Solicitor - Commonwealth Government (Workplace Relations & Safety) - Canberra

HWLE Lawyers; Canberra; Hybrid; AUD 70,000 - 120,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Career progression

Work-life balance

Culture

Job summary

HWLE Lawyers is a growing specialist firm in Australia, offering exposure to Commonwealth Government and national workplace relations and safety matters. You will learn from a Partner with extensive experience and handle both contentious and non-contentious work with direct client contact.

The role provides meaningful early responsibility, exceptional mentoring, and a clear pathway for career progression in a supportive, balanced environment.

Qualifications

• 2+ years' PQE in employment, industrial relations or safety matters.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with attention to detail.
• Excellent written and verbal communication with clients and colleagues.
• Proactive, commercially minded approach and practical client outcomes.

Responsibilities

• Advise on complex and high-profile employment, workplace relations and safety matters.
• Work with Commonwealth Government and private sector clients across various industries.
• Engage in disputes, investigations, regulatory compliance and strategic advisory work.
• Develop specialist expertise with strong mentorship and clear progression opportunities.

Skills

Analytical skills

Excellent communication

Commercial mindset

Proactive client service

Job description

• Work on complex and high-profile employment, industrial relations and safety matters.
• Learn directly from leading practitioners in a busy and growing specialist practice.
• Develop your career with early responsibility, exceptional mentoring and clear progression opportunities.

About us

HWLE is not your typical law firm. Our rapid rise to become the largest legal partnership in Australia shows that in our case, the differences are real. We deliver first class legal advice to our government and commercial clients in every state and territory across Australia. Firm wide, we have over 270 Partners and 1900 people.

About the Opportunity

Join a team at the forefront of the firm's Commonwealth Government and national Workplace Relations & Safety practices. You will work closely with and learn directly from a Partner with 20 years' experience practising exclusively in employment and workplace relations law and recognised in Doyle's Guide, alongside other senior lawyers who are highly regarded in the industry.

This is a genuine opportunity to build deep expertise in a specialised and highly regarded employment, workplace relations and safety practice. Working predominantly with Commonwealth Government clients, you will advise on complex and often high-profile workplace matters, while also gaining exposure to private sector organisations across a diverse range of industries.

Your work will span employment disputes, industrial relations matters, workplace investigations, discrimination and adverse action claims, work health and safety issues, regulatory compliance matters, and strategic advisory work. You will enjoy meaningful responsibility from an early stage, including direct client contact and managing matters with appropriate supervision.

The practice is busy and growing, offering a strong pipeline of complex, impactful and often nationally significant work. For lawyers looking to develop specialist expertise in public sector employment law, workplace relations and safety, this role provides exceptional mentorship, hands‑on experience and a clear pathway for career progression.

Alongside high-quality work, you'll be part of a supportive and collaborative team that values genuine work-life balance, encourages involvement in pro bono initiatives, and offers a transparent framework for promotion and professional development.

About You

• 2+ years' PQE;
• Demonstrated experience, or a strong desire to develop expertise, in contentious and non-contentious workplace relations and safety matters, supported by a sound understanding of employment, workplace relations and safety law;
• Experience in public sector employment law, or a genuine interest in developing within this space;
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with excellent attention to detail;
• A proactive, commercially minded approach and a commitment to delivering practical client outcomes;
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the confidence to build trusted relationships with clients and colleagues.

What we offer

• Unrivalled career pathways: Our unique meritocracy model proudly offers our staff career development, promoting talent based solely on merit. Our size, range of experience and competitive pricing model will provide you with everything you need to succeed. Unlike our competitors, our Solicitor to Partner ratio enables greater mentoring and client engagement compared to our competitors. Our 180-day career forecasting sessions provide the platform to fast-track your progression.
• Work-Life Balance: We offer flexible work arrangements to support your work-life balance.
• Culture: Be part of a firm renowned for its friendly and down-to-earth culture.
• Impact: Join a firm consistently ranked at the forefront of the Australian legal market, where your work is recognised nationally.

HWLE also strongly encourages applications from the Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander community.

HWLE strives to create an inclusive environment where our people want and feel comfortable to bring their entire selves to work. Varied perspectives contribute to our collective success so whatever your background, we'd love to hear from you and encourage you to apply. If you have reasonable accessibility requirements that will enable you to participate equitably in our recruitment process, please reach out to Gianni Sgualdino - [e-mail] for a confidential discussion.