Job Description

• $80,274 - $92,211 per annum plus 15.4% superannuation
• Ongoing – Full-time
• Multiple locations (depends on location of successful applicant)

Position Overview
Lawyers provide support to the Migration Judicial Registrars (MJR) , including:

• Migration Caseload Management:
  • Assisting the MJR with the sound conduct of migration matters in the appellate and original jurisdiction.
  • Assisting the MJR in relation to the identification of emerging legal issues and filing trends in migration matters currently before the Court.
• Migration Law Jurisprudence: Preparing draft material for the Chief Justice and other Judges in relation to developments in migration case law, and their impact on migration matters currently before the Court.

Lawyers should be able to complete many aspects of their work autonomously, subject only to final review by the MJR. Lawyers may also be called upon to provide support in relation to more complex matters, such as the collective management of cases involving similar or related issues, and the preparation of materials for Full Court matters.

Key Duties
Lawyers provide high level legal and general support to the MJR, as outlined below.
Migration Caseload Management

• Review filed and published documentation regarding the decision the subject of each proceeding.
• Consider whether documents comply with the Court’s rules, practice notes and relevant policies.
• Review nature of each migration matter and note any anomalies, competency issues, potential cohorts or specific case management requests.
• Undertake legal research and analysis, prepare summary of character of each matter and procedural history for consideration by MJR.
• Prepare draft briefs for the MJR for presentation to the Chief Justice and judges regarding appropriate case management and listing arrangements for each matter.
• Action any items emerging from case management determinations by the Chief Justice, in conjunction with the MJR.
• Prepare draft Orders for consideration by the MJR and other Registrars.
• Assist with the preparation of appellate and original jurisdiction allocations and listings proposals for presentation to the Chief Justice and other judges.
• Assist as required with the coordination of appellate and original jurisdiction listings including liaison with parties, representatives, chambers and Registry.
• Prepare regular reports for the MLJ regarding the migration workload of the Court and analysis of the matters ready for listing
• Prepare other reports regarding migration caseload and statistical analysis as required.
• Liaise with duty judge chambers and duty registrars to monitor for migration matters and bring any cases and filing trends of interest to the attention of the MJR.
• Analyse the Court’s current migration caseload and make recommendations to the MJR regarding cases potentially belonging to an existing or emerging cohort, such as matters potentially affected by decisions elsewhere.
• Review FCFCoA transfer applications and prepare a brief for consideration by the MJR.

Migration Law Jurisprudence

• Review High Court migration special leave applications and judgments;
• Review Federal Court, Full Court and High Court migration judgments;
• Prepare briefs and other material regarding salient High Court and Full Court cases under the direction of the MJR;
• Draft regular updates to internal migration law resource materials under the direction of the MJR;
• Assist with the preparation of memoranda and other correspondence to judges in relation to developments in migration law under the direction of the MJR.

Other Duties

• Prepare presentations and papers for official reports, meetings, seminars and workshops.
• Liaise with key stakeholders internally (including Judges, Registrars, chambers staff and registry staff) and externally (including the legal profession and parties), on a range of matters, as required.
• In addition, lawyers may provide legal support for other NPAs as required. This may involve support to one or more Judicial Registrars in different practice areas.
• Lawyers may also be placed into Judges’ chambers to provide additional support to Judges due to overall workload volume or in relation to specific matters or during times of chambers staff leave.

Competencies & Attributes
This role would suit a lawyer of two to four years of post-admission practice, with:

• experience in migration law and litigation, including understanding the source of migration cases arising from other Courts and Tribunals; and
• an understanding, or ability to acquire such knowledge quickly, of the jurisdiction and practices and procedures of the Court, particularly in respect of migration proceedings.

Formal Qualifications
Applicants for this role should have a law degree and be admitted to practice.

Selection Criteria

• Formal qualifications and at least two years of experience, preferably in migration law and litigation.

• Knowledge of the FCA jurisdiction, practices and procedures, or the ability to quickly acquire this knowledge.

• Well-developed legal research, analysis and drafting skills underpinned by exceptional attention to detail and accuracy.

• Problem solving skills and the ability to evaluate a large volume of information quickly and to manage multiple tasks and priorities effectively.

• Initiative to work autonomously and take responsibility for progressing work, whilst also being able to work collaboratively, build and maintain positive professional relationships and deal appropriately with sensitive and confidential information.

• Demonstrated proficiency with administrative tasks and technology, including the use of electronic legal resources and the ability to learn and use the Court’s case management systems and court room technology.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People are strongly encouraged to apply.

Contact Officer
For more information please contact Christian Carney on 03 8638 6511 or email christian.carney@fedcourt.gov.au. PD Word Opens in new window PD PDF Opens in new window