Practical Legal Training Students - Homeless Law

Justice Connect’s Homeless Law is Victoria’s specialist free legal service for people experiencing or at risk of homelessness. We are currently recruiting part-time Practical Legal Training students (2-3 days per week), for a minimum of 50 days total, in our Melbourne office on Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung and Boon Wurrung Country.

With Justice Connect, you can do your training and make a real difference in people’s lives. Sharpen your skills while working to help people facing disadvantage and contribute to a cause you’re passionate about — access to justice.  It’s also a great way to meet new people, gain practical experiences, and develop career-related professional skills and networks with a respected and established legal charity.  

Our Practical Legal Training (PLT) placements will provide you with practical and procedural legal experience and skills across practice areas. You will work alongside experienced lawyers and be exposed to embedded digital platforms in our legal practices. This will support you in gaining valuable skills and experience in your quest to complete your legal studies. 

Key Responsibilities

As a PLT, you will develop practical and procedural legal experience and skills across practice areas relating to Homeless Law. You will have the opportunity to participate in: 

Communications: 

• The intake of new telephone and online enquiries. 
• Taking instructions and communicating with clients. 
• Assessing matters for clinic appointments, drafting letters and drafting memos for appointments. 
• Delivering supervised legal information to clients. 
• Supporting the work of the lawyers (internal and secondee lawyers) including communicating with lawyers, case workers and the courts/tribunals, and drafting referral memoranda. 

Shadowing Lawyers: 

• Observing some client appointments. 
• Shadowing Homeless Law lawyers at VCAT and Magistrates Court hearings. 

Data-inputting: 

• Inputting and maintaining accurate client information on Homeless Law’s case management platform, Microsoft Dynamics.  

Advocacy and research: 

• Legal research, analysis and problem solving. 
• Contributing to Homeless Law’s law reform, advocacy or project work. 

Organisational contribution: 

• Support Justice Connect’s Reconciliation Action Plan, equity and inclusion objectives, and organisational values.  
• Collaborate with other Justice Connect teams and participate in cross-program initiatives that support shared impact goals.  
• Demonstrate behaviours aligned with Justice Connect’s values.  

Workplace health and safety: 

• Take all reasonable care regarding the health and safety of yourself and others in the workplace and ensuring compliance with policies or procedures.  

To find success in this role, you should be able to demonstrate the following capabilities: 

• An interest in human rights law and relevant issues 
• An interest in holistically integrated legal services 
• Knowledge or interest in community legal centre work 
• Be willing to develop and apply new skills 
• Be a supportive and cooperative team member 
• Ensure clients, stakeholders, and colleagues are kept informed of progress and issues 
• Develop positive relationships with clients based on empathy, respect and fairness 
• Work responsibly within the limits of your own role and capabilities 
• Perform work in accordance with set guidelines and procedures  
• Seek feedback from clients, stakeholders and colleagues in order to reflect and improve on your work 

Selection Criteria and important information

Qualifications: 

• You must have completed your law degree 
• Be currently completing your Graduate Diploma of Legal Practice (through College of Law or an equivalent institution) 

 Lawyers will not be considered 

*Please note that PLT positions are unpaid* 

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. Please ensure your cover letter includes your available start date, your preferred days, how many days placement you can commit to and the details of your GDLP provider. 

We will interview and recruit PLT students on a rolling basis.*

We encourage you to apply as soon as possible as we will close applications when we have recruited enough PLT students.

Our Team

Justice Connect believes in a world in which legal support is within everyone’s reach. In the face of rising levels of unmet legal need, our 2028 strategy sees us put people first, innovating to build our communities' skills, knowledge, and confidence, and grow access to legal support.

Our Homeless Law program provides free legal help to Victorians experiencing or at risk of homelessness. Through high-intensity support and pro bono partnerships, we help people with complex needs stay safely housed. We deliver legal information, advice, and representation through an outreach-based, client-centred model, and offer integrated social work support to address non-legal needs and prevent problems from escalating.

We also drive systemic change by challenging unfair laws, advocating for fairer housing policies, and developing award-winning digital tools like Dear Landlord, Home of Your Own, and Workers’ Resource Hub.

We know our team and our organisation is stronger with a diversity of backgrounds and experience, including lived experience of the issues we work on. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, people of colour, people from culturally and linguistically diverse and refugee backgrounds, people with diverse religious beliefs, gender diverse people, LGBTQIA+ people and people living with a disability are strongly encouraged to apply. 

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Justice Connect's offices are located on the unceded lands of the Wurundjeri and Boon Wurrung peoples of the Kulin Nation, and the Gadigal peoples of the Eora Nation. Always was, always will be Aboriginal land.