Position Description
Credit, Debt and Generalist Solicitor
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Sydney based
Permanent, full time with part time considered
Supervision: Principal Solicitor
1. Redfern Legal Centre
Redfern Legal Centre is a non-profit community legal centre that promotes social justice and creates change. We provide free legal advice, legal services and education to people experiencing disadvantage in New South Wales. We drive innovation and change through policy and law reform work to address inequalities in the legal system, policies and social practices that cause disadvantage.
We provide effective and integrated free legal services that are client focussed, collaborative, non-discriminatory and responsive to changing community needs – to our local community as well as state-wide. Our specialist legal services focus on tenancy, credit, debt and consumer law, financial abuse, employment law, international students, First Nations justice, police accountability, and provide outreach services including through our health justice partnership.
2. Position Overview
The credit, debt and generalist lawyer provides legal advice and assistance to clients experiencing disadvantage in Redfern Legal Centre’s local catchment area. This role covers a dynamic combination of credit, debt and consumer law, and a diverse range of legal issues that present in our generalist practice.
Common issues in the credit and debt practice include debt matters, bankruptcy, credit cards and loans, problems with electricity, gas, water and telecommunications bills, difficulty paying fines, faulty goods or failure to provide services, problems with insurance and superannuation and motor vehicle accidents. The Generalist practice provides advice in a range of different civil areas of law, with a focus on issues not covered by the specialist practice areas.
Common issues in the generalist practice include victims’ compensation, discrimination, AVOs, guardianship and tenancy.
The credit, debt and generalist solicitor provides advice directly and works with pro bono firms and individual volunteer solicitors to resource, capacity build and supervise them to provide advice.
The role involves a high degree of autonomy, with opportunities to build strong relationships with local stakeholders and increase outreach opportunities to local organisations. The lawyer will have a diverse practice which includes opportunities to drive law reform and policy work to effect systemic change and community legal education to build capacity for marginalised people and communities.
3. Position Responsibilities
• Conduct advice and casework in credit, debt consumer and generalist law, including drafting complaints to bodies such as the Australian Financial Complaints Authority, correspondence including letters of demand, applications for fines waivers and court documents including Statements of Claim and Defences, as well as in generalist law where appropriate.
• Coordinate and supervise volunteer solicitors to provide credit, debt, consumer and generalist advice, including managing pro bono relationships, induction, training and support.
• Conduct stakeholder engagement and outreach with local First Nations and other community organisations to identify credit, debt and consumer issues affecting the local community, encourage client referrals and work collaboratively to address issues impacting local communities.
• Conduct community legal education and create factsheets for community workers, clients and other stakeholders.
• Develop and drive policy and law reform on systemic issues identified from casework.
4. Knowledge, skills and experience
1. Qualified to practice as a solicitor in NSW and holds or is eligible to hold a current practicing certificate and at least 2 years post-admission experience in credit, debt and consumer law and general civil law.
2. Demonstrated ability to take initiative, accept responsibility, and work with limited supervision providing advice and conducting casework on a range of credit, debt and consumer and general civil issues.
3. Demonstrated ability to work with people experiencing disadvantage, particularly First Nations people, as well as people from non-English speaking backgrounds and people with disability.
4. Commitment to the objectives of Community Legal Centres.
5. Capacity to develop strong relationships with stakeholders, conduct community legal education, policy and law reform work including identifying systemic issues and drafting or contributing to policy and law reform submissions.
5. Conditions
Salary and benefits: $111,697 – $132,566 p.a. (pro rata for part time) depending on qualifications and experience.
Superannuation and annual leave loading are paid in addition to this and salary packaging is available.
Redfern Legal Centre offers a 35-hour working week, time in lieu options and a paid end of year closure of two weeks (including public holidays) on top of four weeks annual leave. We prioritise staff wellbeing through external debrief supervision, a generous training and professional development budget and flexible working conditions.
As a Public Benevolent Institution, Redfern Legal Centre is able to offer staff generous salary packaging options. The tax savings for a staff member choosing to take full advantage of the salary packaging option mean that their take home salary may be increased by up to $6,000 per annum.
6. Applications
Applications close: 22 September 2025
Redfern Legal Centre is a diverse and inclusive workplace. We strongly encourage applications from First Nations applicants, people from diverse cultural backgrounds and people with disability.
Your application should be no more than six pages long and should include a cover letter, your resume and must include responses to the selection criteria included in the job description.
Inquiries should be directed to Alexis Goodstone on alexis@rlc.org.au.
