Solicitor, Country and Culture Heritage Practice (First Nations Program) 

• Location: Anywhere in Australia  
• Term:  Ongoing 
• Job Type: Full-time 
• Remuneration: SCHADS Level 5: $108,901 + 12% super + 17.5% Annual Leave Loading 
• Mandatory Requirements: This is an Identified Position – it is an occupational requirement that this position be filled by an Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander person. 
• Travel will be required to fulfil this role. 

Job title: Solicitor, Country and Cultural Heritage Practice  

Reporting to: Deputy Director, Country and Cultural Heritage Practice 

Environmental Defenders Office (EDO) is the largest environmental legal centre in the Australia – Pacific region, dedicated to protecting our climate, communities and shared environment by providing access to justice, running ground-breaking litigation and leading law reform advocacy. 

As the region’s legal experts in our field, we aim to be a brave, unified, and focused team, committed to inclusion and excellence in all that we do. We strive to be a diverse and inclusive workplace supporting a highly skilled, engaged, and effective team, where everyone can feel that they belong. 

Since time immemorial, First Nations peoples have been taking care of their Country. Their deep understanding, knowledge and experience are critical to maintaining the health and vitality of Australia and’s unique wildlife and ecosystems. EDO respects this great knowledge and strongly believes that EDO cannot achieve a world where nature thrives without working alongside and on behalf of First Nations peoples.    

EDO aims to be an employer of choice for First Nations peoples. EDO has established Indigenous leadership at the Executive level, which is guiding EDO to better work alongside and on behalf of First Nations peoples to protect their Countries and waters across Australia and centre understanding of and respect for First Nations perspectives in our work. EDO has also built the governance and policy infrastructure within EDO to sustain, whilst continuously improving, culturally safe work practices for all team members, and specifically First Nations team members. This structure includes a First Nations Strategic Advisory Committee, made up of six First Nations community members from across Australia who provide strategic guidance to EDO.

EDO understands that First Nations professionals can bring both their professional skills, as well as their lived experiences as First Nations peoples to their work, which can provide optimal services to First Nations clients.  

The opportunity: 

This is a unique opportunity for a passionate and highly motivated First Nations Solicitor to join the EDO’s First Nations Program, to undertake exciting and impactful work on behalf of First Nations clients and communities seeking to protect their Country and Cultural Heritage. 

The Solicitor, Country & Cultural Heritage will engage with legal issues surrounding environmental protection, Country and Cultural Heritage, First Nations water justice and climate change. 

We are looking for a talented lawyer with demonstrated environmental law, Cultural Heritage and/or native title/land rights experience.  

You will have the opportunity to build relationships and learn from a broad range of community members, as well as solicitors, scientists and other professionals across the EDO who work on a range of issues in pursuit of environmental justice – climate change, pollution, mining, Cultural Heritage, water justice, biodiversity and human rights.  

Travel for outreach purposes, including to remote locations, will be necessary. 

Candidate Profile: 

You are a First Nations lawyer with environmental, Cultural Heritage, native title/land rights law or legal education and outreach experience looking for an opportunity to use your professional skillset and lived experience to work with the largest public interest environmental law centre in the region. 

You will have a valid practising certificate, or the ability to obtain one, and PAE working as a lawyer with demonstrated First Nations community engagement and environmental law, Cultural Heritage and/or native title/land rights experience. This position represents an opportunity to deliver legal services about Cultural Heritage laws in a culturally safe manner to First Nations clients and communities. 

You want to work at the intersection of climate justice, human rights, the rights of First Nations and the environment and want an opportunity to make an impact for people and nature. If you would thrive in a position where you have the ability to think creatively about delivering legal services to First Nations clients and communities in a legally pluralistic country, enjoy working with First Nations communities, and prioritise culturally safe practices – you are strongly encouraged to apply. 

Key selection criteria:  Essential requirements 

• A practising certificate or entitlement to one with a minimum of 2 years’ post admission experience desired.  
• Demonstrated experience in one or more of the following areas: administrative law, environmental law and/or Cultural Heritage law, native title/land rights, legal outreach and legal education 
• Strong problem-solving, judgement and communication skills, with the ability to work productively and collaboratively to deadlines and consider a range of perspectives in decision-making.   

Substantive experience 

• Understanding of Cultural Heritage legislation across State, Territory and Commonwealth jurisdictions and relevant international mechanisms available to First Nations communities, including through the United Nations. 
• Experience developing legal education materials for First Nations and/or bilingual communities, undertaking law reform or policy work, and/or working with First Nations people or diverse communities and individuals. 

Core skills 

• Ability to confidently exercise sound judgement and make decisions in high-pressure situations, while working effectively both autonomously and within a collaborative team environment. 
• Strong written and verbal communication, file management, organisational and delegation skills.   

Personal qualities and cultural competency 

• A champion of the EDO values 
• Strong initiative and self-motivation 
• Commitment to the protection of the environment and related human rights 
• A strong sense of ethics and understanding of professional obligations 
• Thrive in a collaborative team-based environment  

Our Culture and Benefits:      

We care deeply about creating a workplace where our team members feel valued, respected, and empowered. We are committed to providing equal opportunity regardless of gender identity, ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation, or life stage.  

• The chance to be part of the largest environmental legal practice in the Australia-Pacific  
• A very flexible and family-friendly workplace  
• Flexibility to work from home  
• 8 weeks paid parental leave, regardless of gender or carer status 
• 10 days paid family and domestic violence leave per year 
• 3 days paid cultural leave per year with 5 days for First Nations staff  
• Paid Leave to attend NAIDOC and National Reconciliation Week events  
• Extra leave over the Christmas period 
• Access to Fitness Passport  
• Access to Employee Assistance Program (EAP) 
• Ongoing professional development opportunities  
• EDO proudly has a JEDI (Justice, Equality, Diversity, Inclusion) Committee and a Mental Health Ambassador Committee 
• Three Affinity groups for the following: Disability, Global Majority* and LGBTQIA+  

*Global Majority is a collective term that first and foremost speaks to and encourages those so-called, to think of themselves as belonging to the majority on planet earth. It refers to people who are Black, African, Asian, Brown, dual-heritage, indigenous to the global south, and or, have been racialised as ‘ethnic minorities’. 

Our Values 

Commitment – We are committed to a united organisation, to each other, to collaboration, to justice, to our communities and to creating a world where nature thrives.   

Diversity – We are respectful of, and welcome, diversity of staff, volunteers, offices, environmental regions, communities, stakeholders.   

Integrity – We work effectively, efficiently, strategically, professionally, and ethically; “justice is in our nature.”   

Vision – We lead change and environmental empowerment using innovation, creativity, and courage.      How to Apply  

• Click ‘Apply here’ above 
• To review the position description, please see this link: https://www.edo.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/EDO-Position-Description-CCH-Solicitor-September-2026-1.pdf  

If you have queries regarding this advert, please feel free to contact us at recruitment@edo.org.au  

Closing Date: Applications close at 5:00PM AEST on Tuesday, 6 October 2026.  

Applications must include a CV and a letter that clearly addresses each of the selection criteria above. 

The Key Selection Criteria show the minimum essential requirements of the position. The desirable criteria outline additional attributes which would enable the successful candidate to perform the role more effectively; they are not essential but may be used to distinguish between applicants during the shortlisting process.    

Please note: Your application may be considered for future roles at the EDO within the next 12 months without additional advertising. Please notify us in your application if you would not like to be considered for similar roles beyond this recruitment. 

If you have any accessibility needs for the recruitment or interviewing process, please let us know in your application or by emailing recruitment@edo.org.au. 

Other Information 

All offers of employment may be subject to satisfactory background checks including a National Police Check, disclosure of previous or current disciplinary action, referee checks, proof of eligibility to work in Australia and qualification checks.