Legal Director, Children and Young Person's Rights Program

Westjustice is seeking an experienced and values driven Legal Director to lead our Children and Young Person’s Rights Program. As part of the Senior Leadership Team, the Legal Director is responsible for overseeing legal practice, managing a multidisciplinary team, and ensuring Westjustice achieves its purpose, vision and strategic priorities.The successful candidate will bring deep expertise in criminal law, strong people leadership capability and a commitment to community-centred legal practice.

Working with a multidisciplinary team, you will:

• Lead Westjustice’s criminal law practice and initiatives, including the Youth Crime Prevention Early Intervention Program, to address disadvantage and unmet legal need through client led services, programs and reform agendas.
• Provide oversight as the Responsible Person for criminal law supervision and sign off for legal advices, casework, reviewing closed files, and review operational practice and identifying trends and issues.
• Develop and support the members of the CYPR Program to ensure that each team member is achieving their best performance and growing to their full potential
• Develop and maintain effective key stakeholder relationships across the program and broader organisation and represent the Criminal law practice at external networks, working groups and steering committees.

Role Requirements:

• A law degree and an unrestricted Practicing Certificate which entitles you to practice law in Victoria. In addition, a Principal practicing certificate (or willingness to achieve the certificate) in order to be the Responsible Person.
• A criminal law accredited specialist with significant criminal law legal practice expertise including experience in complex advocacy, casework and litigation.
• Demonstrated experience leading a legal service delivery team and program of work.
• Experienced leader with a demonstrated ability to work collaboratively and confidently to engage with a diverse range of stakeholders and to build strong partnerships and effectively lead change through influence
• Ability to set and deliver high quality work outcomes.
• Strong commitment to social justice

This position is primarily based in our Sunshine office.

Please apply by submitting a cover letter and resume via clicking ‘Apply Now’. Applicants will be screened and may be interviewed as their application is received.

The successful applicant will require a current Working with Children’s Check and a Police Check or be prepared to apply for both. Applicants must possess the right to work in Australia.

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.   

If you require any adjustments throughout the application or recruitment process please  contact theresa@westjustice.org.au 

For a copy of the position description, please click here

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