Lead Counsel

Department: Public Law & Commercial (Dispute Resolu); Sydney; Hybrid; AUD 185,000 - 206,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible work hours

Leave entitlements: 20 days annual + 伪

Job summary

NSW Crown Solicitors Office seeks an experienced Lead Counsel in Public Law & Commercial (Advisory & Dispute Resolution) to lead complex government matters from Sydney CBD. The role requires strategic advice, strong leadership and a track record in public law litigation or advisory work.

The position is full-time, permanent, based at 252 Pitt Street with flexible work arrangements. Salary ranges from $185,400 to $206,000 plus superannuation.

Qualifications

• Five+ years' post-admission experience in relevant area of law.
• Ability to provide clear, practical and strategic advice on complex legal issues.
• Strong leadership, mentoring and staff development capabilities.

Responsibilities

• Provide authoritative legal advice and representation in complex matters.
• Lead, supervise and develop senior and junior solicitors.
• Manage matters with autonomy, accountability and sound professional judgment.
• Advise government clients on emerging legal issues, risks and strategic implications.
• Contribute to precedents, procedures and knowledge across the Practice Group.

Skills

Leadership

Legal analysis

Communication skills

Autonomy

Strategic advice

Education

Law degree

Admission to NSW Bar

Job description

Department: Public Law & Commercial (Dispute Resolu) – Sydney NSW

$185,400 - $206,000 a year

Full time, Permanent

1d ago , from Department of Communities and Justice NSW

Lead Counsel – Public Law & Commercial (Advisory & Dispute Resolution)

• Flexible start & finish working hours + annual leave 20 days + additional flex leave (up to 18 days per year)
• Be part of a dynamic public sector team and work with legal experts of the industry
• Ongoing role based in the Sydney CBD with flexible work arrangements available

Classification grade: Legal Officer Grade VII

Salary: $185,400- $206,000 p.a. base salary (employer’s contribution to superannuation and annual leave loading is paid in addition to the base salary.)

Work type: Full-Time – 35 hours per week – ongoing

Work location: Our primary place of work is located at 252 Pitt Street, Sydney.

About the role

We are seeking to appoint an ongoing Lead Counsel with extensive expertise and experience in matters within the Public Law & Commercial (Advisory) practice group or the Public Law & Commercial (Dispute Resolution) practice group. The successful candidate will work under the leadership of the Director and play a key role in the practice group.

Lead Counsel will be expected to possess strong technical legal knowledge in order to act as a subject matter expert within the relevant practice group. Lead Counsel will also play an important leadership role within the practice group, promoting the effective delivery of strategic CSO priorities, as well as supporting staff development and overseeing the delivery of high-quality legal services.

The Public Law & Commercial (Dispute Resolution) practice group delivers targeted, specialist legal assistance to NSW Government agencies across a broad range of public and commercial law matters. The team conducts complex public law litigation, including judicial review, merits review proceedings in NCAT, and legally- and factually complex revenue litigation. Its practice also encompasses commercial and general litigation, offering candidates exposure to high-profile work at the intersection of law and government.

The Public Law & Commercial (Advisory)practice group advises NSW Government agencies in relation to issues of constitutional law, administrative law and statutory interpretation, as well as in relation to areas of commercial law that apply to NSW Government agencies. The practice group’s expertise includes matters involving constitutional challenges to government action and legislation, the statutory functions and obligations of public sector agencies and law enforcement agencies, government procurement, Crown copyright and significant commercial transactions. This is an excellent opportunity for candidates seeking intellectually stimulating work on matters of importance to government within a collaborative team environment.

The role involves:

• Providing authoritative legal advice and representation in complex and sensitive matters.
• Managing matters with a high degree of autonomy, accountability and professional judgment.
• Advising government clients on emerging legal issues, risks and strategic implications.
• Leading, supervising and developing senior and junior solicitors.
• Contributing to the development of precedents, procedures and professional knowledge across the Practice Group.

To learn more about the role, please review the role description.

• Completion of a law degree from an accredited law school or completion of the Legal Practitioners Admission Board’s Diploma in Law Course.
• Admission or eligibility for admission as an unrestricted legal practitioner in NSW.
• Authoritative specialist with highly developed legal knowledge and extensive experience which enable provision of advice and representation in highly complex and sensitive legal matters in areas of law in which the Practice Group specialises.
• Travel for regional or interstate court and other commitments subject to the application of any discrimination legislation (including in respect of carer’s responsibilities).

About you. Our ideal candidate.

• Applicants must possess at least five years' post-admission experience in the relevant area of law.
• Demonstrated leadership experience, including the supervision, mentoring and professional development of legal staff.
• The ability to provide clear, practical and strategic advice on complex legal issues.
• Sound professional judgment and the ability to work autonomously in a high-pressure environment.
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to engage effectively with clients, counsel, experts, witnesses and court officials.

Who we are?

The NSW Crown Solicitors Office (CSO) provides high-quality and cost-effective legal services to the NSW Government and its agencies. As a trusted legal advisor to the NSW Government, our principal role is to advise and represent agencies so that they can deliver policies, programs and projects in a lawful, effective and efficient manner.

We act with integrity and professional independence, guided by the government sector's core values. We are focussed on providing excellent client service and promoting a culture of continuous improvement. We also provide our people with opportunities to learn, develop and adapt within an inclusive and supportive environment.

For more information about the CSO, click here.

Our commitment to flexible working

The CSO has adopted a teams-based approach to flexible working. We recognise that everyone has different needs and preferences, and our flexible work culture allows you to adapt your work routine to suit you. We’re all about flexibility, productivity and driving good client outcomes.

We have generous leave provisions available for our employees that acknowledge individual preferences and responsibilities including:

• Up to 20 days recreation leave and up to 18 days flex leave per annum
• 20 days purchased leave annually
• Inclusive paid parental leave provisions of up to 16 weeks (14 weeks + 2 bonus weeks) which can be taken flexibly within the first 24 months to support the birth, adoption, altruistic surrogacy or permanent out-of-home care placement of a child
• Study time up to 4 hours per week
• Extended Leave of up to 44 days after 10 years or up to 30.8 days after 7 years of service.

How we support health & wellbeing:

• We offer an employee assistance program to support the wellbeing of employees in the workplace and in their personal lives, which also extends to family members
• Coaching services are available for people leaders and executives to learn and implement best practices to manage their team’s wellbeing
• We offer an annual Flu Vaccination program
• We provide access to the Fitness Passport program – a discounted workplace health and fitness program available to staff and their families

CSO's commitment to diversity

At CSO, we believe a diverse and inclusive workforce contributes to the success of our organisation and we are committed to ensuring that our workforce reflects our diverse community.

We welcome and encourage applicants from diverse backgrounds, including people with disability, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, the LGBTQIA+ community, culturally and linguistically diverse people, veterans and other diverse communities.