PLT Placement - Unpaid

Unpaid role with hybrid working arrangements

Support the Legal team within the Legal, Governance and Risk directorate

Great career opportunity with one of the largest employers in Western Sydney!

This role is ideal for a final-year law student, recent law graduate completing their Practical Legal Training (PLT), or aspiring solicitor with a passion for education. 

Get ready to dive into a dynamic and impactful role where your enthusiasm and dedication will make a real difference! As a PLT with CSPD, you'll provide support to the Legal Team consisting of a Junior Legal Officer, Senior Legal Officer and a General Counsel. 

About Us

We are Catholic Schools Parramatta Diocese (CSPD), a not-for-profit system of schools committed to responding to the needs of students in a world that is changing rapidly. With over 5000 passionate employees located across 83 primary and secondary schools, we have the intent and the resources to transform the learning and unlock the full potential of each of our 40,000 plus students. We are always on the lookout for top talent to help us achieve our strategic goal of inspiring the future, through quality Catholic schooling and by strengthening the professional lives of our employees.

About the Role

In this role, you will spend your workdays:  

• Conducting legal research and analysis to identify causes and devise solutions for a wide range of legal matters

• Document preparation

• Internal policy review and formatting

• Legal record management 

This role will expose you to matters concerning Privacy Law, Family Law, Industrial Relations and Child-related regulations. 

There are endless intersections between our legal team and other departments which will aid the development of a well-rounded legal practitioner. The nature of this in-house position will also enable you to work alongside other directorates and internal stakeholders to develop broader organisational strategies. 

About You

We're seeking a dynamic, efficient, and engaging individual who possesses the following key attributes:

• A proactive and team-oriented attitude. 

• A tertiary qualification in the relevant area of study.

• A curiosity to learn and develop interdisciplinary legal knowledge.

• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills.

• Familiarity with Google Suite and legal research tools.

• Ability to prioritise, meet deadlines and maintain a high level of accuracy. 

• Capacity to carry out research, analyse data and offer sound recommendations.

To be successful in this role, you will have a holistic understanding of legal principles and its application to the wider organisation to effectively advise on legal accuracy and operational practicality.

Why Join Us?

Join a collaborative team where your skills will be valued and your contributions will have a meaningful impact on the effective operation of the Legal, Governance and Risk directorate.

The legal profession is rapidly changing, but at its core, is a people-centred profession requiring practitioners that are well-rounded and agile. Joining us at CSPD will enable you to gain practical  experience in building strong stakeholder relationships, adaptability, collaboration and communication. These are the foundations that will propel you into a meaningful legal career, whether working in private practice or in house.

Interested?

Applications will be screened by our internal recruitment team. The initial round will involve a meet & greet with our Admin Officer, a member of the Legal team and HR. 

This position involves working with children. The appointment of successful applicants will be subject to satisfactory employment screening for child-related employment, including the completion of a Volunteer Working with Children Check and adoption and compliance with CSPD’s Child Safeguarding Procedures and Code of Conduct When Working With Students and Children. For more information, please visit The Office of The Children’s Guardian here.

CSPD promotes the safety and wellbeing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, and children from culturally and/or linguistically diverse backgrounds. We encourage applications from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, as well as people from culturally and/or linguistically diverse backgrounds.

Apply today!

If you are determined to make a difference and want to join a diverse organisation committed to transforming lives through faith-based education, click on the APPLY button. 

Only applications with a cover letter will be considered.

Testimonial from PLT Paralegal September - December 2025:

My in-house experience within the CSPD Legal, Governance and Risk Directorate has significantly deepened my understanding of what a legal practitioner does in day-to-day practice. While I had previously held a theoretical understanding of the responsibilities of in-house counsel, working directly in this placement allowed me to appreciate the practical realities, competing priorities and multifaceted skills required of a practising in-house lawyer.

Rather than simply interpreting the law, I found myself helping teams anticipate and mitigate risks before issues arose. This experience taught me that legal practitioners are not only interpreters of legislation but also strategic advisors who must balance legal accuracy with operational practicality. As someone undecided about an area of law I would like to practice in, this experience exposed me to the deep intersectionality of legal work and its role in organisational governance, policy development and capacity building. 

Legal experience and development aside, I have truly loved and learnt immensely from this experience. I was regularly stimulated and learned something new every single day. The mentorship and guidance is unparalleled and the support is readily available when required. I would highly recommend this experience to anyone that is open-minded about the broad implications of law, the care and wellbeing of young children and the education sector in general.

Briana Y.