WHY BENDIGO?

Bendigo is located on the traditional lands of the Dja Dja Wurrung and Taugurung Peoples and is famous for its heritage attractions and thriving local culture of art, food, wine and music, all within striking distance of Melbourne. Enjoy excellent work life balance and relaxed, affordable living without the noise and traffic- this regional city has all of the benefits and amenities of city living, situated in a beautiful regional setting.
Opened in March 2023, the state-of-the-art Bendigo Law Courts is the newest Court facility in Victoria. You will be joining Bendigo VLA at an exciting time as we continue to expand our operations and service delivery in the Bendigo region.

ABOUT YOU

As our ideal candidate, you will possess:

• Strong knowledge of Family Law and Family Violence with experience in relevant court processes.
• Independent Children’s Law experience is welcome.
• The ability to develop, supervise and mentor more junior staff
• The ability to work collaboratively with others and foster a cooperative and supportive team environment.
• High-level interpersonal skills, including the ability to form productive professional relationships and communicate effectively with clients and stakeholders at all levels.
• A current Australian practicing certificate which entitles you to practise in Victoria as a government legal practitioner (mandatory).
• Entitled to practise in federal courts and courts exercising federal jurisdiction (entry on the High Court’s Register of Practitioners) (mandatory).

Don’t meet every requirement? At VLA, we understand that your work and life experiences can be just as valuable. If you’re excited about this role but your CV doesn’t align perfectly with our job description, we encourage you to apply anyway. You may be just the right candidate for this or one of our many other opportunities.

ABOUT THIS ROLE

• Full time ongoing position (part-time considered)
• Salary range: $110,357 - $127,333 (pro rata) plus super plus salary packaging
• Up to $15,900 in salary packaging and hybrid WFH & office model

ABOUT THE ROLE

We are seeking an experienced lawyer to join our Bendigo team in providing high quality legal aid services to clients across the Loddon Campaspe region.
In the role of Senior Family Lawyer, you will provide high quality legal services, represent clients, and conduct casework in family law and family violence including intervention order matters. You will also provide legal supervision, mentoring, and training to less experienced lawyers.
You will also work as a duty lawyer in the Bendigo Magistrates’ Court and the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia, including the Family Advocacy and Support Services (FASS) project. You will mentor and train junior lawyers, help develop legal education programs and take part in policy and law reform projects.
This role presents an exciting opportunity for an experienced lawyer looking to broaden their leadership and mentoring skill whilst contributing to improving family law services provided to clients.
This role is based at our Bendigo office on Dja Dja Wurrung and Taugurung Country.