Associate / Senior Associate, Litigation

JLegal; Sydney; On-site; AUD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

JLegal is seeking an Associate or Senior Associate in Sydney to join its disputes practice. The role involves handling a broad mix of commercial and civil disputes, with exposure to insolvency, construction, property and general commercial litigation.

You will be involved through the full lifecycle of matters, from early strategy and pre-litigation to mediation and court proceedings, with opportunities for independent work and mentorship from senior lawyers.

Qualifications

• Admitted lawyer with approximately 2–6 years' post-admission experience in litigation.
• Experience across commercial or civil disputes.
• Ability to manage litigation files and deadlines.
• Strong drafting skills and client communication.

Responsibilities

• Run commercial and civil disputes across NSW and Federal jurisdictions.
• Advise on contractual, insolvency, construction, property, and other disputes.
• Draft pleadings, affidavits, submissions, evidence and correspondence.
• Prepare matters for hearings, mediations and settlement conferences.
• Brief and instruct barristers and work with experts as required.
• Maintain direct communication with clients throughout the matter.
• Take on ownership and contribute to strategy and client relationships.

Skills

Litigation

Drafting

Client communication

Case management

Job description

Associate / Senior Associate, Litigation

Sydney, Australia

A Sydney disputes practice is looking to add an experienced Associate or Senior Associate to its growing litigation team.

The role offers exposure to a diverse range of commercial and civil disputes, with matters spanning insolvency, building and construction, property and general commercial litigation.

You will be involved throughout the full lifecycle of matters, from early strategic advice and pre-litigation negotiations through to mediation, settlement and court proceedings. There is plenty of scope to run matters independently, work directly with clients and take on meaningful responsibility, while still having access to experienced senior lawyers on more complex disputes.

For a lawyer looking to broaden their litigation experience and step into a role with greater ownership, this is an opportunity to become an integral part of a busy disputes practice.

What You Will Be Doing

Your matters may involve:

• Running commercial and civil disputes across NSW and Federal jurisdictions.
  
• Advising on contractual, corporate, insolvency, construction, property and other business-related disputes.
  
• Assessing claims and developing practical litigation and resolution strategies.
  
• Drafting pleadings, affidavits, submissions, evidence and correspondence.
  
• Preparing matters for hearings, mediations and settlement conferences.
  
• Managing court processes, procedural requirements and critical deadlines.
  
• Briefing and instructing barristers and working with experts where required.
  
• Advising clients on legal risk, strategy and commercially appropriate outcomes.
  
• Negotiating settlements and participating in alternative dispute resolution.
  
• Maintaining direct communication with clients throughout the course of a matter.
  
• Working with senior practitioners on larger, strategically significant or complex proceedings.
  

At the more senior level, there will be scope to take greater responsibility for files and client relationships and contribute to the development of junior members of the team.

About You

You will be an admitted lawyer with approximately 2–6 years' post-admission experience and a solid grounding in litigation and dispute resolution.

You will ideally have:

• Experience across commercial litigation, civil litigation or general disputes.
  
• Exposure to insolvency, building and construction, property or broader commercial disputes.
  
• Experience managing litigation files and progressing matters through court processes.
  
• Strong drafting skills across pleadings, evidence, correspondence and legal advice.
  
• The ability to identify both the legal and commercial considerations affecting a dispute.
  
• Confidence communicating directly with clients, counsel and other stakeholders.
  
• Strong organisation and the ability to manage competing matters and deadlines.
  
• A practical approach to dispute resolution and achieving commercial outcomes.
  

Experience across every area is not essential. Lawyers coming from a broader commercial disputes background who are interested in expanding their experience are also encouraged to enquire.

Why Consider This Role?

This is a hands-on opportunity where you will not simply sit behind more senior lawyers on every matter.

You will have the chance to take ownership of files, develop your own client relationships and be closely involved in strategy and decision-making, while retaining the support of experienced practitioners when you need it.

The practice offers varied litigation work, direct client exposure and genuine scope to continue building your capability and responsibility as you progress.