- Location: Australia-Wide, Office location negotiable
- Term: 12-month fixed term contract (with possibility of extension)
- Full-Time: 37.5 hours (part-time to be considered)
- Remuneration: SCHADS Level 4: $78,000 – 82,100 + 10.5% super + 17.5% Annual Leave Loading
- Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples are particularly encouraged to apply
Job title: Graduate Solicitor – National Intake
Reporting to: Director, Healthy Environment and Justice with the allocation of work coordinated by the National Intake Solicitor
Environmental Defenders Office (EDO) is the largest environmental legal centre in the Australia-Pacific, dedicated to protecting our climate, communities and shared environment by providing access to justice, running ground-breaking litigation and leading law reform advocacy.
As the region’s legal experts in our field, we aim to be a brave, unified, and focused team, committed to inclusion and excellence in all that we do. We strive to be a diverse and inclusive workplace supporting a highly skilled, engaged, and effective team, where everyone can feel that they belong.
The opportunity:
EDO has a unique opportunity for a graduate position supporting our legal teams nationally as part of our National Intake Service. Ideally suited to a graduate lawyer, this position is a fantastic steppingstone to legal practice in environment and planning law.
The position will support our National Intake Service and legal teams provide advice, information and referral services to members of the public.
National intake is a critical function within the EDO and provides exposure to a diverse range of environment and planning law issues. The position will support with the administration and provision of legal services in response to inquiries, including data entry, taking and receiving phone calls from the public, responding to emails, and legal research tasks under the supervision of the National Intake Solicitor. The position may also include drafting of fact sheets and information, coordination of volunteers to support the Service and coordination across the EDOs legal practices.
Candidate Profile:
The Graduate Solicitor is responsible for supporting the National Intake Solicitor in delivering the work of EDOs National Intake Service.
The Graduate Solicitor will support the National Intake Solicitor to provide information, referrals and advice, to coordinate the administration of the service including data entry and conflict checking and research tasks. The National Intake Graduate Solicitor is part of our Healthy Environment and Justice Program and reports to the Director, Healthy Environment and Justice with the allocation of work coordinated by the National Intake Solicitor.
We are seeking a candidate that is collaborative, enjoys working in a team and can work in a diverse, dynamic and challenging environment.
Key selection criteria:
It is expected that you will work closely with and support the National Intake Solicitor in the carrying out of day-to-day duties of the position.
Essential requirements
- Hold an Australian practising certificate or be entitled to one within 3 months of commencement of the role
Desirable requirements
- Experience in environment and planning law, administrative law or related disciplines
- Have completed or are undertaking studies in environment and planning law and administrative law
- Experience in use of databases and file management
- Experience in customer service, in a community legal centre environment or similar (including as a volunteer)
- Experience working with diverse people and communities from a wide variety of backgrounds, including First Nations people and clients who speak English as a second or more language.
Personal qualities
- Ability to self-direct work; self-motivation and initiative
- Legal research and drafting skills
- Demonstrated organisational skills
- Demonstrated customer service skills, experience working with clients in a legal practice setting will be an advantage
- A collaborative and communicative approach, in a nationally distributed and online workplace
- A commitment to the values of the EDO
- A commitment to the protection of the environment and access to justice
Our Culture and Benefits:
- We care deeply about creating a workplace where our team members feel valued, respected, and empowered. We are committed to providing equal opportunity regardless of gender identity, ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation, or life stage.
- The chance to be part of the largest environmental legal practice in the Australia-Pacific
- A very flexible and family-friendly workplace
- Option to work from home and the office
- 8 weeks paid parental leave, regardless of gender or carer status
- 15 days personal/carer’s leave
- 10 days paid family and domestic violence leave
- 3 days paid cultural leave
- Extra leave over the Christmas period
- Access to Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
- Ongoing professional development opportunities
- EDO proudly has a JEDI (Justice, Equality, Diversity, Inclusion) Committee and a Mental Health Ambassador Committee, and has developed a First Nations Program with the aid of indigenous-led consultancies.
OUR VALUES
Commitment – We are committed to; a united organisation, to each other, to collaboration, to justice, to our communities and to creating a world where nature thrives.
Diversity – We are respectful of and welcome diversity of staff, volunteers, offices, environmental regions, communities, stakeholders.
Integrity – We work effectively, efficiently, strategically, professionally, and ethically; “justice is in our nature”.
Vision – We lead change and environmental empowerment using innovation, creativity, and courage.
HOW TO APPLY
All offers of employment may be subject to satisfactory background checks including a National Police Check, disclosure of previous or current disciplinary action, referee checks, proof of eligibility to work in Australia and qualification checks.
EDO particularly encourages applications from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander, Pacific Island people, those from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, workers of all ages, people living with disabilities and people who identify as LGBTQIA+.
Applications must include a CV and a letter that clearly addresses each of the selection criteria. Applications which do not address the selection criteria will not be considered.
Applications close at midday on Monday 21 November 2022. Applications should be emailed to [email protected] with ‘Application for National Intake – Healthy Environment and Justice’ in the subject line.
Please note that an immediate start date is preferred however forced leave will need to be taken from 24/12/22 – 23/1/23. A start date of 30/1/23 is also possible.
