Description:
Position Description
Solicitor – Employment Law
___________________________________________________________________
Sydney based
Permanent, full time with part time considered
Supervision: Senior Solicitor, Employment Practice
1. Redfern Legal Centre
Redfern Legal Centre is a non-profit community legal centre that promotes social justice and creates change. We provide free legal advice, legal services and education to people experiencing disadvantage in New South Wales. We drive innovation and change through policy and law reform work to address inequalities in the legal system, policies and social practices that cause disadvantage.
We provide effective and integrated free legal services that are client focussed, collaborative, non-discriminatory and responsive to changing community needs - to our local community as well as state-wide. Our specialist legal services focus on tenancy, credit, debt and consumer law, financial abuse, employment law, international students, First Nations justice, police accountability, and provide outreach services including through our health justice partnership.
Redfern Legal Centre’s employment practice provides free legal advice and assistance to employees across NSW, in all areas of employment law and in particular on the issue of sexual harassment and bullying. We also provide employment law assistance as part of the Employment Rights Legal Service (ERLS).
Employment Rights Legal Service
The Employment Rights Legal Service (ERLS) is an innovative collaboration between Redfern Legal Centre, Inner City Legal Centre, and Kingsford Legal Centre to address the employment exploitation of migrant workers. The state-wide legal service provides legal assistance to marginalised workers and in particular migrant workers and international students. ERLS engages in law reform and policy work to effect systemic change and community legal education to build capacity for communities and marginalised workers.
2. Position Overview
The employment law solicitor provides advice, casework, education and law reform activities in employment law to local residents and to migrant workers, international students and people experiencing disadvantage across NSW and contributes to coordination of the ERLS service. The solicitor works closely with the Senior Employment Law Solicitor and collaborates with solicitors across the ERLS service at other community legal centres, but has significant independence and autonomy.
3. Position Responsibilities
- Conduct a high volume of advice and casework in employment and discrimination law (in the workplace), including the preparation of necessary documents and representing clients in Commissions, Courts and Tribunals.
- Supervision of volunteer lawyers who provide advice to clients in employment law, including liaising with pro bono firms, providing induction and training, and signing off on legal advices.
- Prepare publications such as fact sheets and website material to assist clients to understand their rights in employment law.
- Conduct training on employment law for community workers, support workers and clients/target groups.
- Contribute to systemic advocacy to achieve change including through policy and law reform submissions and working with stakeholders.
- Work collaboratively with and coordinate solicitors from other legal centres on joint projects and initiatives.
- Contribute to Redfern Legal Centre through attendance at staff meetings, contribution to board and funding reports, assistance with intake including intake supervision shifts, and contribution to the effective implementation of our Reconciliation Action Plan.
4. Knowledge, skills and experience
Essential
- Qualified to practice as a solicitor in NSW, holds or is eligible to hold a current practicing certificate, and at least one-year post-admission experience in employment law.
- Demonstrated ability to take initiative, accept responsibility, work with limited supervision, and manage time effectively to provide a high volume of advice and conduct casework on a range of employment issues.
- Demonstrated strong legal written and research skills.
- Capacity to conduct community legal education, policy and law reform work including identifying contributing to policy and law reform submissions.
- Demonstrated ability to communicate and negotiate effectively with clients, employers and relevant government and community organisations.
- Demonstrated ability to work with and effectively communicate complex legal ideas to disadvantaged clients, particularly people from non-English speaking backgrounds.
- Commitment to the objectives of Community Legal Centres.
5. Conditions
Salary and benefits: $107,920 - $128,084.03 p.a. (pro rata for part time) depending on qualifications and experience.
Superannuation and annual leave loading are paid in addition to this and salary packaging is available.
In addition to being a flexible workplace, Redfern Legal Centre offers a 35-hour working week, time in lieu options and a paid end of year closure of two weeks (including public holidays) on top of four weeks annual leave.
As a Public Benevolent Institution, Redfern Legal Centre is able to offer staff generous salary packaging options. The tax savings for a staff member choosing to take full advantage of the salary packaging option mean that their take home salary may be increased by up to $6,000 per annum.
6. Applications
The closing date for applications is Wednesday 19 March 2024 at 9am.
Your application should be no more than six pages and must include:
- a cover letter;
- your resume; and
- a statement addressing the Essential Knowledge Skills and Experience Criteria in the position description.
Please apply via the link in the job advertisement, ensuring that all documents are provided or consolidated into one document.
Redfern Legal Centre welcomes applications from First Nations people, people from diverse cultural backgrounds and people with disability.
Redfern Legal Centre is a diverse, culturally safe and inclusive workplace that offers flexible conditions and supports wellbeing.
Enquiries should be directed to Alexis Goodstone at alexis@rlc.org.au .