Civil & Criminal Lawyer - Central Australian Women's Legal Service (CAWLS)
- Tennant Creek, NT | Full-Time | 1-Year Contract with possibility of extension
- Relocation Expenses + Accommodation Assistance available
- Salary Packaging + 12% Super + 6 Weeks Annual Leave
- Rare hybrid opportunity to build experience across both Civil and Criminal Law
Make Your Legal Career Matter with CAWLS
If you’re a purpose-driven lawyer looking for broader legal experience, genuine responsibility, and the opportunity to make your work truly matter, this role offers something different.
At the Central Australian Women’s Legal Service (CAWLS), you’ll use your legal skills to support women across Tennant Creek and the Barkly navigating complex civil and criminal legal matters — often alongside experiences of domestic, family and sexual violence, systemic disadvantage, and other significant barriers to justice.
As a specialist women’s legal service and accredited Community Legal Centre, CAWLS empowers women through culturally safe legal assistance, transformative education, advocacy, and holistic support. Its multidisciplinary approach brings together legal services, court and client support, financial counselling, community education, and outreach to help women make informed choices and engage more effectively with the legal system.
This is more than an opportunity to practise law. It’s a chance to broaden your experience, work closely with the communities you serve, and contribute to meaningful change in a part of Australia where your skills can make an immediate difference.
To learn more about us, please visit: https://cawls.org.au
Your Opportunity to Create Change
Due to the nature and requirements of this role, applicants are required to be female.
CAWLS is looking for a full-time Civil/Criminal Lawyer based in Tennant Creek, NT, on a 1-year contract with the possibility of extension.
Reporting to the Senior Management Team and working across CAWLS’ Civil and Criminal Law teams, you will provide high-quality legal advice, casework, and representation to women across the Barkly, with criminal law work undertaken under the supervision of the Senior Criminal Lawyer.
Your practice will span areas including domestic and family violence, family law, child protection, discrimination, credit and debt, tenancy, employment and workplace sexual harassment, Victims of Crime applications, other civil law matters, and criminal law.
More specifically, your responsibilities include but are not limited to:
- Provide high-quality legal advice, casework, and representation across CAWLS’ civil and criminal law practice areas
- Support women experiencing systemic disadvantage and/or domestic, family and sexual violence, including those navigating the criminal justice system
- Represent clients in courts and tribunals, including assisting with duty lawyer services
- Collaborate with multidisciplinary teams and external services to deliver holistic, trauma-informed client support
- Undertake outreach and occasional travel to remote communities to provide legal services
- Deliver community legal education and build strong partnerships with community-based organisations
- Contribute to policy, law reform, advocacy, reporting, and the ongoing development of CAWLS’ legal services
This is a rare opportunity to develop a diverse legal practice across civil and criminal law while working closely with an experienced, multidisciplinary team and creating tangible outcomes for women and communities across the Barkly.
What You'll Bring
To qualify, you will need to hold, or be eligible to hold, a Practising Certificate in the Northern Territory, together with the capacity to provide high-quality legal advice and casework across areas relevant to CAWLS’ practice.
You will also bring a genuine commitment to social justice and equality, an understanding of the legal needs of disadvantaged groups, and an appreciation of the complex legal, economic, and social issues affecting women across the Northern Territory, particularly Central Australia and the Barkly.
Additionally, the following skills and background will be highly valued:
- 2+ years’ post-admission experience in an Australian legal practice
- Previous experience living or working in a remote location
- Experience working with First Nations and culturally and linguistically diverse communities
- Previous experience within a Community Legal Centre
- Understanding of domestic and family violence and its impact on women
- Experience or interest in trauma-informed legal service delivery
- Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to communicate complex legal information clearly
As our ideal candidate, you will be collaborative, adaptable, organised, and resilient, with the ability to work effectively both independently and as part of a multidisciplinary team. You will demonstrate strong time management, sound judgement, and a reflective approach to self-care and managing the potential impacts of vicarious trauma.
You will also need to hold, or be able to obtain, a current NT Driver Licence, NT Ochre Card, and National Police Check.
Applications close 25 September 2026.
For further information contact Alice de Brenni at recruitment@cawls.com.au.
- Last Modified: August 25, 2026
- 12:16 pm