The Inner City Legal Centre is currently seeking PLT placement volunteers to join our legal team to commence in late 2023 or early 2024.
Inner City Legal Centre (ICLC) provides free generalist legal services to the Sydney Inner City and Eastern Suburbs. Our solicitors and volunteers offer advice, casework, and representation in civil, criminal, and employment law.
ICLC provides the only dedicated legal service and support for LGBTQI+ individuals in NSW, including the award-winning Safe Relationships Project (SRP) for those experiencing domestic violence. ICLC are the leaders in providing advice and representation for Trans and Gender Diverse persons (TGDLS). The ICLC also offers the Sex Worker Legal Service (SWLS) offering advice and representation to sex workers across NSW.
We are seeking applications for 2 x PLT students:
1: A focus on our Trans and Gender Diverse law advice sessions and our civil law practice. This position is ideal for someone looking to gain experience in generalist and civil law, with a strong focus on the legal issues faced by the Trans and Gender Diverse community. Availability must include Mondays.
2: A Focus on our criminal law advice sessions and Safe Relationships Project. This position is ideal for someone looking to gain experience in criminal law, with a focus on the LGBTIQ community. Availability must include Wednesdays.
The PLT Program duties may include attending court, meeting clients and supporting solicitors to take instructions and give legal advice. You may also be involved in casework, likely including court attendance, drafting legal correspondence and following up client matters. You will be doing real legal work under the supervision of the ICLC solicitors.
This is an opportunity for students to experience legal practice and consider professional responsibilities in a vibrant and inclusive community legal setting. The position is unpaid, with a focus on your learning and development. We aim to prepare our students to commence a legal career.
Positions are to commence before the end of the year or when we return on 16 January 2023.
Selection criteria
Prerequisite
Completion or near-completion of a law degree and eligibility to commence the practical experience components of Practical Legal Training, with a minimum of 55 days of supervised legal training to complete. It may be possible to complete part of a PLT placement before graduation – you need to check with your proposed provider to see how many days you could complete.
Essential criteria
Position 1: Sophisticated understanding of the experiences of the Trans and Gender Diverse Community.
Position 2: Available on Wednesdays 9am-1pm for assistance at our Safe Relationships Project room and the Downing Centre Local Court
Commitment to social justice.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
Ability to work with clients from diverse backgrounds and in diverse circumstances, including clients in stressful situations and who may present with challenging behaviours.
Understanding of legal professional practice issues, including duties to maintain confidentiality and to raise practice issues with your supervisor.
Ability to work independently and as part of a small team.
Demonstrated interest in legal issues affecting communities served by ICLC.
Desirable criteria
Experience volunteering with the ICLC or another legal service.
Experience working with people from diverse backgrounds
Experience in administration or customer service.
The application
Applications should include a copy of your CV (2 pages max) and a written statement briefly addressing each of the selection criteria (1 page max). We will also seek contact details for two referees before finalising any placement. Applications that do not address the selection criteria will not be considered.
To apply, please email Mel at mel@iclc.org.au
Shortlisted candidates will be invited to attend an interview in person or via zoom ASAP.
ICLC’s human resources policies, procedures and practices support anti-discrimination principles, and we especially encourage applications from people living with a disability, people who identify as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander, people from diverse cultural backgrounds and people identifying as LGBTIQ.
Please contact Mel at mel@iclc.org.au or phone the centre on 02 9332 1966 if you require adjustment to the recruitment process.
As part of your application, please let us know if there is anything that we should know about you that may cause an issue to arise under s 121 or any other section of the Legal Profession Uniform Law.