Catholic Diocese of Sandhurst – Bendigo VIC
Legal Counsel
Make an impact beyond billables.
Looking for a legal role with real purpose, variety and influence?
The Catholic Diocese of Sandhurst is seeking a motivated and commercially minded Legal Counsel to join our Chancery leadership team supporting parishes, agencies and Catholic entities across regional Victoria.
This is a rare prospect to step into an in-house role where you'll work directly with senior decision-makers, build trusted relationships and handle genuinely varied legal work — without the burnout culture, endless timesheets or narrow practice focus of traditional private practice.
If you're a lawyer early in your in-house journey or ready to move from private practice into something more meaningful, this role offers autonomy, breadth and purpose in equal measure.
Why This Role Stands Out
Broad, interesting and meaningful legal work
Direct access to senior leadership and decision-makers
Genuine work-life balance and flexibility
Opportunity to shape processes and influence outcomes
Values-driven organisation with strong community impact
Supportive and collaborative team culture
Regional lifestyle without sacrificing career growth
What You'll Be Doing
You'll partner closely with the Executive Director and provide legal support across the Diocese, parishes and related Catholic entities.
Your work will include:
Providing practical and strategic legal advice
Reviewing and drafting contracts and agreements
Advising on governance, risk and compliance matters
Managing disputes and sensitive matters with professionalism
Working with external law firms where specialist advice is needed
Supporting employment, property, operational and organisational matters
Building strong relationships with clergy, parish leadership and stakeholders
No two days are the same — this is a genuinely diverse in-house role with visibility across the organisation.
About You
You're someone who combines strong legal capability with emotional intelligence and sound judgement.
You will ideally bring:
Admission as an Australian Legal Practitioner with a current Victorian practising certificate
Around 3+ years' post-admission experience
Experience across a mix of legal practice areas
Solid communication and stakeholder engagement skills
Confidence managing sensitive and confidential matters
A practical, solutions-focused mindset
The ability to build trust with a broad range of people
Interest in working within a values-based organisation
In-house experience is welcome but not essential
About Us
The Catholic Diocese of Sandhurst supports communities, parishes and ministries throughout regional Victoria through mission, pastoral, administrative and operational leadership.
We are committed to creating a child safe and inclusive workplace and strongly encourage applications from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds.
Requirements
The successful applicant will require:
Current practising certificate
Driver's licence
National Police Check
Working with Children Check
Valid Australian working rights
While this is ideally a full-time role, we're open to considering a adaptable arrangement for the right person.
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