Supervising Lawyer

Victoria-Police; Melbourne; On-site; AUD 116,000 - 141,000; Full time

Job summary

Victoria Police is seeking a Supervising Lawyer in the Specialist Legal and Litigation Division to supervise a team of junior lawyers and prosecute civil applications in VCAT and other jurisdictions. The role supports policing, courts and the Victorian community, with a focus on collaborative, high-quality legal service.

You will oversee caseload management, provide strategic legal advice, and mentor staff, while briefing external Counsel in complex matters and liaising with internal and

Qualifications

• Admission to practice as an Australian Lawyer (unrestricted practising certificate).
• High level understanding and experience as a court advocate.
• Ability to supervise a team in a developing and emerging work environment.
• A high level of resilience and emotional intelligence.
• Experience in coaching, mentoring and developing junior lawyers to undertake high-level advocacy work.
• Experience in drafting documents including affidavits and submissions for litigation matters and advices.

Responsibilities

• Supervise staff to ensure matters are appropriately prepared for hearing in VCAT and other jurisdictions.
• Offer legal advice to stakeholders and manage caseloads across jurisdictions.
• Appear as an advocate on behalf of the Chief Commissioner of Police before VCAT and other jurisdictions.
• In complex cases, brief and instruct external Counsel as required.
• Ensure the team provides strong legal advisory service to other areas of Victoria Police.

Skills

Court advocacy

Team supervision

Coaching junior lawyers

Legal advice

Stakeholder liaison

Education

Admission to practice as Australian Lawyer (unrestricted)

Job description

Location: Melbourne - CBD and Inner Metro suburbs

Reference: VG/E20047830TT

This is an exciting opportunity to progress your career and obtain experience working as a Supervising Lawyer in the Specialist Legal and Litigation Division of Legal Services, Victoria Police. Our vision is to be a centre of prosecutorial and legal excellence, with people who are recognised as being fair, just and valued partners in the Victorian justice system.

Legal Services provides legal services and advice to support policing, courts, and the Victorian community. Legal Services is led by an Executive Director (who is also the organisation's General Counsel) and employs over 800 staff spread across four divisions - the Office of the Executive Director; the Specialist Legal and Litigation Division; the Courts & Prosecution Services Division; and the Legal Business Operations Division.

Victoria Police's Legal Services is enhancing its advocacy response to meet the expansion of court networks and jurisdictions across Victoria. Victoria Police is seeking to meet this demand with enthusiastic, skilled and dedicated advocates to prosecute a range of civil applications in the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT) primarily being review applications in respect of tobacco licences under the Tobacco Act 1997 but also including similar applications in relation to firearms licences, firearms prohibition orders, private security licences, freedom of information requests and licences relating to combat sports trainers and promotors. As a successful applicant, you will need to demonstrate an ability to supervise a team to ensure the team is effectively managing numerous files across a range of jurisdictions, busy tribunal lists and competing priorities. The role includes coaching, mentoring and developing junior lawyers within the team.

You will be expected to perform caseload management and offer legal advice to all stakeholders as well as developing and maintaining collaborative relationships within the expansive Victoria Police workforce as well and working with external stakeholders across agencies as part of a broad network to ensure cooperative and proactive approaches to addressing community harm.

• Liaising with internal stakeholders to provide legal advice and legal representation as well as external stakeholders to exercise proper caseload management.
• Supervising staff to ensure matters are appropriately prepared for hearing in VCAT and other jurisdictions.
• Appearing as an advocate on behalf of the Chief Commissioner of Police and the various internal stakeholders before VCAT and other jurisdictions.
• In complex cases, briefing and instructing external Counsel, where required.
• Ensuring the team is providing strong legal advisory service to other areas of Victoria Police where required.

As the successful applicant, you will have:

• Admission to practice as an Australian Lawyer (unrestricted practising certificate).
• High level understanding and experience as a court advocate.
• Ability to supervise a team in a developing and emerging work environment.
• A high level of resilience and emotional intelligence.
• Experience in coaching, mentoring and developing junior lawyers to undertake high-level advocacy work.
• Experience in drafting documents including affidavits and submissions for litigation matters and advices.

Requirements and relevant information:

• The salary range for a VPS5 role is $116,413 to $140,849 (covering salary ranges VPSG5.1 and VPSG5.2). Although it is standard practice for selected candidates to commence at the base of the salary range, genuine consideration will be given to a commencement salary within the available range that is commensurate with the successful candidate's knowledge, skills and experiences. This will be subject to negotiations with the Hiring Manager in the course of the selection process and may include the provision of evidence of a higher income and/or supporting documentation (as required).
• This position is located at Victoria Police Centre, 311 Spencer Street, Docklands.
• The successful applicant will be required to undergo National Security Vetting, achieve and maintain a security classification as determined by the Department Head. To achieve this, applicants must be an Australian Citizen.
• The successful applicant will be required to undergo pre-employment checks which may include fingerprint checks and misconduct screening.
• As a member of the Legal Services Department you will be located, on selection, at a specific office within a Division for a particular advertised opportunity. However, given occasional legal service demand issues you may be required at times to undertake varied work within the Department. This supports the Departments commitment to a flexible and deployable legal workforce and professional development opportunities in a range of legal domains.

Applications close midnight, Wednesday 25 November 2026.

We welcome applications from people with disability and aim to support an inclusive recruitment experience. If you require a copy of this advertisement and attached documentation in an accessible format or would like to discuss an access requirement/reasonable adjustment for the recruitment process (including an alternate method of submission of the application), please contact VPS Recruitment via email [e-mail] or on [phone].

About Us:

Victoria Police has a dedicated workforce of more than 22,000 employees consisting of police, protective services officers, police custody officers, and public service staff. Each employee plays a vital role in providing the 24/7, 365 days a year emergency response and public safety capability the organisation delivers to its community. As a Victoria Police employee, you have a dedication and commitment to community safety.

Victoria Police is committed to creating a workplace that is safe and inclusive of all our people. We empower and expect our people, at all levels, to develop interpersonal connections and collaborate, use sound judgement, and create and innovate.

In alignment with the principle of self-determination, Victoria Police is dedicated to enhancing our collaboration with the Aboriginal community in Victoria as we build a culturally safe and inclusive workplace for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander employees. We continue to engage and build relationships with local Aboriginal communities and work closely with them to enhance opportunities and services aimed at empowerment, equality, and equal participation across all areas of the organisation.

We value the diversity and differences of our employees, including their age, gender, culture, religion, sexual orientation, abilities, and life experience. We celebrate these diverse experiences and perspectives as each person brings an informed and contemporary approach to our work which enhances the wellbeing of all. We aim to provide a safe place that is reflective of the community it serves, allowing everyone to bring their whole selves to work."

Applications close Wednesday 25 November 2026 at 11.59pm