Legal Case Manager

Job Description

Position Overview

The Legal Case Manager position works closely with Lawyers in providing support to Judicial Registrars. Judicial Registrars exercise Judicial and Statutory functions delegated by Judges or conferred by the Rules of the Federal Court and Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia (FCFCOA) (general federal law).

Broadly, the primary areas of registrar work for which support is required are as follows:

Mediation and Case Management Support. This involves mediation and case management work done by registrars in support of matters within judges’ dockets.
Registrar Court work. This work involves the running of Corporations (FCA) and Bankruptcy (FCA and FCFCOA) lists, issuing of summonses for examination, return of documents in examinations and public examinations; Return of subpoena lists and hearings (FCA); Small Claims List (FCFCOA) and Adverse Action Lists (FCFCOA and FCA); special fixture interlocutory hearings.
Other Registrar Work. This work includes the determination of costs (long form bills of costs estimates, confidential conferences, taxation of costs, remuneration assessments), duty work, eCourtroom substituted service applications, and other work (pro bono, tribunal support, external liaison).
Legal Case managers will also assist with national tasks. Further details and specific examples of work to be undertaken by Legal Case Managers are set out below.

Major Activities

Legal Case Managers provide support to the judicial registrar team, including:

Mediations and Case Management:

Coordinating the management of proceedings the registrar is mediating or case managing, including liaising with parties, organising mediations and case conferences, preparing correspondence, ensuring facilities are arranged in accordance with the requirements of each particular mediation and/or case management conference and ensuring that relevant case data on the Court’s case management system is accurate and up to date.
Registrar Court work:

Undertake preparatory work for the list, including liaising with parties, listing matters on the Court’s case management system, undertaking all post Court work, including uploading orders and ensuring the Court’s case management system accurately reflects outcomes.
Assist with any preliminary work required for public examinations including attending the examination with the Judicial Registrar as required and ensuring that outcomes and listing details are accurately recorded.
Other Registrar Work:

Costs

Support the registrar with all aspect of the work, including the review of bills of costs to ensure they are ready to be estimated and taxed, prepare drafts of all estimate letters and prepare orders and certificates of taxation for the Registrar to approve.
Assist with the lump sum costs process including by drafting orders, recording outcomes and corresponding with parties as required.
eCourtroom – applications for substituted service and issue of summonses for examination

Support the registrar with all aspects of the work, including liaising with parties, prepare draft orders for consideration by the Registrar and arranging public examinations.
National Registrar Allocations and National Training

Assist with the national allocation of work to Judicial Registrars including drafting emails, corresponding with parties and Chambers and reviewing Judicial Registrar capacity.
Update and maintain national training, educational guides and manuals including uploading training material and guides to the Court’s intranet.
Support the Judicial Registrars in arranging conferences and seminars as required.
Provide support for the Court’s mediation accreditation program.
Provide support in establishing a central allocation process for eCourtroom matters including substituted service applications.
Other duties as required.

Undertake the co-ordination of pro-bono work.
Diary and in-box management for registrars as well as management of the Judicial Registrars’ Calendar of Commitments and any travel arrangements.
Ability to be deployed to Registry or Chambers as required.

Competencies & Attributes

To undertake this role the successful candidate must have:

An interest in the law will be regarded favourably.
The ability to provide high level administrative support effectively and efficiently.
A sound understanding of the jurisdiction and practice and procedure of the Court or the ability to acquire such knowledge quickly.
The ability to work both autonomously and also collaboratively as a member of a team.
The ability to manage multiple tasks and priorities effectively.
The ability to build and sustain positive relationships with a network of key stakeholders, internally and externally.
A high level of IT proficiency.

Formal Qualifications

There are no formal qualifications required to undertake the role. A law or related degree (or current enrolment in a law or related degree) will be regarded favourably.

Selection Criteria 

Experience providing administrative and general support to a legal practitioner. Formal legal qualification, currently studying law and/or a demonstrable interest in the general federal law jurisdiction of the Federal Court.
Knowledge of the FCA and FCFCOA (general federal law) jurisdiction, practices and procedures, or the ability to quickly acquire this knowledge.
Good written and oral communication skills underpinned by exceptional attention to detail.
Problem solving skills and the ability to evaluate a large volume of information quickly and to manage multiple tasks and priorities effectively.
The ability to work both autonomously and collaboratively, including strong interpersonal skills, a proven ability to build and maintain positive professional relationships, and Court appropriate presentation.
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.

Contact Officer

For more information, please contact Thomas Stewart, National Registrar via telephone (03) 8638 6762 or email [email protected].

If you have any issues with applying, please email [email protected].