Senior Associate - Medico Legal Advisory Service (permanent part-time)

Avant; Canberra; Hybrid; AUD 90,000 - 130,000; Part time

Job summary

Avant Law is Australia’s leading specialist medico-legal law firm seeking a Senior Associate to join the Medico-Legal Advisory Service (MLAS). The role is permanent part-time with hybrid working, ideally four days per week, across offices nationwide.

You will provide expert medico-legal advice to members, support MLAS teams, and contribute to knowledge resources while participating in after-hours rosters a few times per year.

Qualifications

• 6–10 years’ PAE in medico-legal space.
• Tertiary legal qualifications with a current unsupervised practising certificate in Australia.
• Appropriate telephone manner and confidence to manage distressed callers/members via 24/7 medico-legal line.
• Demonstrated listening and problem-solving skills (practical, empathetic, supportive).
• Collaborative and time-management skills; strong team player.

Responsibilities

• Deliver high-quality, timely medico-legal advice to Avant’s members.
• Support the Avant Law and claims teams on medico-legal and health law matters.
• Collaborate with MLAS leadership on ideas and plans for new resources and ways of working.
• Assist with development and maintenance of the health law knowledge database.
• Provide presentations to members and staff and contribute to website content and communications.

Skills

Telephone Manner

Empathy

Listening

Team Player

Problem Solving

Education

Law degree

Practising certificate (Australia)

Job description

Avant Law is a national specialist law firm looking for a Senior Associate to join our Medico-Legal Advisory Service (“MLAS”) team working closely with the MLAS Head of Practice and Legal Team Manager as part of a national practice. If you are looking for a law firm focussed upon collaboration, mentoring, advocacy and making a difference for doctors we want to hear from you.

This is an opportunity for an experienced healthcare lawyer to progress their career and join a specialist team of lawyers, with flexibility around daily/weekly hours and working days to support the ongoing service we provide.

This is a permanent part-time position with hybrid working arrangements. Our preference is for 4 days. The role can be based in any of our offices across Australia.

As the MLA service is provided 24/7 in emergencies, the role involves participating in the after-hours roster 2-3 times per year and may involve working on public holidays.

The key responsibilities include:

This role will see you deliver high quality, timely medico-legal advice, and support to Avant’s members including but not limited to:

• Providing first-class telephone advice and support and written medico-legal advice to members.
• Providing support to the Avant Law and claims teams and other staff on medico-legal and health law matters.
• Collaboration with the Head of the MLAS team, the Legal Team Managers and other MLAS advisers on ideas and plans for new resources / ways of working.
• Assist with the development and maintenance of the health law knowledge database.
• Giving presentations to members and staff as well as contributing to website content, articles and other member communications on relevant topics.

To be successful in this role you will have:

• At least 6-10 years’ PAE, with demonstrated post admission experience in the medico-legal space.
• Relevant tertiary legal qualifications, with a current unsupervised practising certificate as a Solicitor in Australia.
• Appropriate telephone manner and confidence to manage difficult / distressed callers/members externally via the 24/7 medico-legal advice line.
• Ability to demonstrate effective listening and problem-solving skills (practical, empathetic, supportive).
• Collaborative and supportive team player with strong time management skills.
• Demonstrated up to date knowledge on medico-legal topics / the issues arising from the changing health landscape would be highly desirable.

Why work for Avant Law?

• You would be working for Australia’s largest specialist medico-legal law firm.
• You are guaranteed a pipeline of work.
• You will get to advise on a great variety and breadth of medico legal matters from across Australia.
• You will be working in an open and collaborative environment with access to the top specialist medico-legal solicitors in the country as well as in-house medical advisors.
• Flexible working practices.

Avant is Australia’s leading medical defence organisation with a proud heritage of protecting Australian medical professionals for over 130 years. Avant now represents over 90,000 health practitioners and medical students across every state and territory, delivering market leading products and services to meet their professional, personal and practice needs. Building on this heritage, our vision is to be the most trusted professional partner in supporting doctors throughout their lives and careers.

As a mutual organisation, owned by members and run purely for their benefit, our members are at the centre of all we do. As well as providing products and services to our member, we play a broader community role by advocating for improvements in the healthcare system and in quality, safety and professionalism in medicine, through delivering education and research activities.