Published on January 30, 2025
Applications close 11 February
Under the supervision and direction of the Principal Solicitor and other senior staff as required, the Solicitor will provide referrals, legal advice, casework and representation within the scope of QAI’s Human Rights Advocacy Practice. The Solicitor’s role will include representation before the Mental Health Review Tribunal (MHRT) and Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal (QCAT) and advice to clients on mental health, guardianship, administration, human rights and discrimination. The Solicitor will contribute to the systemic advocacy work and community legal education of QAI within the Human Rights Advocacy Practice.
Key Responsibilities
- Provide legal advice to clients of QAI’s Human Rights Advocacy Practice (HRAP) for matters arising under the Mental Health Act 2016 (Qld), the Forensic Disability Act 2011 (Qld), the Human Rights Act 2019 (Qld), Disability Services Act 2006 (Qld), the Guardianship and Administration Act 2000 (Qld), the Anti-Discrimination Act 1991 (Qld), the Disability Discrimination Act 1992 (Cth) and related legislation and policies, via face to face, phone or video appointments.
- Perform legal representation on behalf of Human Rights Advocacy Practice clients with matters before the Mental Health Review Tribunal (MHRT), the Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal (QCAT), the Queensland Human Rights Commission (QHRC) and the Australian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) and other courts and tribunals as required.
- Provide information and referrals to other legal, welfare and community services, including the provision of community legal education events and material.
- Perform various tasks including maintaining client databases (CLASS), QAI’s electronic filing systems, Microsoft 365 and its integrated apps and perform work including drafting legal correspondence, advice letters and preparing legal documents.
- Identify issues requiring systemic reform (including law reform) in relation to the rights of people with disability, in collaboration with systems advocates.
- Conduct strategic test cases as directed from a human-rights perspective to achieve or promote systemic reform of laws and services impacting on people with disability.
- Keep informed of current government and community attitudes and policies and their effects on the lives of people with disability.
- Assist with the preparation of submissions, brochures, discussion papers, reports, self-help kits, newsletter contributions and other publications within the expertise and responsibilities of the position.
Selection criteria
Essential:
- Strong commitment to human rights, social justice and diversity
- Minimum one year post admission experience in criminal, mental health, guardianship and administration, discrimination or human rights law and/or other relevant practice area
- Ability to gain a criminal history screening clearance
- Current Queensland practising certificate (or ability to immediately acquire one).
Desirable:
- Lived experience of disability
- Unrestricted lawyer with at least two years’ experience in legal practice in Queensland
- Previous experience at a Community Legal Centre.