Our team

Justice Connect believes in a world where 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 Not-for-profit Law program provides free and low-cost legal help to community organisations, particularly those that are smaller, volunteer-run, or working with communities experiencing disadvantage. We support these organisations across a broad range of legal issues, from governance and charity law to employment, privacy, and work health and safety, so they can focus on the work that matters most to the communities they serve.

As our Lawyer (Level 2), you will play a central role in delivering legal advice, information, training, and referrals to not-for-profit organisations across the country. You will do well in this role if you are a skilled, motivated lawyer with a strong understanding of the legal issues that affect community organisations and a genuine interest in building the legal capability of the sector.

Justice Connect values flexibility. While this role is advertised as full-time, we will consider 0.8 FTE for a suitable candidate.

Our ideal candidate

You will bring to the team experience in the following areas:

• Strong legal expertise relevant to not-for-profits, including charity law, governance, tax, and managing volunteers.
• Expertise in employment law (highly desirable).
• Experience delivering plain-language legal advice and information, preferably to community organisations.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to explain legal concepts clearly to non-lawyers.
• Ability to work collaboratively, including with internal teams, pro bono law firms, stakeholders, regulators, and funders.
• Strong motivation, diligence, and strategic thinking, with a commitment to social justice and Justice Connect's values.

Required qualifications:

• Australian Legal Practitioner.
• An unsupervised practising certificate.
• Minimum one year of unsupervised practice.

Expertise that would further support our team:

• Experience in law reform and advocacy work.
• Experience working or volunteering in a not-for-profit or social enterprise, including as a board or committee member of a community organisation.
• Experience delivering legal training to non-legally trained audiences.

Candidates will need to demonstrate commitment to Justice Connect's vision, strategy and values.

What you will achieve in the role

In this role, you will help deliver legal support to not-for-profit community organisations by:

• Providing high-quality legal advice, information, and referrals to eligible community organisations across a range of areas of law.
• Overseeing the intake of new enquiries and conducting eligibility assessments in line with Not-for-profit Law processes.
• Developing and delivering legal training to not-for-profit organisations on topics such as the legal duties of board and committee members, safety, risk, and insurance, and managing volunteers.
• Contributing to legal resources, self-help tools, law reform, and advocacy work that strengthens the legal capability of the not-for-profit sector.
• Supporting the professional development of others in the team, including direct supervision of more junior staff where appropriate.
• Building and maintaining relationships with stakeholders, member law firms, regulators, and funders.
• Contributing to reporting, evaluation, organisational learning, inclusion initiatives, and cross-team projects.

A week in this role

A typical week involves balancing direct legal service and training delivery with team, stakeholder, and project work. If you were here last week, you would have:

• Reviewed new requests from not-for-profit organisations, assessed whether they met the service criteria, and identified the most appropriate support or referral pathway.
• Delivered plain-language legal advice to an organisation seeking to update their constitution, and another seeking endorsement as a deductible gift recipient.
• Liaised with member law firms, pro bono lawyers, and other stakeholders to progress matters, coordinate referrals, and support strong working relationships.
• Delivered a legal training session (in person or online) for a group of not-for-profit organisations on the legal duties of board and committee members.
• Identified common legal issues coming through the service and contributed insights to law reform, policy, or advocacy work.
• Shared legal knowledge with colleagues, contributed to team discussions, and helped improve service processes.

What we offer

If you want your next role to have purpose, support your growth, and help you build meaningful connections, Justice Connect is the place to work.

We are committed to creating an environment where people thrive. Our benefits include:

• A flexible hybrid working model (minimum 40% in-office across the month)
• Salary packaging to make part of your income tax-free
• Ongoing learning and development opportunities: face-to-face, online, and on demand
• 5 weeks annual leave (pro rata), leave loading
• Gifted leave between Christmas and New Year over the end-of-year closure period
• 15 days paid personal leave per calendar year (pro rata)
• 10 days paid study leave per calendar year (pro rata)
• 5 days paid, and 5 days unpaid cultural leave per calendar year (pro rata)
• Access to Employee Assistance Program (EAP) support for you and your immediate family
• Free flu vaccinations
• An inclusive and diverse culture that values continuous improvement, innovation, and sustainability

Salary

$118,686.22 per annum (pro-rata depending on FTE) + 12% superannuation + 17.5% annual leave loading

As a not-for-profit, Justice Connect is able to offer salary packaging, which allows you to enjoy part of your salary tax-free, increasing your take-home pay.

• Up to $15,900 per year on everyday living costs, including rent, mortgage, groceries, bills and personal loan repayments
• Up to $2,650 per year on meals and entertainment

Our salary packaging partner, Smart, will assist successful candidates in setting up and managing their arrangements.

How to apply

Please upload your resume and a cover letter outlining your skills and experience that will help you achieve success in this role.

Important role information

• Reports to: Manager, NFP Law
• Collaborates with: Not-for-profit Law Lawyers, Paralegal, Managers, and Manager of Not-for-profit Law Training
• Location: Level 5, 446 Collins Street, Melbourne or Level 5, 175 Liverpool Street, Sydney (hybrid working model, 40% time in the office across the month)
• Employment type: Full time, ongoing (0.8 FTE considered)
• Hours: 37.5 hours per week (1 FTE)

Justice Connect is committed to building a team that reflects the diversity of the communities we serve. We actively encourage applications from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, people with disability, people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, and people of all genders and sexual orientations. If you need any adjustments to the recruitment process, please let us know.