Associate/Senior Associate - Pro Bono

This is an exciting opportunity for either an Associate or Senior Associate to join our successful national Pro Bono practice, based in Melbourne.

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At a glance

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This is an exciting opportunity for either an Associate or Senior Associate to join our successful national Pro Bono practice, based in Melbourne. The role provides the opportunity to manage many aspects of the day-to-day delivery of Pro Bono services across NRF's Pro Bono program in Australia. You will be the on-the-ground lead for pro bono in our Melbourne office, working with the national team.

Key Responsibilities

You will be working with the Pro Bono Partner (Chris Owen), the lawyers in the central Pro Bono team and other stakeholders across the firm to implement and deliver NRFA's Pro Bono strategy, ensure the effective delivery of Pro Bono services nationally while committing to our Pro Bono targets. This will include:

• Sourcing key pro bono legal projects in the firm's strategic areas, including legal projects which:
  • benefit the environment or increase the sustainable use of resources;
  • protect human rights, at a national and international level;
  • support First Nations peoples in Australia;
  • use litigation to deliver wide-reaching positive social change.

• Liaising with our client base: we are particularly focussed on work for a range of NGOs/NfPs, some of whom are state based and others who operate nationally or internationally.
• Managing the placement of work across the firm's lawyers and troubleshooting issues arising from the delivery of that work.
• Leading on some legal projects in our focus areas.
• Maintaining and developing relationships with current and new pro bono clients.
• Working with our commercial clients to partner on pro bono projects.
• Communicating the successes of the pro bono practice, internally and externally.
• Taking a leading role in the internal and external reporting of our pro bono work, including to Government.
• Supervising the more junior members of the central pro bono team in the delivery of pro bono legal work and the administration of the practice.
• Overseeing the day-to-day administration of the pro bono team, including managing conflicts, legal and reputational risk, file opening and budget approvals.
• Assisting in training lawyers undertaking pro bono legal work.
• Involvement in placing and supervising graduates on external pro bono secondment.
• Showcasing the team's pro bono practice to future recruits.
• Fielding internal/external pro bono queries.

The Successful Candidate

The successful candidate will pride themselves on their ability to deliver the highest standard of legal services to clients while continuing to be accessible and responsive. A strategic thinker with the capability to manage competing deadlines paired with a genuine interest in both pro bono work and a good understanding of the drivers that apply to running a Pro Bono practice in a commercial law firm. You will also be able to demonstrate:

• Qualified Lawyer with a minimum of 3 years' post qualification experience.
• Some experience (current or historic) working in a commercial law firm environment.
• Experience in undertaking some pro bono work.
• Interest in our specialist areas of focus and the type of pro bono clients we work with.
• Desire to take a commercial approach to pro bono, including partnering with corporate clients in the delivery of joint pro bono projects.
• Ability to handle conversations with a variety of stakeholders in a law firm, including at partner level.
• Strong project management and organisational skills.
• Strong communication skills, with the ability to draft corporate communications.
• Desire to embrace new ways of working, including through innovative IT and AI solutions.

Apply now