The ANUSA Lawyer will assist with the delivery of legal services to ANU students and ANU student clubs. This work includes taking instructions from clients, attending client appointments, undertaking relevant legal research relating to client matters, providing legal advice to clients, responding to routine client correspondence, maintaining records of advice, preparing written advice and other legal documents, preparing and presenting materials for community legal education, and, where resourcing allows, providing representation and advocacy on behalf of clients of the ANUSA Legal Service. This position is a fixed term position during leave and reduced duties of another employee.

Position Dimension and Relationship

ANUSA is the peak representative body for all ANU students. It provides a range of services and programs aimed at providing support for the specific needs of students in relation to their studies and daily Life. ANUSA is run by students for students and represents ANU students both collectively and individually.

The Association’s staff, supervised by the General Manager, are a dedicated team working closely with the elected officers of ANUSA to provide high quality services to ANU students

Primary Duties and Responsibilities of the Role:

Administration and Information Handling

1. Maintain high standards of ethics, confidentiality, empathy with students, and a culture of continuous improvement.
2. Provide high quality legal advice including initial email correspondence, information gathering and legal research and responding to general inquiries.
3. Refer students with welfare-related needs to ANUSA’s Student Assistance Team, where necessary, or to other legal services where legal needs are outside the scope of service.
4. Maintain up-to-date records of legal assistance to students.
5. Maintain student records in accordance with relevant ANUSA and ANUSA Legal Services policies

Strategic:

6. Acquire and maintain knowledge of key stakeholders within the ANU and Canberra community legal service to inform recommended referral pathways and provide effective referrals to ANU Students.
7. Maintain up-to-date knowledge of ANUSA’s internal policies and procedures.

Operational:

8. Attend client interviews and issue appropriate, relevant legal advice to clients with supervision.
9. Undertake relevant legal research and analysis with supervision.
10. Draft legal documents, memoranda, legal opinions, preparation and delivery of legal educational material for ANUSA’s community legal education programs and legal resources for the ANUSA website.
11. Where resources allow, support clients with small claims.
12. Undertake other duties as required by ANUSA, consistent with the level of the position and the work of ANUSA.

General Standards:

13. To respect the democratic structure of ANUSA at all times. The post-holder will be expected to aspire to the highest standards of integrity and impartiality.
14. Aim to maintain the highest standard of care to staff and students at all times.
15. To abide by ANUSA’s constitution, policies and procedures and to comply with directions given by senior staff.
16. To demonstrate good cross-cultural awareness and a commitment to equity, inclusiveness and social justice.

Selection Criteria:

1. Admission as an Australian Legal Practitioner.
2. Hold, or be eligible to hold, a restricted practising certificate to practice law in the ACT.
3. Preferably at least 2 years’ experience working as a legal practitioner, preferably including experience in one or more areas relevant to the legal needs of students.
4. Relevant tertiary education with a strong academic record.
5. Demonstrated interpersonal skills and the ability to communicate effectively, both verbally and in writing, with a diverse range of people, including those from other cultural and language backgrounds.
6. Good legal research skills and demonstrated ability to write clear and concise documents including research briefs and memos.
7. Demonstrated ability to communicate complex legal information to clients effectively and accessibly.
8. Understanding of the legal and other issues students face, and ability to work from a person centred and empathic approach.
9. Demonstrated ability to work independently under professional supervision within a dynamic and diverse team of professional staff and students.
10. Eligibility to hold an ACT Working With Vulnerable People Card.

Details of Employment:

Employment will be under the Australian National University Students’ Associations Enterprise Agreement 2024-2027. The rights and obligations of this position are set out in the Enterprise Agreement: https://anusa.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/The-Australian-Nation-University-Students-Association-Enterprise-Agreement-2024-2027-approved.pdf

Type of Employment — Fixed term (13 months)

Employment Status — Level ANUO6.1 + 17% Superannuation

Hours — 0.8 FTE (28 hours per week). Flexible working hours by agreement with the General Manager.

Start Date — By agreement with the General Manager.

How To Apply:

Applicants should submit a CV and a statement addressing points 1 to 10 of the selection criteria to sa.admin@anu.edu.au by 5pm on Monday 16.02.2026. Please include ‘Application for ANUSA Lawyer’ in the subject line.

Questions regarding the role may be directed to the ANUSA General Manager at eleanor.boyle@anu.edu.au or Principal Lawyer at sa.principallawyer@anu.edu.au