Who we are Legal work in the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry is unique. As part of the Legal Division you will have the opportunity to provide administrative and paralegal support on matters that directly affect all Australians across areas as diverse as biosecurity, agricultural production, trade, food, wine, fisheries and forestry. A job with Legal Division is a chance to meaningfully apply your skills to practical outcomes in an environment focused on your learning and development. The Legal Division's large and diverse practice is responsible for: Advice on regulatory systems, operations and cost recovery to assist staff on the front lines with Australia's quarantine, trade, food safety and exports across diverse supply chains, at airports and in the community. Practical legal advice to assist investigation and enforcement of biosecurity and export laws to ensure Australia's trade and health are safeguarded. Developing and progressing legislation and working closely with policymakers to put effective laws in place. Managing the department's litigation caseload and dispute resolution, including working with external law firms and counsel to provide strategic advice to support the department's policy and operational activities. Employment law advice, including on investigations, work health and safety and external review proceedings. Advice about the department's extensive range of commercial matters, including advising on procurements and grants, ICT contracting, the Commonwealth resource management framework, intellectual property and property matters. Advising on issues arising from data management and information collection and management, including privacy advice and freedom of information requests. We pride ourselves on providing a supportive and flexible working environment. We'll work with you to provide you with the right tools to achieve your career aspirations. The key duties of the position include The Job Paralegal roles across the Division help support the important work that we do for the department and the Commonwealth, while giving you the chance to apply your legal skills to achieve meaningful outcomes. You will also receive ongoing targeted learning and development, including mentorship from Government Lawyers. Whilst these are non-ongoing roles, they provide an exciting opportunity to gain practical experience and insight into Government in-house practice to help to inform your decisions around entering government graduate programs or alternative pathways to legal practice. In addition, these non-ongoing roles will provide you with the opportunity to develop experience and skills needed to be competitive in permanent paralegal recruitment processes run periodically by the Division. A permanent paralegal role with us provides you with a pathway into your government law career. Duties for the roles may include but are not limited to: Assisting with legal research, legal advice and project work. Reviewing and drafting guidance papers and materials. Assisting with the preparation of reports. Providing administrative support to legal officers. Monitoring team mailboxes. Entering data into LEX (our matter management system) and uploading legal advice to the Legal Advice Register. Working collaboratively with internal and external stakeholders, including client areas across the department and external legal service providers. Developing legal training. Please note: The roles offered through this register are temporary and have a maximum duration of 12 months in the initial non-ongoing engagement. Please note that ongoing engagement or promotion under the Public Service Act 1999 is not possible through this register. Submitting an application does not guarantee employment with the department.
