Senior Lawyer

• Maximum term position up to 12 months (Part-time considered)
• This role is a parental leave backfill position
• Salary range: $110,357 - $127,333 (pro rata) plus super plus salary packaging
• Up to $15,900 in salary packaging and hybrid WFH & office model

About the role
Victoria Legal Aid (VLA) is seeking a dedicated Senior Lawyer to join our dynamic Indictable Crime team. As a Senior Lawyer, your primary focus will be carriage of serious indictable files, utilising your legal knowledge to provide high-quality casework, advocacy and legal advice services to individuals facing significant legal challenges.

Additionally, you will take on a leadership role by mentoring and supervising junior lawyers across our criminal law practice, ensuring they deliver exceptional client service and grow professionally under your guidance.

This role is based at our Bendigo office on Dja Dja Wurrung Country.

About you
As our ideal candidate, you will possess:

• Experience in criminal law practice, particularly in indictable offences.
• Ability to present compelling arguments and effectively represent clients in court.
• High level of interpersonal skills to effectively communicate and negotiate with diverse stakeholders including staff, clients and external organisations.
• Experience in leading, mentoring, supervising and training junior staff.
• Demonstrated experience in providing strategic legal advice and policy recommendations within tight deadlines.
• A current Australian practising certificate which entitles you to practise in Victoria as a government legal practitioner (mandatory).

Don't meet every requirement? At VLA, we understand that your work and life experiences can be just as valuable. If you're excited about this role but your CV doesn't align perfectly with our job description, we encourage you to apply anyway. You may be just the right candidate for this or one of our many other opportunities.

Why Bendigo?
Bendigo is located on the traditional lands of the Dja Dja Wurrung and Taugurung Peoples and is famous for its heritage attractions and thriving local culture of art, food, wine and music, all within striking distance of Melbourne. Enjoy excellent work life balance and relaxed, affordable living without the noise and traffic- this regional city has all of the benefits and amenities of city living, situated in a beautiful regional setting.

Opened in March 2023, the state-of-the-art Bendigo Law Courts is one of the newest Court facilities in Victoria. You will be joining Bendigo VLA at an exciting time as we continue to expand our operations and service delivery in the Bendigo region.

About Victoria Legal Aid
We provide legal representation to those who need it most. With over 1400 staff employed in 16 offices across Victoria, we help people with their legal problems by providing information, advice and education with a focus on the prevention and early resolution of legal problems.

Our clients come from all walks of life and so do we. We hire great people from a wide variety of backgrounds and foster a work culture that's inclusive as well as diverse. Your unique ideas and perspectives are valued so that we best represent the people we serve.

Employee benefits

• Focus on work-life balance including flexible working arrangements
• Hybrid work from home & office model
• Training and professional development opportunities
• Excellent salary packaging options including General Expenses up to $15,900, Meals & Entertainment up to $2,650 and Novated Leasing
• Access to discounted Private Health Insurance

How to apply
To be considered for this role, please submit your current resume and a cover letter addressing the key selection criteria (listed within the file attachments).

If you require adjustments to the recruitment and selection process or need an alternative format to any of the application material, please don't hesitate to get in touch with our team .

For further information, please review the attached position description or contact Julia Breheny, Regional Manager on (03) 5448 2308 or recruitment@vla.vic.gov.au .

No agency applications will be accepted.

Applications close by 11.59pm on Monday 25 August 2025.

Other relevant information
It is a requirement that staff attend for office-based days at their primary work location. In line with this requirement, interstate applications will be considered only where the candidate is able and willing to relocate to Victoria, unless part of a border community.

VLA is committed to putting the safety and wellbeing of children first.