Policy, Impact and Engagement Student Placement 

Westjustice are a leading community legal centre providing free services to vulnerable and disadvantaged people. From our offices in Werribee and Sunshine and through our outreach services we provide advice on a broad range of issues including employment, discrimination, consumer disputes, tenancy, credit and debt, family disputes, family violence, criminal law and more.

Westjustice’s vision and purpose
• Fairness, safety, and justice for Melbourne’s West
• We deliver targeted services and drive meaningful change

Westjustice delivers
• Targeted legal, financial counselling and social work services
• Empowerment through education and community development
• Advocacy and system reform
• Develop and nurture impactful networks and relationships
• Prevention and early intervention that addresses the causes and impacts

The Role
Westjustice is currently looking for university students (undergrad or post grad) to work 1 day per week for 4-6 months in our Policy, Impact and Engagement team.
Our Policy, Impact and Engagement team leads Westjustice’s advocacy work, aimed at addressing the drivers of disadvantage across Melbourne’s West. Our work also includes community engagement and development, monitoring and evaluating our impact, and media and communications. In this student placement, you will have the chance to work across all of these areas to help lead sustainable change for the good of our clients.

You will work with the Policy, Impact and Engagement Program for general supervision and support but may be provided with the opportunity to work across other programs and projects based on service requirements.
For specific information on the above listed programs, please visit www.westjustice.org.au

See the full Position Description here. 

Key Responsibilities/Expectations include:

• Actively contribute to the organisation’s policy, advocacy and systemic impact work, under general direction from the Director Policy, Impact and Engagement
• Assist with tracking and reporting of Westjustice’s systemic impact work through regular reporting.
• Assist in the development of media and communications to publicise Westjustice’s services and advocacy work, including written media, social media and website pieces.
• Assist in monitoring and evaluation work, including with Westjustice’s Data and Impact Program Manager.
• Assist in community development, including with Westjustice’s Community Development Program Manager.
• Assist with researching key advocacy pieces to aid in addressing disadvantage and unmet legal needs.
• Comply with all relevant laws and standards, including Westjustice policies, procedures and guidelines and Code of Conduct.
• Contribute to creating and maintaining an anti-racist, child safe and culturally safe service for First Nations and other culturally and racially marginalised groups
• Assist with the implementation and review of the Westjustice Strategy 2024-27 and Impact Areas 2024-27
• Other relevant work as directed.

Key Selection Criteria:

• A degree or enrolled in studies relevant to policy, impact, engagement, community engagement, media and communications, or monitoring and evaluation.
• Ability to undertake a minimum of 1 day per week of placement at Westjustice for 4-6 months
• Ability to work from our office located in Sunshine
• Excellent IT skills, including use of Sharepoint, (or case management systems), Teams, Microsoft Office, Outlook
• Strong commitment to social justice, including a demonstrated understanding of the social context of law, crime, family violence, discrimination and the issues faced by vulnerable people in our community and the ability to contribute to Westjustice’s systemic impact work
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively with a range of internal and external stakeholders
• High level personal skills, including resilience and the ability to communicate and consult effectively
• Excellent problem-solving skills with a can-do attitude when offering solutions
• Excellent attention to detail and a friendly demeanour
• Excellent written and oral communication skills
• Confident, strong initiative, compassionate, with an interest in community legal work
• Thrives in a busy and sometimes unpredictable environment
• Competency in working with diverse communities, including LGBTIQA+, Disability and multicultural communities

*Please note that student placement positions are unpaid*

How to Apply: To apply, please email a cover letter that addresses the key selection criteria (maximum 2 pages) and your CV to recruitment@westjustice.org.au . Please use the subject line: PIE Student placement [your name] application.

Feel free to email us any questions you may have via the above email address. The successful applicant will require a current Working with Children’s Check and Police Check. People with lived experience of the justice system are encouraged to apply. A police check result does not automatically disqualify an application which in each case will be individually assessed for the relevant role. Applicants must also have the right to work in Australia. If you require any adjustments throughout the application or recruitment process please contact recruitment@westjustice.org.au

Westjustice is committed to building a diverse workforce. We strongly encourage applications from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, people living with a disability, people from diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds, mature age workers and LGBTIQA+ identifying people.

Please ensure that you let us know, in advance, of any reasonable adjustment you may require during any part of the recruitment process including application and interview by contacting Theresa via theresa@Westjustice.org.au. Any information disclosed will be held in the strictest of confidence.

Practical Legal Traineeship Placements – Westjustice

Westjustice is currently looking for Practical Legal Trainees (PLT) to work 2 days per week. The placement is for a minimum of 20 days over 10 weeks (2 set days a week). We are we are recruiting for placement opportunities all year round with flexible start dates.

Westjustice are a leading community legal centre providing free services to vulnerable and disadvantaged people. From our offices in Werribee and Sunshine and through our outreach services we provide advice on a broad range of issues including employment, discrimination, consumer disputes, tenancy, credit and debt, family disputes, family violence, criminal law and more.

Westjustice’s vision and purpose

• Fairness, safety, and justice for Melbourne’s West​

• We deliver targeted services and drive meaningful change​

Westjustice delivers

• Targeted legal, financial counselling​ and social work services​

• Empowerment through education and community development​
• Advocacy and system reform​
• Develop and nurture impactful networks and relationships​
• Prevention and early intervention that addresses the causes and impacts ​

The Practical Legal Training (PLT) Program at Westjustice

PLTs provide a vital contribution to our work and the functioning of our team. Successful applicants will gain valuable and practical experience and training working under the supervision of experienced lawyers within the following programs:

• Family Law Family Violence Program (Tuesdays and Wednesdays)
• Youth Law Program (Wednesdays and Fridays)
• Economic Justice Program (Mondays and Thursdays)
• Employment and Equality Law Program (Tuesdays and Wednesdays)

For specific information on the above listed programs, please refer to our website.

Key Responsibilities/Expectations can include:

• Triaging and preparing matters under guidance of the lawyers
• Coordinating court lists andcommunicating with external key stakeholders across multiple digital platforms under guidance of the lawyers
• Conducting intake (basic instructions) with clients, many of whom are from culturally and linguistically marginalised backgrounds, experiencing poverty, family/intimate partner violence
• Collating and analysing court documents
• File management tasks
• Preparing and sending correspondence with guidance of a lawyer
• Data entry
• Legal research, analysis and problem solving to assist lawyers with their case work

Key Selection Criteria:

• A degree in law
• Be currently completing your Graduate Diploma of Legal Practice (through Leo Cussen or an equivalent institution).
• Ability to undertake a minimum of 20 days (2 set days per week) of practical legal training at Westjustice over 10 weeks
• Ability to work from our office located in Sunshine or various outreach locations across Melbourne
• Ability to attend the various Courts and Tribunals across Melbourne
• Excellent IT skills, including use of real time portals, Sharepoint, Actionstep (or case management systems), Teams, Microsoft Office, Outlook
• Strong commitment to social justice, including a demonstrated understanding of the social context of law, crime, family violence, discrimination and the issues faced by vulnerable young people in our community and the ability to contribute to Westjustice’s systemic impact work
• Ability to listen to and engage with vulnerable, distressed or disadvantaged clients
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively with a range of internal and external stakeholders
• High level personal skills, including resilience and the ability to communicate and consult effectively
• Excellent problem-solving skills with a can-do attitude when offering solutions
• Excellent attention to detail and a friendly demeanour
• Excellent written and oral communication skills
• Confident, strong initiative, compassionate, with an interest in community legal work
• Thrives in a busy and sometimes unpredictable environment
• Competency in working with diverse communities, including LGBTIQA+, Disability and multicultural communities

*Please note that PLT positions are unpaid*

We offer a robust structured training program that includes practical skills workshops, and a Certificate of Completion is awarded upon completion of the 10-week program.

How to Apply:

To apply, please email a cover letter that indicates your interest in each of the programs in order of preference, addresses the key selection criteria (maximum 2 pages) and your CV to recruitment@westjustice.org.au . Please note, we will try to allocate successful applicants to their preferred programs, but this may not always be possible. Please use the subject line: PLT [your name] application.

Feel free to email us any questions you may have via the above email address.

The successful applicant will require a current Working with Children’s Check and Police Check. People with lived experience of the justice system are encouraged to apply. A police check result does not automatically disqualify an application which in each case will be individually assessed for the relevant role. Applicants must also have the right to work in Australia. If you require any adjustments throughout the application or recruitment process please contact recruitment@westjustice.org.au

Westjustice is committed to building a diverse workforce. We strongly encourage applications from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, people living with a disability, people from diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds, mature age workers and LGBTIQA+ identifying people. 

Please contact us on (03) 9749 7720 if you wish to make a donation to WEstjustice.

Donations over $2.00 are tax deductable.

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Please check 'careers' for any current volunteer positions. 

WEstjustice relies heavily on the work of legal and non-legal volunteers. Volunteer roles include:

• Policy volunteers 
• Administrative volunteers 
• Paralegal volunteers 
• Solicitor volunteers 

Skills we require of all of our volunteers include:

• Excellent communication skills
• High attention to detail
• Ability to work as part of a team and independently
• Reliability and punctuality

We ask that volunteers give us a minimum commitment of twelve months.

Demand for volunteer positions may vary.

If there is a position available and you are a suitable candidate, we will contact you. 

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Westjustice has several current PLT opportunity, please see here for more details.