Our History

CAWLS was born out of necessity. In the early 1990s a group of dedicated women legal practitioners began providing free legal advice to women in need.

Mostly these women were victims of domestic violence who had no other access to legal advice. Over time, it became obvious that women in Central Australia required a full time legal service. A submission to the federal government ultimately resulted in the creation of CAWLS.

Our Vision : We aspire for a future where all women and their children are safe, living with dignity and respect.

Our Values : CAWLS aspires to be … Responsive & Trustworthy | Inclusive & Empowering | Collaborative & Accountable

We want to create a bright and safe future for all women and children; helping them live with dignity and respect, free from all forms of violence and abuse.

CAWLS seeks to ensure that every client’s experience is validated and that they are empowered to utilise the legal and social welfare system to their benefit. By assisting every woman to the best of our ability, we are assisting the community to achieve social justice health.

CAWLS is funded by the Australian Government Attorney-General’s Department, the National Indigenous Australians Agency and the Northern Territory Government

Accreditation​

CAWLS is accredited under the Community Legal Centres Association National Accreditation Scheme

Our Board

  • Alison Phillis, Chair
  • Belinda Pearson              
  • Sally Trigg           
  • Angelique Glasson, Public Officer        
  • Jayne McAlister
  • Kristy Bloomfield             
  • Tanya Turner    
  • Tracy Minniecon
  • Erika Hamilton

Annual Reports

The Annual Reports for the Central Australian Women’s Legal Service are available to view here:

Please feel free to contact us if you require further information or would like a hard copy of our current Annual Report.

Employment Opportunities

Would you like to join a dynamic, diverse and challenging legal practice?

The Central Australian Women’s Legal Service provides legal services for all women in Central Australia and Barkly region with offices in Alice Springs and Tennant Creek.

At CAWLS, we are committed to providing representation and excellent outcomes for our clients through law reform, legal advice and representation, community legal education and outreach.
Our staff are motivated, dedicated and ensure we provide quality service to all clients and stakeholders.

For more information on future vacancies, please address your correspondence to the CAWLS Operations Manager by submitting an application via email to recruitment@cawls.com.au
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CURRENT VACANCIES

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Program Manager, Program Officer & Education Officer

(Alice Springs Based Roles)
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CAWLS is recruiting to 3 x positions for an exciting new project in collaboration with the Northern Territory Public Health Network (NTPHN).

Development and implementation of a pilot Domestic, Family & Sexual Violence (DFSV) Program.

  • Developing partnerships with identified primary healthcare providers (such as GP clinics and allied health providers) to provide education and referral support in response to managing disclosures of Domestic, Family & Sexual Violence (DFSV).
  • Developing and delivering tailored, ongoing and scaffolded education and professional development and support to frontline staff within partner organisations.
  • Auditing and re-developing referral processes and resources to assist partner services identify, assess and respond to disclosures of DFSV.
  • Provide accessible secondary consultation support to partner services in relation to identification of DFSV, risk assessment and risk management.

We are looking for suitable candidates to fill 3 x positions, attached to the project.

Program Manager (Job Description HERE)

Program Officer (Job Description HERE)

Program Education Officer (Job Description HERE)

Submit your application as soon as possible, as interviews for these positions will be conducted on a rolling basis.

Interested but not sure where you might fit into this project? We would love to hear from you. Contact Alice on 08 89524055 or via email: recruitment@cawls.com.au


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Junior Criminal Lawyer
(Alice Springs)
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CAWLS presents a compelling opportunity for a female-identifying Junior Criminal Lawyer on a full-time 2-year fixed-term contract (with the potential for extension based on funding and program outcomes), in Alice Springs, NT.

Reporting to the Senior Management team, the Junior Criminal Lawyer will provide high-quality criminal legal advice and representation within the organisation’s areas of practice and guidelines. You will work with colleagues across the organisation to deliver holistic and wrap-around services for clients, including appropriate referrals to other services and agencies when necessary. You will also assist with the provision of duty lawyer services, and undertake outreach to provide legal advice and representation to women, including occasional travel to remote locations.

Some responsibilities may include:
– Assisting with the development and maintenance of the law practice and its systems
– Representing clients in the local court and providing duty lawyer services
– Contributing to community legal education resources and presentations
– Developing networks with relevant community-based organisations
– Participating in policy and law reform activities
– Other duties as delegated by the Senior Management team

For a detailed overview of the key responsibilities for this role, click HERE to view the full position description.

To apply for our Junior Criminal Lawyer role, please submit your application (cover letter & resume) to recruitment@cawls.com.au.

For more information contact Alice de Brenni, Operations Manager, on (08) 8952 4055 or via email at recruitment@cawls.com.au

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Health Justice Lawyer

(Alice Springs)
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CAWLS is recruiting a Health Justice Lawyer to work with our Health partners providing legal services for clients and training for professional workers at health services across Central Australia.
This is a full-time position based in Alice Springs, NT.

Join a supportive legal team of multicultural women from all across Australia who are dedicated to the mission of CAWLS to enable, educate and empower women in navigating the legal system, and ensure the respect and consideration of women’s rights.

Your role will be central to our mission, enhancing access to justice for women by bridging the gap between health and legal services.

Your responsibilities will include:

  • Providing high quality legal advice and representation within CAWLS areas of practice and guidelines with a particular focus on domestic & family violence, family law and child protection matters.
  • Assist clients with appropriate referrals to other services and agencies when necessary.
  • Develop and deliver high-quality legal and socio-legal education, training and professional development to health professionals and community services workers, in relation to DFSV and its intersection with CAWLS key practice areas, including through the development of eLearning tools.
  • Relationship Building: Establish and strengthen partnerships to enhance the integration of health and legal services
  • Evaluation Processes: Implement and oversee evaluation strategies to continuously refine our training programs

This is a challenging yet rewarding role, offering a chance to shape and develop the position in a growing and dynamic environment.

Occasional travel to Tennant Creek and other outreach locations may be required.

Applications close Sunday 25th March 2024

To view the Position Description, please see HERE.

For more information contact Alice de Brenni, Operations Manager, on (08) 8952 4055 or via email at recruitment@cawls.com.au

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Social Worker
(Alice Springs based role)
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CAWLS is looking for an experienced Social Worker to join our dedicated team providing strength based trauma informed case management to women in Central Australia.

To view the Position Description, please see HERE.

A relevant tertiary qualification in social work or an equivalent discipline, and/or experience as a social worker or equivalent is a requirement for this position.
The successful person will support the CAWLS Team, by providing personalised and planned case managed support and advocacy for clients of CAWLS legal service, with a particular focus on First Nations women.

Through a client-centred approach, the Social Worker will support clients in areas such as housing, health, family violence, family reunification, linking with culturally appropriate services, community integration, NDIS and financial issues.

The application should include a cover letter to address the selection criteria, a resume/CV, and two referees.

For more information contact Alice de Brenni, Operations Manager, on (08) 8952 4055 or via email at recruitment@cawls.com.au
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Other
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We would love to receive an expression of interest if you would like to work at CAWLS in one of these roles:

– Student or Volunteer

Send your expression of interest to recruitment@cawls.com.au

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