Principal Solicitor

Office Of Public Prosecutions; City of Melbourne; On-site; AUD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Job summary

Office Of Public Prosecutions is seeking a Principal Solicitor to lead complex confiscation litigation and provide strategic legal advice across County Court, Supreme Court and appellate jurisdictions in Victoria.

You will mentor junior lawyers, oversee large matters, and contribute to policy development while collaborating with police, forensic accountants and counsel to deliver high-quality outcomes.

Qualifications

• Extensive experience in confiscation, commercial or civil litigation.
• Strong knowledge of confiscation law or the demonstrated ability to rapidly acquire specialist expertise.
• Significant experience preparing highly complex matters for trial and appeal.
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, including advising senior stakeholders.
• Highly developed negotiation and stakeholder management skills.
• Experience mentoring junior lawyers and leading small litigation teams.
• Experience managing appellate litigation before the Court of Appeal and High Court is desirable.

Responsibilities

• Lead and manage highly complex confiscation matters, including civil forfeiture and unexplained wealth proceedings.
• Prepare matters for trial and contested hearings in the County Court, Supreme Court and appellate jurisdictions.
• Appear confidently as a solicitor advocate in applications, directions hearings and court proceedings.
• Conduct and oversee complex legal research, evidence analysis and litigation strategy.
• Prepare briefs to counsel, forensic accountants and other expert witnesses.
• Provide authoritative legal, procedural and policy advice to senior management and stakeholders.
• Prepare high-quality memoranda, briefings and advice on complex issues.
• Identify emerging legal trends, risks and policy issues and propose practical solutions and reforms.
• Mentor solicitors and lead small teams; support capability uplift across the OPP.
• Contribute to training programs, governance activities and stakeholder engagement.

Skills

Confiscation litigation

Legal leadership

Negotiation

Stakeholder management

Mentoring juniors

Job description

Principal Solicitor, Proceeds of Crime. Full time, ongoing permanent position. Applications close on 11:59pm Sunday, 27 September 2026.

About the role:

As a Principal Solicitor, you will play a pivotal role in the preparation, conduct and strategic management of complex confiscation litigation under the Confiscation Act 1997 (Vic). You will lead high-profile matters across the County Court, Supreme Court, and where required, appellate jurisdictions. Working with a high degree of autonomy, you will be relied upon to navigate complex legal, evidentiary and policy issues, often in emerging areas of law where precedent is limited. You will provide authoritative legal advice to senior leaders across the OPP and collaborate with Victoria Police, forensic accountants, counsel and other stakeholders to deliver high-quality outcomes. This position offers a unique opportunity to influence the development of proceeds of crime litigation in Victoria and contribute to the ongoing evolution of unexplained wealth and confiscation laws.

You will:

Complex Litigation and Advocacy

• Lead and manage highly complex confiscation matters, including civil forfeiture and unexplained wealth proceedings.
• Prepare matters for trial and contested hearings in the County Court, Supreme Court and, where required, appellate jurisdictions.
• Appear confidently as a solicitor advocate in applications, directions hearings, interlocutory disputes and other court proceedings.
• Conduct and oversee complex legal research, evidence analysis and litigation strategy.
• Prepare briefs to counsel, forensic accountants and other expert witnesses.

Strategic Legal Advice

• Provide authoritative legal, procedural and policy advice to senior management, the Director of Public Prosecutions, Crown Prosecutors, the Solicitor for Public Prosecutions and other stakeholders.
• Prepare high-quality memoranda, briefings and advice on complex legal and evidentiary issues.
• Identify emerging legal trends, risks and policy issues and recommend practical solutions and reforms.

Leadership and Capability Building

• Mentor and support solicitors across the Proceeds of Crime Directorate.
• Lead small legal teams in the preparation of large-scale litigation matters.
• Foster a collaborative and high-performing legal environment through coaching, knowledge sharing and professional development initiatives.
• Contribute to training programs and capability uplift across the OPP.
• Support operational improvement initiatives and strategic priorities within the Proceeds of Crime Directorate.
• Contribute to planning, project work, governance activities and stakeholder engagement.
• Represent the Directorate on internal and external committees, forums and working groups, where required.

About you:

• Extensive experience in confiscation, commercial or civil litigation.
• Strong knowledge of confiscation law or the demonstrated ability to rapidly acquire specialist expertise in this area.
• Significant experience preparing highly complex matters for trial and appeal.
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to provide clear and influential advice to senior stakeholders.
• Highly developed negotiation and stakeholder management skills.
• Experience mentoring junior lawyers and leading small litigation teams within complex litigation environments.
• A proven ability to identify emerging legal and policy issues and develop practical solutions.
• Extensive solicitor advocacy experience in the County Court and Supreme Court.
• Experience managing appellate litigation, including matters before the Court of Appeal and High Court, is desirable.

About Us:

The Office of Public Prosecutions (OPP) is an independent statutory authority responsible for conducting serious criminal prosecutions across Victoria on behalf of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP). Our team, consisting of over 475 skilled professionals, supports the work of the DPP, the Chief Crown Prosecutor, and Crown Prosecutors. We strive to be a criminal justice system leader and a dynamic organisation, continually adapting to deliver effective outcomes for our people and the community. At the heart of the criminal justice system are people – practitioners and the community we serve. Our vision is to lead in legal excellence, fostering an innovative, supportive environment with a commitment to innovation, collaboration, and professional excellence.

The OPP is committed to building a diverse workforce and an inclusive culture. People from all cultural backgrounds are strongly encouraged to apply, particularly applicants of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander heritage, or those who may experience disability related barriers in securing employment.