Employment Status Casual

Classification SCHADS Level 3

Reports To Assistant Principal Solicitor/Principal Solicitor

Location Burnie

This position is advertised relying on an exception in the Anti-Discrimination Act, as a special measure. Accordingly, this position is open to women applicants only.

POSITION OBJECTIVE

Working within our dedicated teams, the Paralegal will have the opportunity to work closely with our legal and allied professional teams to provide integrated, trauma informed legal support to our clients. Under the supervision of the Assistant

Principal Solicitor or the Principal Solicitor, the Paralegal will provide practical support to all staff to achieve the objectives of the organisation.

Some intrastate travel may be required from time to time.

This role is required to address a temporary resourcing need and is intended to provide additional capacity to support service delivery and manage current workload demands.

Women’s Legal Service Tasmania is committed to protecting children/young and vulnerable people from harm and require completion of screening checks prior to finalising employment.

KEY ROLE RESPONSIBILITIES

Legal Services

- Take shared responsibility for intake services for clients, including handling calls to the 1800 telephone advice line,

gathering client demographic information, scheduling client appointments and accurately entering information into our dedicated legal information database.
- Work under the guidance of the legal team to assist with taking instructions for and drafting documents,

correspondence and agreements, and engaging in legal research where directed, with responsibility for document management, including proofreading, producing file notes, and attending to electronic and physical filing.
- Produce client correspondence and prepare court documents as required, specifically in the legal areas of family law,

family violence, child safety matters, migration or employment related matters.
- Assistance with planning and provision of community legal education sessions, workshops, conferences and service

promotion.
- Assistance with research, preparation and presentation of law reform and lobbying submissions, working in

consultation with other staff and key stakeholders to prepare submissions with reference to Women’s Legal Service

Tasmania’s Strategic Plan.

Organisational Responsibilities

- Carry out the responsibilities of the position in accordance with the Position Description, the funding requirements

and the overarching vision, mission and values, policies and procedures and Strategic Plan of Women’s Legal Service

Tasmania.

- Provide some administrative services for legal and allied team members, including management of calendars, shared

email inboxes, scheduling of appointments and meetings.
- Work collaboratively with team members, sharing knowledge, supporting colleagues, and contributing

constructively through participation in regular case management meetings, professional development opportunities,

and organizational reporting requirements.

- Demonstrate the competencies of the Social, Community, Home Care and Disability Services (SCHADS) Award

Level 3 in accordance with Women’s Legal Service Tasmania’s Core Competency Model. For reference, these competencies are listed within this document.

KEY ROLE COMPETENCIES

Universal Competencies

Collaborative Approach

- Takes time to listen to and understand the perspectives of others.

- Uses language that demonstrates respect for colleagues and stakeholders at all times.





- Employs effective skills in oral and written communication with colleagues and stakeholders.

- Demonstrates an ability to support and guide Level 1 and 2 colleagues and volunteers with clarity and

understanding.

Diverse and Inclusive

- Displays a willingness to engage with all people in a non-judgmental or non-discriminatory way.

- Demonstrates unconditional positive regard toward internal and external stakeholders.

- Ensures own conduct aligns with the values of WLST.

- Understands the rights of others to accept or reject assistance.

- Develops authentic professional relationships with colleagues and wider communities while maintaining safe and

qualified boundaries.

Efficient and Contemporary

- Solves problems of limited difficulty using knowledge, judgement and organisational skills.

- Undertakes planning and coordination of activities within a clearly defined area.

- Demonstrates a basic knowledge of the principles of human resource management, and able to assist Level 1 and

Level 2 staff or volunteers with on-the-job training.
- Establishes goals and outcomes for their own work program or project.

- Undertakes planning and co-ordination of activities within a defined area or program.

- Manages and plans own work and that of volunteers, where relevant.

- Gathers relevant information about the context of issues and use this to guide practice.

Healthy Workplace
- Practices self-care for good mental health and wellbeing.

- Recognises the significance of policy and procedures that guide workplace behaviours.

- Demonstrates thorough knowledge of required work activities and relevant policies and procedures.

- Ensures Level 1 and Level 2 staff follow procedures and have an opportunity to increase their knowledge.

Quality Practices
- Exercises initiative in the application of established work procedures and establishes goals and outcomes for a

particular work program or project.
- Solves problems of limited difficulty using knowledge, judgement and work organisational skills.

- Displays motivation to engage in quality improvement projects and processes.

- Seeks out resources and equipment to improve task completion.

Organisational Culture
- Participates in professional development relevant to role and professional interests.

- Actively engages in supervision (reflective practice).

- Establishes, builds and sustains effective relationships with colleagues and stakeholders.

- Readily identifies opportunities to exchange knowledge and information with peers and colleagues.

- Shares information and knowledge with Level 1 and Level 2 staff and volunteers.

Client Related Competencies

Evidence based best practice

- Contributes to adjusting services in response to client feedback.

- Ensures Level 1 and Level 2 staff follow procedures and have an opportunity to increase their knowledge.

- Has an understanding of trauma and its impact across the lifespan.

- Gathers relevant information about the context clients operate in and uses this to guide practice.

Client focused
- Establishes, builds and sustains effective relationships with clients and their supports.

- Seeks feedback on client satisfaction with the service provided.





- Expresses hope and optimism, applying a strengths-based approach and valuing client and family or carer

knowledge.
- Engages in family focused practice, acknowledging clients sit within a context of family and community.

- Checks what client already knows before providing information and checks their understanding of information

provided.

Knowledge and application

- Provides care and support to clients within the boundaries prescribed by law and professional, national and local

requirements, and codes of ethical practice.
- Participates in professional development relevant to role and professional interests.

- Engages in reflective practice.

- Solves problems of limited difficulty using knowledge, judgement and organisational skills.

- Undertakes planning and coordination of activities within a clearly defined area.

- Demonstrates a basic knowledge of the principles of human resource management, is able to assist Level 1 and Level

2 staff and volunteers with on-the-job training.
- Demonstrates through knowledge of required work activities and relevant policies and procedures.

Outcome Evaluation
- Exercises initiative in the application of established work procedures and establishes goals and outcomes for a

particular work program or project.

SELECTION CRITERIA TO BE ADDRESSED IN AN APPLICATION

Essential

- Knowledge and experience of legal practice, with a demonstrated ability to prioritise tasks and achieve task completion to a high standard, with attention to detail. This includes the capacity to manage priorities, demonstrate flexibility, identify problems, propose practical solutions and implement improvements in administrative workflows.
- A qualification in law, nearing the end of study or extensive demonstrated experience working as a Paralegal, with the ability to undertake legal support duties competently and effectively.
- Excellent verbal communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to engage effectively with diverse groups,

including working collaboratively within a team environment, supporting colleagues and contributing to a positive workplace culture.

- Demonstrated ability to be objective and to manage client related situations with empathy and understanding for people under stress, while maintaining confidentiality and an awareness of trauma informed principles.
- Demonstrated commitment to personal wellbeing and self care, engaging in regular self reflective practice,

maintaining professional boundaries and recognising and responding to the impacts of trauma informed work to support sustainable work practices

- Ability to work within and positively advance the mission and values of Women’s Legal Service Tasmania, including a commitment to the social justice, equity, and empowerment of women, with an ability to drive innovation and continuous improvement in service delivery.
- High level computer and system skills, including Microsoft Office suite, word processing, spreadsheets, databases,

email and calendars, with competence in MacOS preferred. Experience in using legal information programs such as

Actionstep will be an advantage for this role.

- Hold a current Tasmanian Working with Vulnerable People (WWVP) Employment registration, and current and clear National Police Check (no more than twelve months old) or ability to obtain.

Desirable

- Some knowledge of integrated and trauma-informed practice, as well as a familiarity and understanding of the role and challenges faced by the community services sector.
- Prepared to travel intrastate as required.

📌 Paralegal - Casual (Level 3) (Burnie)
🏢 Womens Legal Service Tasmania
📍 Burnie