Senior Police Lawyer

at  Victoria Police

AS THE SUCCESSFUL APPLICANT, YOU WILL:

• Be admitted to practice as an Australian Lawyer (Unrestricted Practicing Certificate).
• Have an unrestricted Australian Practising Certificate or be immediately eligible to apply for one.
• Have the ability to work in a team and in a developing and emerging work environment.
• Have a high level of resilience and emotional intelligence.
• High level understanding and experience as a court advocate.
• Have sound knowledge and understanding of the Victorian criminal justice system and a commitment to keeping abreast of changing trends, policies and legislation.
• Experience in coaching, mentoring and developing junior Lawyers.
• A current and valid Victorian Driver Licence.

REQUIREMENTS AND RELEVANT INFORMATION:

• Two (2) x full-time, ongoing positions are available.
• One role will initially focus on the specialist Drug Court, and the other will focus on the Family Violence Court. Both roles will broaden to other courts and offer an opportunity to tailor your skills to an array of matters that vary in complexity. You will be expected to perform caseload management and offer legal advice and information to a range of clients. You will also be required to develop and maintain collaborative relationships within the expansive Victoria Police workforce as well as working with external stakeholders across agencies as part of a broad network to ensure cooperative and proactive approaches to addressing community harm. Whilst the role will be challenging and dynamic, it will present you with a rewarding experience and possibilities for future career progression.
• The salary range for a VPS4 role is $92,332 to $104,762. Although it is standard practice for selected candidates to commence at the base of the salary range, genuine consideration will be given to a commencement salary within the available range that is commensurate with the successful candidate’s knowledge, skills and experiences. This will be subject to negotiations with the Hiring Manager in the course of the selection process and may include the provision of evidence of a higher income and/or supporting documentation (as required).
• As a member of the CPSD you will be located on selection, at a specific office for a particular advertised opportunity. The primary location for this position is Ballarat Prosecutions Unit, 101 Albert Street, Ballarat. However, given occasional legal service demand issues you may be required at times to undertake varied work within the Department. This promotes professional development opportunities in a range of legal domains and supports the Department’s commitment to a flexible and deployable legal workforce.
• This position may require you to work outside normal hours.
• Applicants must be an Australian Citizen, Permanent Resident or hold a valid work permit or visa.
• The successful applicant will be required to undergo pre-employment checks which may include fingerprint checks and misconduct screening.

ABOUT US:

Victoria Police has a dedicated workforce of more than 22,000 employees consisting of police, protective services officers, police custody officers, and public service staff. Each employee plays a vital role in providing the 24/7, 365 days a year emergency response and public safety capability the organisation delivers to its community. As a Victoria Police employee, you have a dedication and commitment to community safety.
Having a workforce that reflects the community we serve is important to Victoria Police. We want to attract and retain people of all genders, ages, religions, disability, sexual orientation, family and caring responsibilities, and cultures including people of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander heritage. If you are interested in a position, we encourage you to apply as we celebrate the benefit that diversity brings to our employees, our services, and our community.
Find out what it is like working as a Victorian Public Servant for Victoria Police: https://www.police.vic.gov.au/vp

ABOUT THE ROLE:

This is an exciting opportunity to progress your career and obtain experience working as a Senior Police Lawyer in the Courts and Prosecution Services Division (CPSD) of the Victoria Police Legal Services Department (LSD). Our vision is to be a centre of prosecutorial and legal excellence, with people who are recognised as being fair, just and valued partners in the Victorian justice system.
Victoria Police’s LSD provides legal services and advice to support policing, courts, and the Victorian community. The LSD is led by an Executive Director (who is also the organisation’s General Counsel) and employs over 800 staff spread across four divisions – the Office of the Executive Director; the Specialist Legal and Litigation Division; the CPSD; and the Legal Business Operations Division.
The CPSD is currently enhancing its advocacy response to meet the expansion of court networks and specialist jurisdictions across Victoria. We are therefore seeking enthusiastic, skilled, and dedicated Senior Police Lawyers to meet this demand. Alongside sworn police prosecutors, Senior Police Lawyers appear within both the Magistrates’ and Children’s Court jurisdictions. Their duties include representing Victoria Police as an advocate within the therapeutic, family violence, summary crime and youth crime areas of practice.
The role is advocacy focused and anticipates you will have prior experience. However, the successful applicant will also be provided opportunities for training and professional development through courses and on the job training.
This position is located within South-West Prosecutions Group with the role primarily based at the South West Grampians Prosecutions Unit. Although based out of the Ballarat Prosecutions Unit, duties will be as required within the relevant work group service delivery area.
To be successful in this role, you will need to demonstrate an ability to appear as a court advocate and manage competing priorities effectively, with a sound understanding of the Victorian criminal justice system.
Victoria Police is a contemporary, agile workplace and supports flexible working arrangements.

YOUR DUTIES WILL INCLUDE:

• The day-to-day management and support of the VPS staff within the South-West Grampians Prosecutions Unit and designated work area.
• Preparation and appearance work in both the Magistrates’ and Children’s Court jurisdictions within the therapeutic, family violence, summary crime and youth crime areas of practice.
• Development and general oversight of junior lawyers and other staff including the provision of support and mentoring.
• Appearing as an advocate, caseload management and providing legal advice to a range of clients.
• Coordination of Police Lawyers and Legal Support Staff assisting and appearing in the Ballarat Family Violence Court and other prosecutions lists.
• Managing strategies for appropriate representation in family violence and criminal related prosecutions.
• Provision of legal advice in areas of skill and knowledge, including the drafting of court submissions.
• Working with internal and external stakeholders across agencies to ensure cooperative and proactive approaches to addressing community harm.
• Active engagement with the work group supervisory team including the management of portfolios, governance and planning responsibilities.
• Establishment and maintenance of productive working relationships with all legal representatives and court staff
• Provision of support and assistance to Principal and Supervising Lawyers in the management of more complex cases heard in the County Court and other jurisdictions.
• Maintaining statistics and records for all police matters along with completing monthly reports for your designated work area.
• Provision of professional guidance to Legal Support Officers as directed.