POSITION:Principal Legal Officer

POSITION:Principal Legal Officer

Duty Statement

POSITION:Principal Legal Officer

LOCATION:Darwin

POSITION OVERVIEW

The North Australian Aboriginal Justice Agency Ltd (NAAJA) provides legal assistance and justice services for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in the Top End of the Northern Territory. We have offices in Darwin, Palmerston and Katherine. We are recognised as a leading legal service and have received national and local human rights and crime prevention awards for our work.

NAAJA’s legal practice is the largest in the Northern Territory, providing high quality, culturally proficient and accessible advice, casework and court advocacy in both criminal and civil law. NAAJA particularly seeks to achieve social justice for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people through strategic litigation.

The Principal Legal Officer is part of NAAJA’s senior executive team and is responsible for overall management of the legal practice, comprising approximately 45 lawyers and 25 support staff. The following positions report to the PLO:

  • Manager, Criminal Law Darwin
  • Manager, Civil Law
  • Regional Managing Solicitor, Katherine

The role requires an experienced legal practitioner with a demonstrated capacity for high level management and leadership. The PLO maintains a select practice, typically in criminal law while also playing a significant representative role for NAAJA in the media, in meetings with stakeholders and on working groups.

REPORTING RELATIONSHIPS

The Principal Legal Officer reports to the CEO.

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DUTIES

  1. Lead the delivery of high quality, culturally proficient and accessible legal services in criminal and civil law.
  2. Ensure the maintenance of high professional and ethical standards within the legal practice, including through the continuing professional development of staff and overseeing compliance with the Rules of Professional Conduct and Practice.
  3. Provide direct management to section heads within the legal practice and support them to manage their teams.
  4. Provide and oversee effective financial, records and resource management within the legal practice.
  5. Operate NAAJA’s trust account in accordance with the Legal Profession Act.
  6. Maintain a select case load, providing high level legal advice and representation to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and appearing in court, particularly in serious and complex matters.
  7. Identify opportunities to achieve justice for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people through strategic litigation.
  8. Represent NAAJA in the media, at external meetings, on working groups and in public forums as required.
  9. Provide effective leadership internally as part of the executive management group to meet NAAJA’s strategic goals.
  10. Ensure accurate reporting of the activities of the legal practice against funding requirements and contribute to the development of applications for additional funding of legal assistance services.
  11. Other duties as reasonably directed.

SELECTION CRITERIA

Essential

  1. Admission (or eligibility for admission) as a legal practitioner in the Northern Territory and the holder of (or eligibility for) an unrestricted practicing certificate.
  2. Extensive experience in areas relevant to NAAJA’s legal practice, including as an advocate in superior courts.
  3. Demonstrated management skills, including performance management of staff, management of resources and superior time management.
  4. Ability to provide effective leadership to a diverse team of legal and non-legal staff, working constructively with them to deliver a high-quality service to clients.
  5. An understanding of the barriers faced by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in the justice system and a demonstrated empathy and sensitivity to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, history and culture.
  6. Excellent communication skills, including the ability to
  7. advance NAAJA’s strategic goals with stakeholders;
  8. communicate effectively with people from diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds;
  9. deliver a clear and effective message in the media.
  10. Satisfactory criminal history check and no history of disqualification from employment by a legal practice.
  11. Ability to obtain a Working with Children Clearance (OCHRE card).

Desirable

  1. Experience in the operation of a solicitor’s trust account.

Please note: applicants for this position must address the selection criteria in their written application, which should be sent to

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