Solicitors / Senior Solicitors - Sydney / Work From Home

• Full-time and part-time applications considered.
• Join Australia’s leading legal practice dedicated to assisting young people nationwide.
• Work remotely from anywhere in Australia, or from YLA’s headquarters in Sydney (UNSW Kensington campus).
• Practice experience in Victoria, Queensland, Western Australia, South Australia, Tasmania, or New South Wales is highly desirable.
• Base salary: SCHADS Award Levels 5 – 7, up to circa $130, 000 - negotiable 
• Access to PBI and FBT salary packaging benefits.
• Additional leave available. 

About Youth Law Australia (YLA) 

YLA is the national children’s and youth Community Legal Centre (CLC). We provide high quality, free and confidential legal assistance to children, young people, and their families and advocates nationally in all areas of the law. YLA is a fast-paced, high-volume legal centre that provides over 6,000 legal services to clients each year. YLA is committed to being a child-safe organisation. 

YLA aims to enhance children and young people’s access to justice and engagement with their legal rights; assistance to exercise these rights; and to remedies when these rights are violated.  

YLA’s objective is to fulfil these aims by providing appropriate and targeted legal information, advice, referral, education, representation, and advocacy.  

Amongst other things, YLA provides:   

• YLA website, the leading community legal information resource for young Australians. The site is an accessible, 24/7 pathway to legal information and assistance: yla.org.au.
• Get help now, pathways to free, confidential legal information, advice, and assistance service for all young Australians. Get help now is a clear and timely “next step" for help-seekers and access is by webform, phone, or email: yla.org.au/get-help/.  
• Live webchat access for young Australians at risk of or experiencing a broad range of harms or maltreatment. 

Headquartered at the UNSW, YLA is an accredited CLC, holds specialist consultative status (children’s rights) with the United Nations Economic and Social Council, and is an affiliated Centre of UNSW’s Faculty of Law & Justice. YLA was founded in 1993 as the National Children’s and Youth Law Centre. 

About the role 

In this role, you will deliver technology‑enabled, trauma‑informed legal services to children and young people under 25 across all Australian jurisdictions. You will provide timely, accurate legal assistance through YLA’s bespoke digital platform, including Australia’s first national live webchat legal service for young people. 

You will work with children and young people experiencing a broad range of legal issues, including family and domestic violence, sexual abuse, exploitation, cyber harm, discrimination, unsafe living or learning environments, and employment, education and other civil and administrative law matters - all legal problems commonly faced by young people nationwide.  

This role offers broad exposure to the legal issues that most affect young people and supports the development of capability to practise in any state or territory. As part of a national generalist practice that champions young people’s rights, safety, and access to justice, the role values specialist expertise in children’s lawyering, harm‑related matters, and/or employment and education law matters and provides opportunities to further strengthen and expand that capability.  

Key Responsibilities 

• Providing verbal and written legal advice, information, referrals, and assistance via telephone, online chat, and email for young people under 25 across Australia.  
• Working collaboratively with colleagues across jurisdictions to promote and deliver YLA’s services.  
• Providing detailed advice and one-off assistance, including drafting letters, complaints, applications, and supporting self-represented litigants. 
• In limited cases, providing ongoing support, assistance, casework, and legal representation to vulnerable young people.  
• Assisting with community legal education, law reform, stakeholder engagement, and internal development activities.  
• Developing and maintaining accurate information resources for young people.  
• Maintaining accurate records, files, accountabilities, and reporting within a paperless, technology enabled practice. 

You will report to and work under the supervision of YLA’s Principal Solicitors and will work closely with YLA’s Executive Director, fellow solicitors, pro bono solicitors, law student volunteers, interns, and trainees to provide technology-enabled legal information, advice, and assistance. YLA provides close supervision and a trauma informed and supportive team environment. Because YLA’s practice is paperless and delivered via YLA’s bespoke technology platform, collaboration, support, and supervision occurs within our online network of lawyers and law student volunteers. 

About you 

You are committed to advancing children’s rights, improving access to justice, and practising in a trauma‑informed, child‑centred way. You bring sound judgement, empathy, and professionalism to your work, and you are confident operating within a fast‑paced, technology‑enabled legal practice. You are motivated by the opportunity to support young people experiencing harm, disadvantage, or complex legal issues, and you are comfortable working collaboratively within a national, digitally delivered service. 

Commitment and Values 

• Commitment to children’s rights, human rights, and improving access to justice. 
• Ability to work in a trauma‑informed, child‑centred, culturally safe, and rights‑based manner. 
• Interest in how technology can enhance access to justice for children and young people. 

Skills and Capabilities 

• Moderate to high technological proficiency, including confidence using live chat, soft phone, email, and online case management systems, or ability to gain that confidence. 
• Ability to provide clear, accurate, and timely verbal and written legal advice. 
• Strong organisational skills, including the ability to manage competing priorities and maintain accurate records. 
• Capacity to work both independently and collaboratively within a digital practice environment. 
• Ability to support self-‑represented litigants through one‑off assistance such as drafting letters, complaints, and applications. 
• Ability to contribute to community legal education, fact sheets, law reform, and stakeholder engagement activities. 

Experience 

• Ideally at least 3 years post‑admission, with a solid grounding in general legal practice, including managing a varied caseload, providing one‑off assistance, and delivering clear, practical advice across multiple areas of law. Less may be considered for the right person.  
• Skilled in assisting clients with complex or sensitive matters, which may include family and domestic violence, sexual abuse, exploitation, cyber harm, discrimination, employment, or education-related harms, and confident applying generalist legal skills to these contexts.  
• Capability to work effectively with children and young people.  
• Ability to supervise or support junior lawyers, volunteers, interns, or PLTs in a digital environment. 
• Proven capacity to provide trauma‑informed legal assistance. 
• Able to work safely and effectively in remote or paperless practice environments. 

next steps

YLA is committed to fostering an inclusive workplace and strongly encourages applications from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. 

To submit your application, please click ‘Apply Now’ by the closing date. Applications close at 11:59PM on the closing date.