Paralegal Child Protection Litigation Office

Location: Melbourne | CBD

Job type: Full time

Organisation: Department of Families, Fairness and Housing

**Salary**: $72,751 - $88,336

Occupation: Legal

Reference: VG/DFFH/CDS/687021

The Department of Families, Fairness and Housing (DFFH) works hard to create equal opportunities for all Victorians to live a safe, respected and valued life.

Our areas of focus are child protection, housing, disability, the prevention of family violence, multicultural affairs, LGBTQI+ equality, veterans, women and youth. The work we do benefits thousands of Victorians, particularly those who are disadvantaged and vulnerable.

We work in a variety of community-based settings, including people's homes, residential facilities and secure settings across metropolitan, rural and regional Victoria.

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**THE ROLE**

Paralegals perform a critical role in supporting the Child Protection Litigation Office's (CPLO) teams of solicitors who provide legal advice, case management and representation for the Child Protection Program. Reporting to the State Child Protection Litigation Coordinator, paralegal duties include performing file and record management tasks, coordinating court listings, case allocations and barrister briefing, and assisting with legal correspondence. In this role you will provide wide ranging support to all staff. This may include data entry into LEX, TRIM, OurBriefings and other IT systems and preparing matter management reports

The paralegal role provides a point of contact for key stakeholders from a diverse range of organisations. Attention to detail and teamwork underpin success in this role as well as a demonstrated ability to communicate sensitively and effectively. The role supports one of the CPLO's four legal teams and involves rotation to a different legal team within the CPLO if required.

**ACCOUNTABILITIES INCLUDE**

1. Under general direction, provide assistance with office processes including data entry and management of documentation in LEX, TRIM and other IT systems, preparing matter management reports, processing and following up invoices, and assisting lawyers to ensure external legal spend remains within agreed budget.

2. Answer queries, provide timely advice and undertake general follow up action as required, including correctly redirecting incoming mail and queries.

3. Assist solicitors in the management of child protection litigation, including:
(a) drafting and preparing forms, documents, correspondence, and other material for the purpose of litigation.

(b) briefing counsel appropriately in matters in the Children's Court, Family Court and other jurisdictions as required

4. Allocate cases on the daily court list.

5. Perform a wide range of administrative tasks associated with the accurate file and recording management

including photocopying, data entry compiling of court books, assembling briefs to counsel.

6. Undertake court file searches and attend to court filing and conduct basic legal research using online systems as required.

7. Keep accurate and complete records of your work activities in accordance with legislative requirements and

the department's records, information security and privacy policies and requirements.

8. Take reasonable care for your own health and safety and for that of others in the workplace by working in

accordance with legislative requirements and the department's occupational health and safety (OHS) policies

and procedures.

9. Demonstrate how the actions and outcomes of this role and work unit impact clients and the department's

ability to deliver, or facilitate the delivery of, effective support and services.

10. Work collaboratively with paralegals and solicitors across the CPLO to ensure that the objectives of the Statewide Child protection Litigation Office are met.

**Operating at value range 2, you will perform all the above together with increasing involvement to**:
11. Provide guidance to others in the work area and related areas regarding processes and systems.

12. Identify and work collaboratively to implement system improvements within unit or professional field.

14. Undertake more complex tasks under direction.

**Please open the position description to read more.**

**VACCINATION REQUIREMENTS POLICY**

The department is committed to providing and maintaining a working environment that is safe and without risk to the health of its workers and clients. The department may require its employees to be fully vaccinated against preventable diseases such as the current coronavirus (COVID-19). The department's **COVID-19 Vaccination requirements policy**(Word) outlines the requirements for existing employees, other workplace participants and prospective employees. Subject to exceptions, only employees or other workplace participant