Principal Solicitor, Litigation - Melbourne City Centre, Australia - Department of Justice and Community Safety

Department of Justice and Community Safety

Verified Company

Melbourne City Centre, Australia

2 weeks ago

Posted by:

Olivia Brown

beBee Recruiter

Description

Unique opportunity to work at the heart of government and represent the State in a broad range of litigation across multiple jurisdictions

Role will focus on complex and sensitive litigation and providing operational advice in relation to the Serious Offenders Act 201
Criminal law / quasicriminal law experience will be highly regarded
Ongoing | Fulltime (open to discussing flexible work arrangements)
Hybrid working from home/office environment
VPS 6.1 $129,379 $151,259 p.a. + superannuation

About the VGSO
The Victorian Government Solicitor's Office (VGSO) vision is to be the Victorian Government's trusted legal partner.
The VGSO provides responsive legal services exclusively for the Victorian Government and public sector. Our place within government ensures we are at the centre of legal change, reform and problem-solving. We operate as a service-driven legal professional practice and strive for excellence in this competitive environment.

In all aspects of our operations, we aim to role model and live by our values:
Responsiveness, Integrity, Insight, Collaboration and Excellence.
About the branch

The Litigation & Dispute Resolution Branch comprises several legal teams that provide specialist legal services to government departments and statutory bodies on matters which are topical and often involve public interest issues.

The day-to-day work of the team includes managing diverse, complex and sensitive litigation including:

General civil, police civil and tortious claims
State care, personal injury and negligence claims (including historical institutional abuse claims involving former minors and young persons in the care of the State)
Coronial investigations including inquests
Supervision order matters
Judicial review and statutory interpretation
Commercial litigation

About the role

An exciting opportunity has become available for a senior and experienced lawyer to join the VGSO as a Principal Solicitor in our Litigation & Dispute Resolution Branch.

This role has a core focus on providing legal services to one of our key clients, Corrections Victoria.

You will be required to efficiently manage complex and sensitive litigation and provide operational advice in relation to the Serious Offenders Act 2018.

As a Principal Solicitor, this role will also assist with the supervision and mentoring of junior solicitors.
To diversify files, this role may also provide support to other streams of work undertaken by the branch.

This could include personal injury litigation (negligence and breach of statutory duty), contempt of court, vexatious litigant claims, historical institutional abuse claims involving former minors and young persons in the care of the State, matters under the Crimes (Mental Impairment and Unfitness to be Tried) Act 1997, judicial review, asset confiscation, coronial inquests, public liability and subpoenas.

Skills and experience

Criminal law / quasicriminal law experience would be advantageous and highly regarded
Demonstrated experience in conducting complex and sensitive proceedings in state courts and tribunals, including a sound knowledge of relevant court practice and procedure
Experience providing comprehensive written and oral legal advice which is fit for purpose
Experience acting for government or statutory authorities would be highly regarded
Proven experience supervising and/or mentoring staff
Good interpersonal communication skills to truly connect with teammembers and work together to deliver exceptional results for our clients
Proven ability to effectively manage competing priorities, within a fastpaced dynamic environment
Practical and client focused problem solving and research skills
A strong focus on turnaround time and ability to work under pressure

Benefits:

VGSO offers an inclusive, collegiate and collaborative work environment where you will be well-supported and mentored to develop your knowledge.

You will also be given excellent career opportunities to progress and develop within the organisation.
VGSO embraces flexibility and welcomes a conversation to help you achieve work-life balance.

We currently work in a hybrid environment with employees enjoying a balance of working from home and in the office.

How to apply
Applications close at 11:59pm on Wednesday, 26 July 2023.