Paralegal, Balit Ngulu

Victorian Aboriginal Legal Service (VALS)

Paralegal, Balit Ngulu

Location: Preston, VIC

12-month contract (with potential for extension) \ Part time applications (4 days a week) will be considered.  

Salary: $73,196.94 – $76,197.03 + Super + Salary Packaging

About VALS

The Victorian Aboriginal Legal Service (VALS) has been advocating for and supporting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people since 1973. Our holistic services span criminal, family, civil and human rights law, youth legal services, 24/7 custody notification, housing, family violence programs, and much more. At VALS, we are committed to self-determination, equality, diversity, and inclusion and we are always evolving to meet community needs.

We are committed to diversity, equity and inclusion. Applicants from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander backgrounds, LGBTQI+ communities, and diverse cultures are strongly encouraged to apply. We welcome requests for adjustments throughout recruitment and employment to ensure accessibility and support.

About Balit Ngulu

The core function of Balit Ngulu is to provide Aboriginal children and young people (up to 21 years old) with appropriate legal advice and representation and support their empowerment and resilience within its service areas.  Balit Ngulu will aim to: 

Provide quality and timely legal services to Aboriginal children and young people for matters within Balit Ngulu’s specified service locations of the Children’s Court of Victoria.

• Support Aboriginal children and young people with legal assistance and services to help them grow within the community.
• Divert Aboriginal children and young people away from the justice system and seek incarceration alternatives for Aboriginal children and young people in contact with the justice system, including supporting and prioritising bail applications for those who are at risk of being remanded or are remanded in custody within Balit Ngulu’s specified service locations.
• Assist Aboriginal children and young people to have a strong voice in Child Protection decisions that impact them and ensure that they are not removed from parental care unless there is an unacceptable risk harm. Where children are removed from parental care, provide strong advocacy to ensure that appropriate support is provided to enable reunification to occur and ensure that Aboriginal children remain connected to their family, community and culture when living out of parental care.
• Provide consistent contact and legal support with children and young people in the legal system.
• Provide legal education activities to vulnerable Aboriginal children and young people within service areas and those in youth detention.

Role Summary

The Balit Ngulu Paralegal plays a central role in delivering culturally safe and trauma-informed legal services to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and young people across Victoria. As the first point of contact for clients, the paralegal provides intake and triage support, ensuring young people relate to appropriate legal and non-legal assistance at the earliest opportunity.

Working within an integrated multidisciplinary team of lawyers and Aboriginal community support staff, the paralegal manages client information, supports day-to-day legal operations, and maintains clear communication between clients, solicitors, and external stakeholders including the Court, Victoria Legal Aid, other Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisations, Child Protection, Youth Justice and Victoria Police.

The role ensures young people receive timely, responsive legal support grounded in a holistic understanding of their needs, particularly when navigating child protection and youth justice systems.

Key Responsibilities

• Act as the first point of contact for young people and their families seeking legal assistance, primarily over the phone and occasionally in person at the VALS Preston office.
• Conduct comprehensive legal client intake, capturing clear and accurate information, and recording all mandatory data for compliance and reporting purposes.
• Maintain and manage intake material and client data in VALS’ client database to support effective follow-up, file management, and referrals.
• Provide legal administrative support to solicitors, including drafting, organising, and preparing documents for court, briefing counsel, or filing.
• Undertake all administrative tasks and associated file management tasks as provided by solicitors relating to the ongoing file management for clients of the Balit Ngulu practice.
• Manage the internal calendar by logging court dates and ensuring solicitors are updated as required.
• Receive and triage phone calls, pass on accurate messages, and follow up on enquiries where appropriate.
• Arrange client appointments and follow up with clients to confirm schedules or collect necessary information.
• Draft and manage Victoria Legal Aid (VLA) grants within the ATLAS system including processing payment of invoices for barristers and professional reports.
• Make effective and culturally sensitive referrals to other VALS programs or external services when legal assistance is not available through VALS.
• Provide back-up support to the VALS reception team during break periods.
• Participate in team meetings, case discussions, and collaborative work with internal and external stakeholders.
• As directed, undertake other duties which are incidental and peripheral to the main tasks, provided that such duties are reasonably within the employee’s skills, competence and training.

Key Selection Criteria

• Demonstrated ability to communicate effectively and respectfully with a diverse range of people, including Aboriginal young people and families, community members seeking legal assistance, and external stakeholders such as courts, Victoria Legal Aid, Victoria Police and Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisations. A courteous and professional phone manner is essential.
• A commitment to and understanding of the legal issues faced by members of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Communities in Victoria.
• Highly developed organisational skills, with the ability to manage competing priorities, work efficiently under pressure, and maintain a high level of accuracy and attention to detail in all administrative tasks, including intake, data entry, and preparation of court documents.
• Basic knowledge of relevant areas of law and court procedures, particularly in relation to youth justice, criminal law, child protection, and family matters, and a willingness to expand this knowledge through ongoing learning and professional development.
• Proven ability to work collaboratively in a multidisciplinary legal team, fostering a cooperative and supportive work environment, and actively contributing to service delivery.
• Strong computer literacy, including advanced skills in MS Office 365 (particularly Word, Excel and Outlook, OneNote, Microsoft Teams), and the capacity to quickly learn and adapt to new systems, including VALS’ client management database and Victoria Legal Aid’s ATLAS platform.

Qualifications & Mandatory Checks

Desirable

• Enrolled in or completed a Bachelor of Laws or similar practical training qualification or be otherwise eligible for admission as a legal practitioner in Victoria.
• Previous experience working in a legal environment, community legal services or an Aboriginal Controlled Organisation,
• Experience working with young people in child protection or youth justice systems
• Understanding of trauma-informed and culturally safe practice
• Compliance with all VALS values, code of conduct, policies and procedures and relevant government legislation and standards where relevant.
• Demonstrate a commitment to the principles of social justice and aim to ensure every individual is treated with dignity and respect regardless of their background, ability, ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation or religion.
• Ensure appropriate use of resources

• Actively participate in initiatives to maintain, build upon and promote a positive and collaborative workplace.
• Take reasonable care for your own health & safety, and health and safety of others (to extent required)
• Maintain own self-care and wellbeing with support of line management.
• Promptly respond to and report health and safety hazards, incidents and near misses to management.
• Attend mandatory training sessions (ie. equal employment opportunity, health and safety, cultural safety) and mandatory training specific to position.
• A copy of your current Employee Working with Children Check card 
• A copy of your current Victorian Driver’s License 
• You will be required to complete a current Criminal History Police Check

Proof of rights to work in Australia, i.e. a copy of an Australian Passport, Birth Certificate or Immigration VISA documentation and copies of any certificates or degrees relevant to this role

Why Join VALS?

We offer a supportive, flexible, and culturally safe working environment with a range of attractive benefits, including:

• 17.5% Leave Loading
• 5 additional days of annual leave on top of the standard 20 days
• Time in Lieu (TOIL) system for any hours worked beyond your contracted 21 hours per week
• Access to company vehicles for work-related travel
• Generous salary packaging up to $15,900 via Maxxia
• Opportunity to work alongside a passionate team committed to delivering culturally appropriate legal and support services for Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander communities
• Ongoing professional development and training opportunities