Senior Criminal Lawyer

Our Team

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.

Justice Connect’s Homeless Law is Victoria’s specialist free legal service for people experiencing or at risk of homelessness. Since 2001, our Homeless Law team has worked closely with pro bono lawyers to increase access to specialised legal support for people experiencing or at risk of homelessness.

Our tailored Homeless Law services, which focus on preventing and ending homelessness, are outreach-based and client-centred, and don’t just focus on legal needs. Homeless Law has integrated staff social workers and collaborates with community sector partners to ensure that clients’ needs are holistically addressed. Homeless Law also prioritises advocating for better laws and policies through evidence-based strategic engagement and advocacy, which is focused on stopping homelessness before it starts and preventing the criminalisation of homelessness.

Our ideal candidate

You'll bring to the team experience in the following areas:

• Have or be eligible for an unrestricted practising certificate in Victoria
• Have five years’ experience in criminal law
• Experience in managing and delivering high-quality, wrap-around criminal legal services, including by motivating and developing staff and volunteers
• Experience in legal practice and risk escalation, preferably in an integrated practice and/or not-for-profit context
• Experience in engaging-in systemic advocacy and strategic engagement work
• Excellent interpersonal skills and communication skills and the ability to successfully manage stakeholder relationships, including with Homeless Law clients, the pro bono legal profession, the community legal and homelessness sectors and government

Candidates will need to demonstrate commitment to Justice Connect's vision, strategy and values.

What you will achieve in the role

In this role, you’ll work to

• Manage Homeless Law’s criminal casework, including delivering high-quality legal advice and representation to Homeless Law clients and help-seekers.
• Collaborate on dedicated criminal justice system initiatives for people facing homelessness. 
• Supervise, mentor and offer legal and strategic guidance to in-house and pro bono lawyers, secondees and legal administrators, including in relation to priority cohorts.
• Participate in the ongoing development and delivery of training programs for pro bono lawyers and other non-legal staff in the sector and key Homeless Law policies and procedures.
• Contribute to Homeless Law’s evidence-based advocacy and engagement work, focussing on influencing fairer systemic responses to homelessness.
• Identify and pursue strategic litigation opportunities that further our Homeless Law aims and objectives.

A week in this role

If you were here last week, you would have:

• Represented a client at the Magistrates’ Court to address a criminal matter that relates to their experience of homelessness.
• Advocated for a client through a dedicated criminal justice system initiative for people facing homelessness.
• Collaborated with Homeless Law’s staff social workers to provide integrated support to clients and help seekers and ensure that their legal and non-legal needs are met.
• Contributed to a new Homeless Law in Practice digital resource for pro bono and community lawyers across Victoria.
• Delivered a training session on common criminal legal issues and needs faced by help seekers to one of our community partner organisations.
• Directly contributed to a meeting with a key government stakeholder, alongside colleagues from the wider-community sector, advocating for better laws and policies that prevent the criminalisation of homelessness.

What we offer

If you want your next role to have purpose, support you to master new skills and build meaningful relationships then Justice Connect is the place to work.

We believe in creating an environment where people will thrive, we offer a range of benefits including:

• Progressive leave entitlements with 5 weeks of annual leave
• Flexible working arrangements with a minimum of 40% in the workplace attendance across the month
• Access to EAP
• New hire and ongoing learning and development

How to Apply

Please upload your resume and a cover letter which outlines your skills and experience that will help you achieve success in this role.  

For further information contact Breigh Smith on 03 8636 4411

Applications will be accepted until the position is filled.

Important role information

The position reports to the Principal Lawyer, Homeless law program.

Employment is full time permanent.  Consideration will be made for those looking for a part-time opportunity. 

The salary for this role is $112,138.13 per annum plus superannuation which will be paid according to statutory requirement, annual leave loading and generous salary packaging options.

This role is based at our Melbourne CBD office with 40% of the month in the workplace with hybrid working arrangements. 

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