Job Description

Knowmore Legal Service is a nationwide service, supporting victim-survivors of childhood abuse and the Stolen Generations in accessing legal redress and justice. We offer free, confidential services to help victim-survivors navigate their compensation and redress options, including through assistance in applying to the National Redress Scheme, Victims of Crime Compensation Schemes, and the Territories Stolen Generation Redress Scheme.

Our team provides free legal assistance, financial counselling, social support and specialised cultural support for First Nations people. With a trauma-informed and culturally safe approach, we empower victim-survivors to make informed choices on their path to healing and justice.

At Knowmore we stand with victim-survivors every step of the way.

WE ARE LOOKING FOR LAWYERS WHO HAVE:

• A practicing certificate to practice as a lawyer in the relevant state or territory
• Experience in or good understanding of administrative and/or civil law
• Experience providing legal advice to vulnerable individuals, underpinned by a trauma informed approach
• Demonstrated cultural competency in providing services to Aboriginal people and/or organisations and/or relevant experience demonstrating an ability to acquire and apply those skills quickly in the role
• Experience delivering plain language legal advice and information
• Sound computer skills within a legal practice environment (knowledge of CRM systems desirable)
• A willingness to work as part of a multi-disciplinary team
• A commitment to social justice, and
• A good level of resilience, self-care and focused management of own wellbeing

ABOUT THE ROLE:

You will work as part of the legal team, under the supervision of a Managing Lawyer and Senior Lawyers to:

• Provide legal services to people seeking advice in regard to their legal options in relation to childhood sexual abuse.
• Provide high-quality legal information, advice, representation and referral services to clients who are survivors of child sexual abuse and the Stolen Generation, through telephone and face to face services.
• Contribute as a professional member of a national legal practice, complying with the rules and requirements of relevant legal profession legislation and the Community Legal Centre Risk Management Guide.
• Work cooperatively and collaboratively, both within Knowmore’s multi-disciplinary model of teams of legal and non-legal staff, and with external service providers, to ensure client’s legal and other needs are identified and actioned in a consistent, effective and timely way.
• Manage a significant caseload of client matters ensuring all service standards and timelines are met and service data is recorded.
• Make referrals, including warm referrals, to other service providers where appropriate.
• Participate in outreach to relevant agencies and if possible, outreach to remote communities to provide information about what Knowmore Legal Service can offer and engage with those communities in a culturally appropriate manner.

KNOWMORE’S APPROACH:

Our Lawyers work closely with our Social Workers and Counsellors, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Engagement Advisers and Financial Counsellors to ensure our clients' needs are met. You can confidently focus on providing trauma-informed legal services knowing that these other teams are providing these additional support and advice.

Our work is underpinned by our values of respect, teamwork, courage, integrity and innovation.

WHAT WE OFFER:

We know that in working with people who have experienced trauma it is important that our workplaces and employment conditions are also trauma informed.

Our workplaces provide time out spaces for our people to take a break and re-charge. There are couches, puzzles and always food!

We provide the following benefits:

• General leave entitlements, with shut down between Christmas Eve and New Year’s Day without deduction from your annual leave
• 5 weeks annual leave plus 17.5% leave loading
• Not-for-Profit salary packaging options through our provider including general expense, parking, novated lease, and meals and entertainment programs
• Flexible working arrangements, including hybrid arrangements of 2 days working from home, pro-rated for part time (following a qualifying period during probation and assessment of the home office environment)
• Access to paid regular external supervision, in addition to regular work supervision
• Generous professional training and development opportunities in addition to our core training requirements
• Access to EAP
• Additional 0.5% superannuation on top of the guaranteed rate

WHAT OUR STAFF SAY ABOUT US:

• “Knowmore has the benefits of working at a community legal centre without the downside of low funding/lack of resources/lack of processes or minimal administrative support. You're able to engage in very meaningful work for very vulnerable clients you have direct regular contact with. Despite the focus of legal work being narrow compared to other CLC's that advise on a breadth of legal issues, there is a surprising amount of variability within advising and representing clients who participate in the scheme.”
• “Highly supportive, safe, collegial and relaxed environment”
• “No billable hours”
• “No overtime or unpaid work/great work life balance”
• “Being a lawyer without the chronic stress that typically comes with being a lawyer”
• “The strength and resilience of our clients is incredibly empowering. I am grateful every day for the opportunity to support them on their healing journey and advocate for justice.”
• “The legal team is extremely supportive and working in a multidisciplinary team is invaluable.”
• “The work done at Knowmore is fulfilling in the sense that you know at the end of the day, all your hours and energy are going into making just that little bit of positive difference in someone's life. This is made even better from the workplace culture which prioritises mental wellbeing.”
• “I think the flexibility that is offered at Knowmore in terms of remote work and flex is second to none and a huge draw/retention factor”

HOW TO APPLY

Your application must include:

• A cover letter outlining why you are applying for this position and your suitability against the role criteria and requirements.
• A resume with your skills, experience and qualifications.

The role will be required to satisfactorily complete a National Police Records Check and Working with Children. Further Information about Knowmore is available at www.knowmore.org.au.

MEET AUNTY GLENDRA

Aunty Glendra Stubbs is a Wiradjuri woman and an Elder in Residence at Knowmore. She has been supporting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander clients since Knowmore began in 2013. In this video, Aunty Glendra shares her story about working at Knowmore and supporting her clients on their journey. See the video below.

https://www.youtube.com/watch-v=Ib4Va2apySU

We are committed to a trauma-informed and culturally safe approach, walking alongside victim-survivors every step of the way.

We recognise and value the strength that diversity brings to our work. We strongly encourage applications from individuals of all ages with diverse lived experiences and backgrounds, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, people from multicultural, multifaith and linguistically diverse communities, members of the LGBTQIA+ community, people with a hearing or vision impairment and people with disability. Your unique perspective and voice are not only welcome—they are essential to the work we do.