Principal Solicitor - Family Law

Lawyers Weekly; Canberra; Hybrid; AUD 140,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Salary packaging

5 weeks paid leave

Health and wellbeing allowance

Flexible working environment

Secure funding

Job summary

The Women’s Legal Centre ACT (WLC) in Canberra seeks an experienced leader to head the family law practice, supervising a team of solicitors to deliver trauma-informed, client-centred outcomes.

You will work with the executive team on strategy, risk and compliance, build partnerships, and advocate for reform while mentoring staff and embedding best practice.

Qualifications

• Proven leadership of a legal team in a family law context.
• Experience supervising solicitors and managing complex caseloads.
• Experience in law reform, advocacy and collaboration with stakeholders.
• Commitment to trauma-informed practice, gender equality and social justice.

Responsibilities

• Lead and manage the family law practice area and supervise the team.
• Drive law reform and advocacy work.
• Oversee complex caseloads including commissions and federal courts.
• Develop partnerships and stakeholder relationships.
• Represent the Centre in local and national law reform forums.

Skills

Leadership & mentorship

Trauma-informed practice

Family law expertise

Strategic planning

Risk management

Stakeholder relations

Public interest advocacy

Education

ACT Practising Certificate (unrestricted)

Job description

• Leaders in trauma informed lawyering in the ACT
• Manage and mentor a team to support women's safety and financial independence
• Canberra based | flexible workplace | min 4 days p/wk | relocation assistance

The Organisation

The Women’s Legal Centre ACT (WLC) is an innovative, specialist community legal centre providing crucial legal and social support services to women in Canberra and committed to their vision to keep women safe, strong and in control of their lives.

Family law is one of the Centre’s primary legal practice areas, delivering holistic and wrap around services to clients within a trauma-informed practice model and with a focus on early intervention and early resolution.

Benefits & Culture

• Attractive remuneration, generous salary packaging, 5 weeks paid leave
• Annual health and wellbeing allowance, paid cultural and reproductive health leave
• Genuine commitment to a flexible working environment
• Well established sector leading, award winning service with long‑term, secure funding

The Role

You will lead and drive the family law practice area, managing a team of solicitors to achieve high impact outcomes for clients while working in close collaboration with the executive leadership team to develop and deliver on strategy and manage risk and compliance.

With a focus on internal capacity building, you will work cross organisationally to embed and continue to develop innovative and trauma informed legal services and you will also:

• Supervise, coach and mentor your team to provide expert legal advice
• Lead law reform, public interest and advocacy work
• Manage a caseload of matters including representation in Commissions and Federal Courts
• Develop partnership opportunities and manage stakeholder relationships
• Act as a spokesperson and represent the Centre in local and national law reform forums

Skills Required

You are collaborative, ambitious and creative and bring a blend of strategic leadership, management and mentorship experience, together with significant family law practice knowledge and technical skills. You’re passionate about gender inequality and have a genuine interest, vision and ability to lead and grow a program, as well as mentor and nurture the professional development of your team.

Your background may be from community legal or justice related roles, or you have relevant experience from working in a law firm or private practice. With demonstrated commitment to social justice issues for women and a focus on risk management, exemplary legal practice and continuous improvement, you also bring:

• Eligibility to hold an ACT Unrestricted Practicing Certificate
• Experience supervising legal practitioners and overseeing complex casework
• Interest in coaching, mentoring and the professional development of team members
• High level partnership development, community and stakeholder relations skills
• Commitment to trauma-informed practice, reflection and self‑care practices, and collaboration cross‑organisationally and with external agencies
• Please note being a woman is a genuine occupational qualification under s34 of the Discrimination Act 1991 (ACT). Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women, women with disabilities, and women from diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds are strongly encouraged to apply for this position.

As there is no formal closing date for this role.

NGO Recruitment values equitable recruitment practices and is committed to representing candidates reflective of the diverse organisations and communities we work with. We welcome and encourage applications from all backgrounds, ages, and identities, and are happy to adjust our recruitment process to support accessibility needs.