Solicitor - Health Justice Partnership - Liverpool / Bankstown / Fairfield

Australian Centre for Disability Law

The Australian Centre for Disability Law is a specialist community legal centre that promotes and protects the rights of people with disability and their associates. We provide free legal advice, legal services, community legal education and law reform advocacy to people experiencing disadvantage because of their disability.

ACDL’s Health Justice Partnership (HJP) within South Western Sydney Local Health District(SWSLHD), works with community mental health services to identify legal issues early, provide practical legal help and improve outcomes for people whose legal problems affect their health, safety and wellbeing.

Position overview

The Solicitor – HJP provides legal advice and assistance, referrals, casework and legal representation to clients of community mental health services across SWSLHD. The role sits within ACDL’s HJP legal practice and reports to the Senior Solicitor, Practice Lead – Health Justice Partnership.

The role works closely with health professionals, community workers, legal assistance services and other stakeholders to identify legal issues early, provide practical legal help and support  clients experiencing mental health concerns, disability and disadvantage. It requires strong legal knowledge and skills, sound professional judgement, file management skills, understanding of trauma-informed practice and the ability to work collaboratively within a multidisciplinary service environment.

Position Responsibilities

1. Provide high-quality legal advice, assistance, referrals, casework and legal representation in relevant areas of civil law affecting people experiencing mental health concerns.
2. Maintain client files electronically using Actionstep, including conflict checks, engagement records, advice notes, correspondence, data entry and timely file maintenance, including file closure.
3. Undertake legal research and problem solving in relation to varied and emerging legal issues affecting HJP clients.
4. Work under the supervision and direction of the Senior Solicitor, Practice Lead – Health Justice Partnership and Principal Solicitor and escalate legal risk, ethical issues and complex or sensitive matters appropriately.
5. Deliver legal services across HJP locations, including Bankstown, Liverpool and other SWSLHD or ACDL sites as required.
6. Build and maintain effective working relationships with SWSLHD staff, community legal centres, legal assistance services, pro bono partners and referral agencies.
7. Participate in outreach service delivery, appointments, referral pathways and client access arrangements across HJP locations.
8. Deliver legal training, secondary consultations and practical legal information to health staff, community workers and partner organisations.
9. Contribute to community legal education, law reform, policy work, evaluation, reporting and service improvement activities relevant to the HJP.
10. Participate in staff meetings, supervision, professional development, planning activities and organisational administration as required.

Knowledge, skills and experience

Essential

1. Qualified to practise as a solicitor in NSW, holding or eligible to hold a current NSW practising certificate, with at least three years post-admission experience in relevant civil or community legal practice.
2. Demonstrated understanding and experience in areas of law affecting people experiencing mental health concerns, such as fines, credit and debt, tenancy, guardianship, family and domestic violence, employment, discrimination, disability discrimination or minor criminal law.
3. Capacity to undertake independent legal research, identify practical legal options and provide timely, client-centred advice and assistance.
4. Ability to manage files, deadlines, client communications, data entry, reporting and administrative duties with limited day-to-day supervision.
5. Sound understanding of legal risk, professional obligations, confidentiality, conflicts of interest and appropriate escalation of complex matters.
6. Ability to work professionally and collaboratively with health professionals, community organisations, legal services and people experiencing disadvantage.
7. Commitment to social justice, disability rights, trauma-informed practice, cultural safety and recovery-oriented legal assistance.
8. Travel to Bankstown, Liverpool, Fairfield and/or other sites designated by ACDL and SWSLHD as required.

Desirable

• Experience in a community legal centre, HJP, mental health setting or multidisciplinary service environment.
• Experience managing outreach services, place-based legal services or legal partnerships across more than one location.
• Experience with Section 14 applications, civil litigation, mediation, conciliation or tribunal advocacy or criminal law
• Understanding of trauma-informed, recovery-oriented and culturally safe practice.
• Current drivers licence.

Why work with ACDL?

This is an opportunity to work within a specialist legal program that provides practical legal help to people experiencing mental health concerns and disadvantage across a SWLHD.

Pre-employment checks

The successful applicant will be required to complete relevant pre-employment checks, including a criminal record check, Working with Children Check and NSW Health contingent worker requirements.

For enquiries, contact Mark Patrick on 0491 232 970 or via email: jobs@disabilitylaw.org.au using the subject line: Solicitor - Health Justice Partnership - Liverpool / Bankstown / Fairfield enquiry via EthicalJobs. 

People with disability and their associates, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, and people with lived experience of the issues affecting our clients are strongly encouraged to apply.

Suitable candidates may be interviewed as applications are received.

This position description is intended to describe the key responsibilities of the role. Duties may vary from time to time to meet organisational, funding and service delivery requirements.