Senior Civil Lawyer

About this role

• Full time ongoing position (part-time considered)
• Salary range: $110,357 - $127,333 (pro rata) plus super plus salary packaging
• Up to $15,900 in salary packaging and hybrid WFH & office model

About the role
Victoria Legal Aid (VLA) is seeking a Senior Civil Lawyer to join our team in Warrnambool. You will work in a diverse team, focusing on key areas including mental health and disability law, social and economic rights, NDIS, tenancy, VCAT matters, crimes (mental impairment and unfitness to be tried) matters and fines.

As a Senior Lawyer, you will:

• Provide expert legal advice and represent clients in courts and tribunals, including the Mental Health Tribunal and VCAT.
• Support clients by travelling to offsite locations, including community outreach programs and hospitals, ensuring that people who are unable to come to us still get the help they need.
• Mentor and supervise junior lawyers, helping them grow their skills and delivering high-quality legal services together.

This is a great opportunity to contribute to the team, build relationships with community partners, and advocate for changes that improve access to justice in key areas of human rights law.

This role is based at our Warrnambool office on Gunditjmara Country.

About you
As our ideal candidate, you will possess:

• Substantial knowledge or practical experience in civil law and relevant court and tribunal procedures. It is not essential that you be an expert in all the key practice areas noted above, training and support will be provided.
• A passion for helping vulnerable clients and a strong commitment to community engagement.
• Effective communication skills and ability to explain complex legal matters clearly to disadvantaged clients.
• Ability to supervise legal work and to mentor and train staff and contribute to the development of individuals and their knowledge and skills in civil law.
• A current Australian practising certificate which entitles you to practise in Victoria as a government legal practitioner (mandatory).

Don't meet every requirement? At VLA, we understand that your work and life experiences can be just as valuable. If you're excited about this role but your CV doesn't align perfectly with our job description, we encourage you to apply anyway. You may be just the right candidate for this or one of our many other opportunities.

About Victoria Legal Aid
We provide legal representation to those who need it most. With over 1400 staff employed in 16 offices across Victoria, we help people with their legal problems by providing information, advice and education with a focus on the prevention and early resolution of legal problems.

Our clients come from all walks of life and so do we. We hire great people from a wide variety of backgrounds and foster a work culture that's inclusive as well as diverse. Your unique ideas and perspectives are valued so that we best represent the people we serve.

Employee benefits

• Focus on work-life balance including flexible working arrangements
• Hybrid work from home & office model
• Training and professional development opportunities
• Excellent salary packaging options including General Expenses up to $15,900, Meals & Entertainment up to $2,650 and Novated Leasing
• Access to discounted Private Health Insurance
• Relocation allowance if relocating for the role

How to apply
To be considered for this role, please submit your current resume and a cover letter.

If you require adjustments to the recruitment and selection process or need an alternative format to any of the application material, please don't hesitate to get in touch with our team.

For further information, please review the attached position description or contact Amanda Chambers, Regional Manager on (03) 5559 7210 or recruitment@vla.vic.gov.au.

No agency applications will be accepted.

Applications close by 11.59pm on Sunday 27 July 2025.

Other relevant information
It is a requirement that staff attend for office-based days at their primary work location. In line with this requirement, interstate applications will be considered only where the candidate is able and willing to relocate to Victoria, unless part of a border community.

VLA is committed to putting the safety and wellbeing of children first.