Location: Shepparton, VIC
Employment type: Full-time, 12-month fixed term (strong potential for renewal)
Salary: $120,000 + superannuation + salary packaging
Are you an experienced criminal lawyer looking for a role where your legal expertise can have a direct and lasting impact?
Join the Victorian Aboriginal Legal Service (VALS) as a
Regional Practice Lawyer in Shepparton and play a key leadership role in delivering high-quality, culturally safe criminal legal services to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities across the Goulburn Valley.
You will be a senior advocate, trusted adviser, mentor and community partner. You will appear in court, manage complex criminal matters, support and develop team members, build strong local relationships and help strengthen access to justice for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people across the region.
For the right person, this is an opportunity to build a meaningful regional legal career while having the professional scope, responsibility and support you would expect from a state-wide specialist legal service.
About the role As Regional Practice Lawyer, you will provide senior-level criminal law advocacy and casework to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander clients throughout the Shepparton region.
You will manage a varied and complex criminal law practice, including serious indictable matters, while providing leadership and professional support to the regional team.
You will also develop strong relationships with Aboriginal community organisations, Victoria Legal Aid, community legal centres and other service providers to strengthen referral pathways and ensure clients can access holistic support.
This is a
hands-on senior role. You will remain actively involved in advocacy and casework while also providing leadership, mentoring and professional guidance to members of the regional practice.
What you'll be doing Legal practice and advocacy - Represent VALS clients in the Magistrates', County, Children's and Koori Courts.
- Conduct complex criminal law casework, including serious indictable matters.
- Provide high-quality legal advice, information, representation and duty lawyer services.
- Prepare applications for grants of legal assistance and meet relevant Victoria Legal Aid requirements.
- Participate in criminal law case-planning meetings and contribute to high-quality legal practice across VALS.
- Keep up to date with developments in criminal law, court procedures and issues affecting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.
- Participate, as required, in the after-hours on-call roster, including providing emergency legal advice to people in police custody.
Leadership and development - Supervise and support Client Service Officers and other members of the regional practice team.
- Provide mentoring, coaching and professional guidance to team members.
- Support staff performance, development and capability.
- Lead regular team meetings and individual check-ins.
- Help coordinate workflows and ensure the effective day-to-day operation of the regional practice.
- Identify and address practice, operational and team issues constructively.
- Contribute to recruitment, onboarding and development of regional team members.
Community and partnerships - Build strong, respectful relationships with Aboriginal community stakeholders.
- Work collaboratively with Aboriginal organisations, community legal centres, Victoria Legal Aid and other service providers.
- Develop and strengthen referral pathways and collaborative support for clients.
- Identify community legal education needs and contribute to the delivery of community and professional legal education.
- Represent VALS professionally within the Shepparton and broader Goulburn Valley community.
About you You are an experienced criminal lawyer who combines strong advocacy skills with sound judgement, cultural awareness and a genuine commitment to social justice.
You will ideally bring:
- Admission as a legal practitioner in Victoria and the High Court of Australia, with an unrestricted practising certificate.
- Significant practical experience in criminal law and advocacy.
- Experience appearing in relevant criminal jurisdictions, including the Magistrates', County, Children's and/or Koori Courts.
- Demonstrated capability in managing complex criminal matters, including serious indictable matters.
- Eligibility for relevant Victoria Legal Aid panels.
- Accredited Criminal Law Specialist status, or eligibility to obtain this accreditation.
- Experience supervising, mentoring or developing solicitors, paralegals, client service staff or other professionals.
- Strong communication, interpersonal and stakeholder engagement skills.
- The ability to build respectful and effective relationships with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander clients, communities and partner organisations.
- A demonstrated commitment to culturally safe, trauma-informed and client-centred legal practice.
- An understanding of the legal and systemic issues affecting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in Victoria.
- The ability to work independently, exercise sound professional judgement and manage competing priorities.
- Competency in Microsoft Office and the ability to quickly learn VALS' client management systems.
- Experience working in the community legal or not-for-profit sector will be highly regarded.
If you bring strong criminal advocacy experience, leadership capability and a genuine commitment to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander justice, we encourage you to apply even if your experience does not align perfectly with every item above.
About VALS The Victorian Aboriginal Legal Service (VALS) is an Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisation (ACCO) and Victoria's specialist legal and community justice service for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
Established in 1973, VALS provides culturally safe legal advice, representation and support across criminal, family, civil and human rights law, youth justice and specialist litigation.
Our broader services include a 24/7 Custody Notification Service, transitional housing, family violence programs, client support and community legal education.
Our work is grounded in
self-determination, culture, community and justice.
When you join VALS, you are joining an organisation where your legal expertise contributes to something bigger than individual matters. You will be part of a team working to improve access to justice and outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities across Victoria.
What you'll get at VALS This is an opportunity to build a career with purpose while being supported by a specialist legal organisation.
You will have access to:
- $120,000 + superannuation + salary packaging
- A senior regional legal role with genuine autonomy and influence
- The opportunity to work on meaningful and complex criminal matters
- The opportunity to mentor and develop emerging legal and client support professionals
- A supportive team connected to VALS' broader Criminal Law Practice
- The opportunity to build strong relationships within the local Aboriginal community
- A culturally safe and values-led workplace
- The lifestyle benefits of living and working in regional Victoria
- The opportunity to make a tangible difference to justice outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people
Essential requirements The successful applicant will need to hold or obtain:
- Admission as a legal practitioner in Victoria and the High Court of Australia, with an unrestricted practising certificate
- A current Employee Working with Children Check
- A valid Victorian Driver Licence
- A National Criminal History Check
- Evidence of the right to work in Australia
Join us in Shepparton If you are ready for a senior criminal law role where your advocacy, leadership and expertise can make a genuine difference, we would love to hear from you.
VALS strongly encourages applications from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. We also welcome applications from people from LGBTQIA+ communities, people with disability and people from culturally diverse backgrounds.
If you require an adjustment at any stage of the recruitment process, please let us know. We are committed to ensuring our recruitment process is accessible and inclusive.
VALS is an Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisation and is committed to culturally safe, inclusive and respectful workplaces.
