Solicitor

About the role

The Sexual Violence Advocacy and Legal Service (SVALS) Lawyer will provide specialist legal assistance to young victim-survivors of sexual violence aged 10–18 years. The role is 18 hours per week until 30 June 2028 and will support young people to understand their rights, options and sexual violence justice pathways, including reporting options, police engagement, court processes, and Victim Assist Queensland and restorative justice options where available. The role will work closely with the SVALS social support worker and relevant partner services to provide integrated, trauma-informed and youth-appropriate support. Please apply asap because once we find the right person we will cease looking.

Key responsibilities

• Deliver specialist, trauma-informed legal information, advice, casework and representation to young victim-survivors of sexual violence aged 10–18 years through YAC's Sexual Violence Advocacy and Legal Service.

• Provide independent advice and assistance about sexual violence-related justice processes, including reporting options, police engagement, court processes, victims' rights, Victim Assist Queensland, protection of identity, evidentiary and procedural issues, victim impact statements and restorative justice options where available.

• Work collaboratively with the SVALS social support worker to provide holistic, developmentally appropriate, trauma-informed, culturally safe and child- and survivor-centred support connected to sexual violence legal needs.

• Support young victim-survivors to understand and navigate sexual violence-related interactions with police, prosecution, courts, PACT, victim support services and other relevant support systems, including by acting as a consistent point of contact where appropriate.

• Deliver sexual violence legal services through YAC's youth-friendly and flexible service model, including telephone, online, in-person, outreach, school, youth service, detention, community and integrated referral pathways.

• Build and maintain collaborative referral and service relationships with specialist sexual assault services, youth services, schools, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander organisations, multicultural services, disability and mental health services, PACT, police, courts and other services relevant to young victim-survivors of sexual violence.

• Provide secondary consultations and contribute to community legal education for young people and the services that support them, including education about consent, sexual violence, reporting options, victims' rights and sexual violence justice processes.

• Contribute to systemic advocacy, service design, implementation, quality assurance, data collection, reporting and evaluation activities relevant to young victim-survivors and the SVALS pilot.

About you

• Demonstrated experience, or demonstrated capacity to develop specialist expertise, in delivering legal advice, casework and representation for young victim-survivors of sexual violence.

• Strong understanding of sexual violence legal processes and issues, including reporting options, police engagement, court processes, victims' rights, Victim Assist Queensland, protection of identity, evidentiary and procedural issues, victim impact statements and restorative justice options where available.

• Demonstrated ability to work in a trauma-informed, culturally safe, child-centred and survivor-centred way with young people who have experienced sexual violence.

• Strong understanding of the developmental, legal and practical barriers young victim-survivors face when engaging with sexual violence justice processes and related support systems.

• Demonstrated capacity to communicate sexual violence legal information clearly and accessibly to young people, including neurodiverse young people, young people with disability, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people, LGBTQIA+ young people and young people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds.

• Strong collaborative practice skills, including the ability to work effectively in a multidisciplinary sexual violence service model with lawyers, youth support workers, social support workers and external partner agencies.

• Bachelor of Laws or equivalent qualification and admission as a legal practitioner in an Australian jurisdiction. Current Queensland Practising Certificate required.

• Minimum five years post-admission experience with substantial demonstrated specialist capability relevant to trauma-informed sexual violence legal practice.

• Ability to obtain and maintain all role-required clearances, including a current Working with Children Check/Blue Card.

About us

YAC is a specialist community legal and social welfare agency for young people. Through its role in the Sexual Violence Advocacy and Legal Service, YAC provides specialist, trauma-informed and youth-focused legal assistance to young victim-survivors of sexual violence. The service is delivered in a way that is developmentally appropriate, culturally safe, accessible, child-centred and survivor-centred.