Legal Secretary

Salary Offering: VALS D 1.3 $70, part-time equivalent) per annum plus 11.5% Superannuation

Additional Benefits:

17.5% Leave Loading

5 extra days leave on top of 20 days annual leave

Only required to work 35 hours per week, any extra hours worked will be calculated as your Time In Lieu (TOIL) – which you may use as additional leave hours

Access to company vehicles for any work-related trips

Salary packaging is available via Maxxia

Office Locations: 8 Watton Street Werribee ,Victoria 3030

Application ends on 31st May 2025.

OVERVIEW OF THE ROLE:

To provide high quality secretarial / administrative support services to the Criminal, Aboriginal

Families and Civil Practice Leads. The role holder will provide a reception function and act as a

liaison and coordination point for office management. This includes in arranging stationery and

supplies, liaison with local tradespeople and the VALS office manager and ensuring the

adequacy of VALS approaches to good workplace health and safety.

What your day looks like

• Provide a reception function within the VALS West Melbourne / Werribee Office.

• Undertake all secretarial tasks and associated file management tasks as provided by

solicitors to support ongoing file management of clients in Criminal, Aboriginal Families

and Civil Law Practice.

• Prepare documentation for briefing Counsel or other professionals as directed, including

photocopying, collating and arranging delivery.

• Receive phone calls on behalf of individual solicitors and follow up enquiries or record

messages for action by solicitor.

• Assist in arranging appointments for clients or making contact with clients directly.

• Undertake filing of reports and other documentation on behalf of clients.

• Update data base and electronic files as required.

• Lodge and maintain Victoria Legal Aid grant applications within the ATLAS system as

required.

• Participate in the processing of ingoing and outgoing mail for the organization.

• Keep up to date with relevant procedures by attending professional education programs

and maintain an understanding of issues impacting the justice system and members of

the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Community.

• Arranging stationary orders and office equipment when necessary.

• Liaison with local tradespeople and the Office Manager, as required, to ensure a good

working environment e.g., calling out and supervising any emergency repair work,

ensuring the effectiveness of the digital technology environment, conducting any

emergency evacuation drills.

• As directed, undertake other duties which are incidental and peripheral to the main tasks,

provided that such duties are reasonably within the employee's skills, competence and

training.

Key Selection Criteria

• Secretarial or similar experience preferred but not essential.

• Advanced skills in the use of MS Office Software (particularly MS Word, Excel, E-mail –

word proficient to 80 words per minute) to a legal practice, or similar, and the capacity to

quickly acquire competency in the use of VALS' client data base.

• Professional and courteous phone manner and interpersonal skills and the capacity to

communicate effectively with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community members,

who may be experiencing stress and anxiety due to their legal needs, and other team

members and partners

• Knowledge or a willingness to learn about the legal issues faced by members of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities in Victoria, with a commitment to the principles and values of the Victorian Aboriginal Legal Service.

Personal accountability

• Compliance with all VALS values, code of conduct, policies and procedures and relevant

  government legislation and standards where relevant.

• Demonstrate a commitment to the principles of social justice and aim to ensure every

  individual is treated with dignity and respect regardless of their background, ability,

  ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation or religion.

• Ensure appropriate use of resources.

• Actively participate in initiatives to maintain, build upon and promote a positive and

  collaborative workplace.

• Take reasonable care for your own health & safety, and health and safety of others (to

  extent required)

• Maintain own self-care and wellbeing with support of line management.

• Promptly respond to and report health and safety hazards, incidents and near misses to

  management.

• Attend mandatory training sessions (i.e.. equal employment opportunity, health and safety,

  cultural safety) and mandatory training specific to position.