Redfern Legal Centre has an opportunity for a First Nations lawyer to join our Health Justice Partnership practice. This is a role involves strong relationships with stakeholders and interesting work across a range of areas of law.
- Salary and benefits: $99,267.49 to $128,084.03 (pro rata for part time) depending on qualifications and experience.
- Permanent role, full time or part time;
- This is a First Nations identified role.
- Superannuation and annual leave loading are paid in addition and salary packaging is available.
- Redfern Legal Centre is a diverse and inclusive workplace. In addition to offering flexible work conditions, 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.
Health Justice Partnerships embed lawyers within health settings to provide on-site legal assistance to patients and increase access to justice. Sydney Local Health District staff and lawyers work together to have a positive impact on patients lives, not just their health.
This role involves outreach to the Sydney Dental Hospital, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, the Professor Marie Bashir Centre for acute mental health patients and other locations. The lawyer will provide advice and casework in civil areas of law including child protection, tenancy, credit & debt, victims’ compensation, care matters, domestic violence, guardianship and family law; and in minor criminal matters involving diversion under mental health legislation.
An important aspect of the role is stakeholder engagement with Sydney Dental Hospital and Sydney Local Health District staff. The solicitor will also conduct community legal education and contribute to law reform initiatives arising out of the advice and casework.
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 work to address inequalities in the legal system through policy and law reform. 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.
The closing date for applications is Monday 10 March 2025 at 9am.
Position Responsibilities
- Provide an advice, casework and referral service to patients and clients at Sydney Dental Hospital and other locations within the Sydney Local Area Health District, with a focus on people experiencing mental health conditions and First Nations people in:
- Civil areas of law including child protection, tenancy, credit & debt, victim compensation, domestic violence, guardianship and family law; and
- Minor criminal matters, including appearance work, primarily seeking diversion for clients under section 14 or section 19 of the Mental Health and Cognitive Impairment Forensic Provisions Act 2020 (NSW).
- Engage with SLHD staff from relevant service areas to promote the service and encourage referrals.
- Prepare and present educational material for stakeholders, including local SLHD staff.
- Identify policy and reform issues arising from casework in consultation with stakeholders including First Nations SLHD staff and organisations and undertake law reform and policy work to address these issues.
- Contribute to Redfern Legal Centre generally through intake shifts, supervision of students and volunteers, attendance at staff and team meetings, attendance at stakeholder events, contribution to funding and board reports and our Reconciliation Action Plan.
Knowledge, skills and experience
Essential
Be of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander descent and identify and be accepted as such in the community.
Qualified to practice as a solicitor in NSW and eligible to hold a current practicing certificate.
Experience providing legal advice and representation in child protection, general civil and/or criminal law.
Experience working with clients experiencing disadvantage and delivering a trauma informed, culturally safe service, including communicating information in an accessible way and managing clients exhibiting challenging behaviours.
Excellent stakeholder engagement skills and capacity to foster professional relationships in a health setting.
Demonstrated ability to take initiative, accept responsibility and work with limited supervision providing stakeholder engagement and legal services.
Vaccination against the following diseases in accordance with SLHD Policy PD2024_015: hepatitis B, measles, mumps, rubella, diptheria, pertussis (whooping cough), tetanus, varicella (chicken pox), tuberculosis, COVID-19 and flu, or an undertaking to be vaccinated against those diseases within a reasonable period of time.
Provision of a criminal record check.
Desirable
Experience working in a health setting or health justice partnership
Experience working providing trauma-informed and culturally appropriate services to First Nations clients.
The closing date for applications is Monday 10 March 2025 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.
Redfern Legal Centre is a diverse and inclusive workplace that offers flexible conditions and supports wellbeing.
We require job applicant for this role to be fully vaccinated for all diseases specified in SLHD Policy PD2024_015 and to provide a criminal record check.
Apply here.
