1 x Practical Legal Traineeship Placements – Westjustice – Children & Young People’s Rights Program
Westjustice is currently looking for 1 Practical Legal Trainees (PLT) to work 2 days per week assisting our Children & Young People’s Rights Program (CYPR). The placement is for a minimum of 20 days over 10 weeks (2 set days a week).
About Westjustice
Westjustice is a community organisation and accredited community legal centre. We deliver targeted services and drive meaningful change in Melbourne's West through targeted legal and other services, empowerment through education and community development, prevention and early intervention, and advocacy and systems reform.
Westjustice Vision: Fairness, safety and justice for Melbourne’s West
Westjustice Purpose: We deliver targeted services and drive meaningful change.
The Practical Legal Training (PLT) Program at Westjustice
PLTs provide a vital contribution to our work and the functioning of our team. Successful applicants will gain valuable and practical experience and training working under the supervision of experienced lawyers within CYPR.
CYPR is committed to ensuring that we promote and protect the rights of children and young people aged 10-25 years old who live work and study in Melbourne’s West. Our case work and CLE provide the evidence for our reform agenda and systemic impact advocacy.
Summary of CYPRP’s programs, projects & services:
• School Lawyer Program
• Youth Law Clinics
• Youth Crime Prevention and Early Intervention Program
• Unlocking Pathways
• TARGET ZER0
• Policy & Advocacy- Co-convening SJ4YP
• YouthNow
• Intervention order duty list at the Children’s Court at Wyndham Law Courts
Our youth office is based in Sunshine but there will be at least weekly duty lawyer outreach at Wyndham Law Courts on Thursdays
Key Responsibilities/Expectations
• Triaging and preparing matters under guidance of the lawyers
• Coordinating court lists and communicating with external key stakeholders across multiple digital platforms under guidance of the lawyers
• Conducting intake (basic instructions) with clients, many of whom are from culturally and linguistically marginalised backgrounds
• Collating and analysing court documents
• File management tasks
• Preparing and sending correspondence with guidance of a lawyer
• Data entry
• Legal research, analysis and problem solving to assist lawyers with their case work
Key Selection Criteria:
• A degree in law
• Be currently completing your Graduate Diploma of Legal Practice (through Leo Cussen or an equivalent institution).
• Ability to undertake a minimum of 20 days (2 set days of Thursday and Friday per week) of practical legal training at Westjustice over 10 weeks
• Ability to work from our office located in Sunshine or various outreach locations across Melbourne
• Ability to attend the various Children’s and Magistrates’ Courts across Melbourne
• Excellent IT skills, including use of real time portals, Sharepoint, Actionstep (or case management systems), Teams, Microsoft Office, Outlook
• Strong commitment to social justice, including a demonstrated understanding of the social context of law,crime, family violence and the issues faced by vulnerable young people in our community and the ability tocontribute to Westjustice’s systemic impact work
• Ability to listen to and engage with vulnerable, distressed or disadvantaged clients
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively with a range of internal and external stakeholders
• High level personal skills, including resilience and the ability to communicate and consult effectively
• Excellent problem-solving skills with a can-do attitude when offering solutions
• Excellent attention to detail and a friendly demeanour
• Excellent written and oral communication skills
• Confident, strong initiative, compassionate, with an interest in community legal work
• Thrives in a busy and unpredictable environment
• Competency in working with diverse communities, including LGBTIQA+, Disability and multicultural
communities
*Please note that PLT positions are unpaid*
We offer a robust structured training program that includes practical skills workshops, and a Certificate of Completion is awarded upon completion of the 10-week program.
How to Apply:
To apply, please email a cover letter that addresses the key selection criteria (maximum 2 pages) and your CV to sarah@westjustice.org.au addressed to Sarah Breen. Please use the subject line: PLT [your name] application. Feel free to email us any questions you may have via the above email address.
The successful applicant will require a current Working with Children’s Check and Police Check. People with lived experience of the justice system are encouraged to apply. A police check result does not automatically disqualify an application which in each case will be individually assessed for the relevant role. Applicants must also have the right to work in Australia. If you require any adjustments throughout the application or recruitment process please let us know. Westjustice is committed to building a diverse workforce. We strongly encourage applications from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, people living with a disability, people from diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds,
mature age workers and LGBTIQA+ identifying people.
