Migration Lawyer Top End Women's Legal Service

POSITION TITLE: Migration Lawyer (Temporary Visa Holders Project)

REPORTING TO: Principal Lawyer

CLASSIFICATION: SCHADS Level 4-5 ($88,090.08 – $105,340.56), plus 12% superannuation

POSITION BASIS: Full-time (38 hours per week) or Part-Time available

ABOUT TEWLS

The Top End Women's Legal Service ('TEWLS') is a not-for-profit, specialist women's legal service focused on the advancement of women's rights. We provide integrated, holistic, trauma-informed, and culturally secure free legal and support services to women, and persons identifying as women, living in the Top End of the Northern Territory (primarily, the Greater Darwin region). We are an accredited community legal centre and a member of Women's Legal Services Australia.

TEWLS provides legal and support services in the areas of family, migration and civil law, with specific expertise held in respect of domestic, family and sexual violence ('DFSV'). As a specialist DFSV legal service, our multidisciplinary team provides legal advice, casework and representation (litigation), legal information and referral, and wraparound support services to our clients, with expertise in assisting clients with intersectional vulnerabilities, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women, culturally and linguistically diverse women, migrant women, women experiencing DFSV, women with a disability, and women experiencing financial disadvantage. Our client-centred practice model maintains a significant DFSV and family law legal practice, as well as migration law and an extensive civil law practice including in areas of tenancy and public housing, discrimination, sexual harassment, consumer law, complaints, child protection, and employment law.

TEWLS also provides community legal education and input on law and policy development to build government and community capacity to work towards deeper legal and cultural change to redress power imbalances and address violence and gender inequality.

In 2021, TEWLS commenced as the Northern Territory provider of the Temporary Visa Holders Experiencing Violence Pilot ('the Temporary Visa Holders Pilot') and established a wraparound migration law practice within our specialist DFSV legal framework. In 2025, TEWLS seeks to expand the capacity of the Temporary Visa Holders Pilot through the recruitment of a second Lawyer.

POSITION SUMMARY

Under the supervision of the TEWLS Principal Lawyer, and the Senior Migration Lawyer you will provide high quality, culturally appropriate and holistic legal assistance, including legal advice, casework and representation (litigation), and legal information and referral to women and persons identifying as women across the Northern Territory who are on temporary visas or no visas escaping violent relationships, including the provision of face-to-face advice, preparation of written documents and correspondence, and liaison with Temporary Visa Holders Project partners.

The Migration Lawyer will work within TEWLS' Temporary Visa Holders Project practice under the supervision and guidance of the Senior Migration Lawyer and will be expected to apply (and if required, acquire) a high level of expertise to provide legal services across a range of matters, with particular focus on migration law and intersecting areas of domestic, family and sexual violence, including family law. Critically, the Migration Lawyer will have the skills to sensitively take instructions from clients who have experienced and/or are experiencing domestic, family and sexual violence, child sexual abuse and other forms of discrimination and abuse by way of trauma-informed best practice principles, and provide support, advice and referral options within a trauma-informed framework.

In addition to the above, the Migration Lawyer will undertake a broad range or complex casework and have responsibility for the carriage of complex projects, including CLE and law reform. The Migration Lawyer will also undertake a day-to-day mentoring role for less experienced legal practitioners in specified legal matters/areas of law, as well as supervise the work of volunteer lawyers and students, as required. In support of and collaboration with the Senior Migration Lawyer, you may be required to assist in the development and maintenance of requisite legal policy and procedures.

The provision of community legal education ('CLE') workshops, drafting of law reform and lobbying submissions, along with organisational and administrative responsibilities are also a component of this position.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Legal advice and casework

• Providing high quality legal advice and casework to clients, including court representation at Northern Territory and Federal Courts, as required.
  • Developing and/or maintaining a strong level of technical competence in the Temporary Visa Holders Pilot's core practice areas, including migration law, domestic, family and sexual violence, and family law.
    • Managing your file load under the supervision of the Senior Migration Lawyer and TEWLS Principal Lawyer.
      • Sensitively taking instructions from clients who have experienced domestic, family and sexual violence, child sexual abuse and/or other forms of discrimination and abuse, and provide support, advice and referral options within a trauma-informed framework.

Community legal education and law reform

• Planning and delivering CLE workshops and associated materials, as required.
  • Working within the TEWLS team, identifying, researching, and preparing law reform and lobbying submissions, as well as projects and funding applications, that contribute to TEWLS' purpose and service priorities.

Stakeholder engagement

• Representing TEWLS in a variety of public forums to promote the work of the service, including network meetings and consultations.
  • Developing and maintaining relationships with key stakeholders to deliver outreach services to the community, with a focus on working in an integrated and collaborative manner.

Organisational responsibilities

• Accurately capturing all legal and non-legal service data through TEWLS' internal data and file management systems.
  • Attending regular TEWLS staff and legal practitioner meetings and planning day sessions as required.
    • Participating in regular performance discussions and development reviews.
      • Undertaking ongoing professional development in accordance with legal professional regulations and in consultation with the TEWLS Principal Lawyer.
        • Providing some supervision to student and other volunteers as requested by the TEWLS Principal Lawyer.
          • Ensuring compliance with TEWLS' policies and procedures.
            • Undertaking personal administrative duties within TEWLS as required.
              • Such other projects, activities and duties that may be determined in collaboration with the TEWLS Chief Executive Officer and Principal Lawyer.

REQUIREMENTS

• Admitted to practice/eligible to apply for an unrestricted practising certificate in the Northern Territory.
  • A minimum of two (2) years' post admission experience in migration, family and/or civil law.

SELECTION CRITERIA

Essential:

• An understanding of legal issues facing the women in the Northern Territory, including barriers to justice, particularly Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women, culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) women, migrant women, and women experiencing DFSV.
  • A commitment to promoting the interests of women.
    • An understanding and commitment to working in a trauma-informed framework.
      • Demonstrated resilience in working with clients who are experiencing or have experienced traumatic events.
        • Demonstrated ability to provide high quality legal advice and casework services, including court representation, as well as legal information in a relevant field.
          • Demonstrated ability to perform and interact as an efficient and productive team member and use initiative with minimal supervision, whilst taking direction from the TEWLS Principal Lawyer.
            • High level verbal and written communication skills.
              • Proven initiative and organisational abilities, including time management skills and the ability to prioritise.
                • Commitment to professional and personal development, and willingness to develop further professional skills relevant to the workplace.
                  • An understanding of DFSV through a gendered violence lens.
                    • Holder of a current open driver's licence.
                      • Aptitude in using Microsoft computers and Microsoft Office programs (such as Word and Excel) necessary to complete required tasks, and a willingness to perform administrative duties, as required.
                        • Ability to provide a National Criminal History Check and obtain a Northern Territory Ochre Card, or already have these, if required.

Desirable:

• Demonstrated experience in the practice of migration law.
  • Relevant experience in the development and delivery of community legal education.
    • Relevant experience in law reform and lobbying.

How to apply

If you have any questions about the role or would like to apply for the position, please email Rachael Hillier, Office Manager, atrhillier@tewls.org.au,using the subject line: Migration Lawyer.