Full job description
Employment Law Senior Lawyers (Executive Level 1 and Executive Level 2)
Adelaide, Brisbane, Canberra, Melbourne, Perth and Sydney
Ongoing (permanent) and non-ongoing roles
AGS is seeking expressions of interest from lawyers with experience in employment law to manage a mixed litigation and advisory practice including other areas of law relevant to the work of AGS Dispute Resolution.

About us
Australian Government Solicitor (AGS) is the Australian Government’s central legal practice and part of the Attorney-General’s Department. AGS helps Commonwealth clients to manage legal issues, navigate new challenges and find solutions which deliver the best outcomes for Australia. We are a self-funded legal practice and compete for our work.

AGS is unique. AGS is dedicated to the national interest and is a trusted advisor to Government.

AGS is innovative. Drawing on an exceptional depth of experience and expertise, we assist the Australian Government in the development and implementation of solutions to legal issues that have national importance.

AGS is diverse. With offices in every capital city and a team of 715 staff, including 500 lawyers, we work in more than 40 different areas of law related to government.

About the roles
The AGS Dispute Resolution practice (DR) is Australia’s pre-eminent public law litigation practice. It has unrivalled experience and specialist expertise in providing dispute related legal advice and representation in every jurisdiction in Australia, across a diverse range of legal matters for Commonwealth agencies, including a very significant practice representing the Commonwealth’s regulatory enforcement agencies, administrative law, tax litigation, employment law, torts law and information access law. AGS acts for the Commonwealth in the full range of disputes to which it is a party or in which it has an interest (including access to sensitive information) and advises on investigations including for law enforcement and national security agencies. DR also represents the Commonwealth before inquests, inquiries and royal commissions, and as the solicitor assisting royal commissions. In addition, DR has a specialist in-house counsel practice, led by Tim Begbie KC.

In this role you will:

represent/advise the Commonwealth in a range of employment/industrial relations/work health and safety law matters that may include:
advising Commonwealth departments and agencies about management of employees and workforces, employee conduct and entitlements
advising and representing Commonwealth departments and agencies in contentious employment law workplace relations matters, including individual and collective disputes and work health and safety prosecutions
representing clients in a wide range of other employment-related matters (including administrative law matters, regulatory and compliance matters and discrimination proceedings) before courts, tribunals and the Fair Work Commission (including as solicitor advocate where appropriate) and in dealings with other parties, witnesses and counsel.
have the opportunity to support community interests though pro bono work. For more information about our pro bono work, refer to our website
have the opportunity to undertake litigation in other areas of law relevant to the work of AGS Dispute Resolution such as civil claims and regulation, administrative law and/or entitlements law with appropriate supervision and support.
For further information about the requirements of the roles please refer to the role descriptions available below.

About you
You will have a passion for the law and want to make a difference by working on legal issues of national importance.

These roles will suit dispute resolution senior lawyers (Senior Associate level) with experience in employment/industrial relations/work health and safety litigation. The successful candidate/s will ideally have:
generally, a minimum of 5 years’ PQE for Executive Level 1 roles and 7 years’ PQE for Executive Level 2 roles
strong experience in Commonwealth employment law and industrial relations law including the Public Service Act 1999, Fair Work Act 2009, Work, Health and Safety Act 2011, anti-discrimination legislation and related regulations and frameworks
experience from private practice, in house or from a department or agency’s legal team will be highly regarded
a good understanding of administrative law
demonstrated capacity to meet personal net production and revenue targets.
You will work with a community of professionals dedicated to the national interest. You will work collaboratively in an inclusive environment where everyone’s contribution is valued, and success is rewarded. We offer our lawyers commercially competitive remuneration packages, including 15.4% superannuation.

With open door access to some of Australia’s most respected lawyers, we are a developer of talent and critical thinking and you will partner with our clients to deliver creative solutions to current and emerging legal issues of national importance.

AGS is a supportive organisation which embraces diversity. We understand that work is only part of your life and while our work can be demanding at times, we also provide access to a range of flexible working options, generous leave entitlements and wellbeing benefits to support your needs throughout your career.

To apply
To apply you must be an Australian Citizen and be willing to obtain and maintain a security clearance at the Negative Vetting 2 (NV2) level.

To apply, please click the ‘Begin’ button. Applications close at 5:00pm (AEDT) on Sunday, 13 October 2024.

Further enquiries
Further information can be obtained by contacting Jill Mackay, Human Resources Business Partner on 02 9581 7568.
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