Managing Lawyer, Legal Help

Victoria Legal Aid; Melbourne; On-site; AUD 131,000 - 155,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible hybrid work arrangement

Salary packaging up to $15,900

Hybrid work from home & office

Annual 3% salary increase

Generous leave benefits

Discounted Myki passes

Professional development opportunities

Wellbeing resources

Job summary

Victoria Legal Aid in Melbourne is seeking a leader to head the Legal and Advice Specialist Services (LASS) branch, guiding a major project to modernise the legal advisory function in a high-volume setting. You will partner with internal and external stakeholders to scope and develop initiatives and drive change for sustainable service delivery.

You will oversee Deputy Managing Lawyers and multiple advisory teams, foster a positive culture, build capability, and improve access to justice for

Qualifications

• Strong leadership and people management in a high-pressure legal setting.
• Highly developed interpersonal and communication skills for stakeholder engagement.
• Current Australian practising certificate entitles you to practise in Victoria (mandatory).

Responsibilities

• Lead the Legal and Advice Specialist Services (LASS) branch and modernise the legal advisory function in a high-volume environment.
• Oversee day-to-day operations and several advisory teams, driving capability and performance.
• Build a positive team culture, influence and negotiate with internal and external stakeholders.

Skills

Leadership

People management

Communication

Interpersonal skills

Negotiation

Legal knowledge

Job description

• Salary range: $131,154 - $155,000 plus super
• Up to $15,900 in salary packaging, flexible hybrid work arrangement

About the role

As the leader of the Legal and Advice Specialist Services (LASS) branch, you will lead a major project to modernise the legal advisory function within Legal Help's unique high volume setting, ensuring service offerings, ways of working and policies are fit for purpose and sustainable. This involves partnering with both internal and external stakeholders to scope and develop initiatives and leading through change to help build a thriving team and improve access to justice for vulnerable members of the community.

In this role you will also lead a team of Deputy Managing Lawyers responsible for overseeing the day-to-day operations of the branch, helping build a positive team culture and drive capability and performance. This includes several general advisory and specialist service teams staffed predominately by lawyers and senior lawyers.

This role is based at our Melbourne CBD office on Wurundjeri Country.

About you

As our ideal candidate, you will possess:

• An innovation mindset with an adaptive approach to transforming services and embedding change in a high-volume legal assistance setting.
• Strong leadership and people management experience in a high-pressure legal setting, including the ability to develop and motivate a team, shape culture, build capability and manage performance.
• Highly developed interpersonal and communication skills, including the ability to build effective relationships, consult, collaborate, influence and negotiate with people at all levels.
• Substantial knowledge and/or practical experience in complex criminal, family or civil law matters and relevant court procedures.
• Demonstrated resilience and self-management skills, including the ability to prioritise competing demands and direct time and resources to deliver outcomes.
• A current Australian practising certificate which entitles you to practise in Victoria as a government legal practitioner (mandatory).
• Entitled to practise in federal courts and courts exercising federal jurisdiction (entry on the High Court's Register of Practitioners).

Don't meet every requirement? At VLA, we understand that your work and life experiences can be just as valuable. If your CV doesn't align perfectly with our job description, we strongly encourage you to apply. You may be just the right candidate.

About VLA

We offer legal representation, family dispute resolution and non-legal advocacy to those who need it most. With over 1500+ staff employed in 16 offices across Victoria, we help people with their legal problems by providing information, advice and education with a focus on the prevention and early resolution of legal problems.

Our clients come from all walks of life and so do we. We hire great people from a wide variety of backgrounds and foster a work culture that's inclusive as well as diverse. Your unique ideas and perspectives are valued so that we best represent the people we serve.

About Legal Help

Legal Help is a high-volume phone and web based legal assistance service and is the major entry point to the Victorian legal system. It provides an accessible, holistic intake and referral service which quickly identifies help seekers' legal and related issues and connects them to the right service for further assistance. Every year Legal Help receives over 200,000 requests for assistance through its phone and webchat helplines and provides information, legal advice and referrals on a wide variety of issues.

The Legal Advice and Specialist Services (LASS) branch of Legal Help is comprised of approximately 50 people across several general advisory and specialist teams and is staffed predominately by lawyers and senior lawyers. It provides legal information, advice and referral services via a general advisory helpline and several priority and specialist helplines including family violence, family advocacy and support, prisoners, mental health, victims of crime and disaster support.

Employee benefits

• A focus on work-life balance, including flexibleworking arrangements
• Hybridwork fromhome& office model
• Generous leave benefits, including:
  • Three days paid seasonal leave (to be taken between Boxing Day and New Year's Day public holidays)
  • Paid gender affirmation leave
  • Five days both paid reproductive and fertility leave per calendar year
• Annual 3% salary increase each December plus performance-related salary incentives
• Attractive salary packaging options including General Expenses up to $15,900, Meals & Entertainment up to $2,650 PLUS Novated Leasing
• Discounted annualMyki public transport passes
• Individual learning and professional development opportunities, tailored to your role and career goals
• Free annual flu vaccinations
• Access to gym and end-of-trip facilities at our CBD office
• Access to our Employee Assistance Program, including confidential counselling and access to a range of mental health and wellbeing resources.

Other relevant information

It is a requirement that staff attend for office-based days at their primary work location. In line with this requirement, interstate applications will be considered only where the candidate is able and willing to relocate to Victoria, unless part of a border community.

VLA is committed to putting the safety and wellbeing of children first.

Applications close by 11.59pm on Sunday 22 November 2026.