Human_Rights
