Lawyer, Children, Families and Education Law UnitAbout us The Department of Education is responsible for delivering and regulating state-wide learning and development services to approximately one-third of all Victorians across the early childhood and school education sectors.
The department is also one of Victoria's biggest employers, with approximately 80,000 teaching staff and around 5000 public service employees.
The Legal Division provides highly valued legal services to support the delivery of the department's strategic objectives, key reforms and to manage legal risk.
In doing so, the Legal Division provides direct, practical and strategic legal advice to portfolio Ministers, the Secretary, other senior staff and over 1600 government schools, supporting approximately 650,000 Victorian government school students.
About the role - Full-time, Fixed term till 23 September 2025 If you are looking to advance your legal career and would relish the opportunity to work in a high-performing in-house legal team that provides specialist legal advice to a broad range of clients on diverse areas of law, this role is for you.
The role offers an exciting opportunity for a dynamic lawyer looking to make an impact and undertake rewarding work.
You will be providing high quality, fast paced, and practical advice to Victorian government schools, regional offices and corporate staff in the Department of Education across a variety of areas of law including family law, intervention orders, child protection, school community safety orders, trespass, privacy and information sharing, duty of care, subpoenas and witness summonses and other school-related legal matters in accordance with the VPS values.
The Children, Families and Education Law unit (CFEL) also manages proceedings, inquiries and investigations such as those conducted by the Coroners Court of Victoria and Commission for Children and Young People.
The unit provides legal review of department policies and guidelines, correspondence and Cabinet documents and assistance in legal policy issues related to early childhood and schools.
The successful candidate will have experience in some or all of these areas of law, be able to provide high quality and fast-paced legal advice both in writing and verbally, and be motivated to work in a team environment and learn about new areas of law, including the work of a government lawyer.
The successful candidate will work with and be mentored by lawyers who are passionate about their work and genuine about supporting your career aspirations.
Be part of a passionate, high-performing team: Legal Division is proud to be a 2023 finalist of the Australian Law Awards 'In-house team of the year'.Meaningful work that is varied, satisfying and rewarding: As part of a career in the public sector you can help shape Victoria's future, serve the community and follow your ambition.Flexible and hybrid working arrangements: part time, flexible start and finish times, work from home to help manage your work and personal commitments.Competitive salary: Bi-annual salary increases in line with the Victorian Public Service Enterprise Agreement.Diversity and inclusion: As one of Victoria's largest employers, the department is committed to creating an organisation that is inclusive and ensuring it has a workforce that represents the community it serves.Values: The department has adopted the public sector values which are set out in the Code of Conduct for Victorian Public Sector Employees, which are Responsiveness, Integrity, Impartiality, Accountability, Respect, Leadership and Human Rights.Employee assistance program: for emotional, mental and general psychological wellbeing and support.How to Apply Applicants are required to submit a CV and a cover letter summarising their skills and experience (no more than two pages).
For more details regarding this position, please see the attached position description.
For a confidential discussion, please phone Sarah Nicholson, Principal Lawyer and Manager, Children, Families and Education Law Unit, .
Applications close 11:59pm on January 13th, 2025.
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