“My path to joining Legal Services is quite unique in that I’ve spent almost 20 years on the ‘other side’ as a prosecutor, and less than 12 months ago made the leap to join Legal Services to head up the state’s largest criminal defence practice. 

I love Criminal Law. I’ve also enjoyed working in executive roles in the public sector, so this opportunity was ultimately a perfect fit and too good to pass up. 

I’m really passionate about public service and the reputation of Legal Services at the courts is exemplary – so for me, it was an easy decision to come across to lead a brilliant team of defence lawyers who are passionate about providing access to justice. 

The culture here is extraordinary. Our people care about each other and the clients they represent. There’s also a strong culture of excellence, where our people are supported and able to develop their careers. 

The work is rewarding and the passion for helping people and helping the community is clear.  

It’s a great place to start your career in the law. I’ve been very impressed by the calibre of the young lawyers that Legal Services attracts, as well as those lawyers who have built long term careers here. 

From my own perspective, Legal Services offers excellent opportunities to grow your career and develop yourself professionally.” 

“To me working at Legal Services is more than just a job, it’s a reflection of my passion to ensure justice and equity is available to everyone. 

My journey in the law is a little different to many others. At the age of 14, I migrated to Australia from Sri Lanka with my family, seeking better educational and professional opportunities. 

I grew up in regional South Australia, and it was here where my passion for the law, advocacy and social justice developed. 

I first became aware of Legal Services while studying my Bachelor of Laws and International Relations at the University of Adelaide. 

After graduating, I worked for a private law firm, but was drawn to Legal Services because of its focus on social justice and the breadth of work the organisation undertakes. These values align perfectly with my desire to make a difference in people’s lives. 

I am currently employed as a Duty Lawyer in Legal Services’ Family Law Division. As a Duty Lawyer I am primarily responsible for assisting parties in the Family Court – through the delivery of advice, representation and advocacy. 

At times the work we undertake can be quite emotional and challenging, but it’s the rewarding nature of the help we provide that makes it all worth it. 

I love the supportive nature of the team I work within and the guidance and mentorship that working at Legal Services provides across the profession. 

I am appreciative of the exposure and practical experience working at Legal Services has given me so early in my career. The opportunities to be in court has enabled me to hit the ground running.” 

“I’m proud to come to work every day at Legal Services, as everyone who works here is willing to go that extra mile, whether it be for their colleagues or clients.  

Having grown up in Ireland, before moving to Australia, I’ve loved the opportunity to work in the beautiful regions of SA, particularly in the north of the state. The experience you can gain in the regions is invaluable for a young lawyer.  

Working in the regions can really fast-track your development and your career, with exposure to work you wouldn’t necessarily get in Adelaide in the early years of a legal career. And I certainly benefited from that before the opportunity came to return to Adelaide.  

I’m currently in the role of Team Leader in the Major Indictable team of our Criminal Law Division, and I very much value the opportunity to work closely with a large and diverse team of lawyers who are dedicated to helping their clients who are often the most vulnerable in our community.  

I’ve also worked on ‘the other side’ of the bar table, but I was really drawn to Legal Services as it affords great opportunities to further your career whilst playing an integral role in the smooth running of the legal system and the courts.  

I love that there’s a really good culture here of support and development from other lawyers – and that is reflected in the excellent reputation that Legal Services has, and our people are highly respected by those in the profession and the judiciary.  

I can honestly say I’ve never had a workplace where I’ve felt more comfortable and more supported.” 

“I was drawn to Legal Services because of my passion for helping people, and the opportunity to work here as a Legal Secretary while finishing my law degree really gave me an insight into what working here as a Lawyer would be like. 

I was very fortunate to work as a Judge’s Associate in the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia which was a very cool experience and foundational for my career, but I was also glad to find my way back to Legal Services to take up my current role. 

Having the experience of working here as a Legal Secretary, then going out and getting some more experience definitely solidified that I wanted to work for Legal Services in Family Law, which led me back to the role of Duty Lawyer in our Family Advocacy and Safety Services (FASS) Team. 

We are a relatively small team, and no two days are the same, but I really enjoy assisting clients with family law matters who are often going through a very emotional time – so to be that friendly face and empathetic ear is really rewarding, especially when we can get good outcomes for people. 

I also enjoy the support and encouragement that we receive from our Team Leaders and Managers to undertake training and development opportunities, helping us to improve our skills and knowledge of the law, which helps us provide high quality services to clients and the community. 

I feel very supported here to pursue the areas of law I’m interested in to progress my career at Legal Services. 

There are wonderful opportunities for graduates and young lawyers to start out and grow your career at Legal Services.”

“Coming from a migrant family, I’ve always had a strong sense of service and giving back to the community, and while I didn’t necessarily know what that would look like when I was at law school, I did come to learn about the work Legal Services undertakes and it seemed like a natural fit. 

After graduating from my law degree, I spent a couple of years in private practice, but that strong sense of community service and standing up for the little guy really drew me to Legal Services so I could have that opportunity to give back to the community. 

I started out here in our Legal Information and Advice Division and that was a great experience that gave me a solid grounding in many different areas of law, and that ultimately led me to my current role in our Civil Law Division. I think that demonstrates the opportunities to move around the different teams within Legal Services and further develop your career. 

In my current team, we have a strong focus on helping some of our community’s most vulnerable, providing specialist legal advice and information in the areas of Guardianship and Administration, Mental Health, Migration and NDIS. 

There’s a culture of providing an excellent service to clients who need it most, in a trauma-informed way. 

There’s a continuous sense of pushing you to do better, to improve and to excel while developing your skills and growing your career. 

Legal Services gives you work that has purpose – it gives you an opportunity to provide a service to the South Australian community, and it gives you an opportunity to work in a collaborative, supportive environment.” 

“I was inspired to study law because of its diversity. There are so many different areas of law that are constantly changing and evolving.  

I also wanted to help people and make a positive impact, which made Legal Services an appealing place to work. 

Prior to starting here I was working at a Community Legal Centre, and I enjoyed the nature of the work and the types of clients that we were helping. Once I was admitted to practice, the opportunity to work at Legal Services popped up, so I jumped at it.  

Working in our Legal Information and Advice Division, every day is different. I really enjoy helping clients through the free Legal Helpline, and the opportunities to be part of special programs in the migration space as well as helping unrepresented clients with issues in civil law. 

Through friends at uni I had heard only positive things about Legal Services. Then once I’d started I saw first hand what they were talking about. It’s nothing like I’ve ever experienced before in a work environment. You are supported in a team where everyone is prepared to help each other. 

We’re not in competition – everyone works collaboratively to achieve the best result for the client – and that also extends to the managers and team leaders, and senior lawyers who are all willing to mentor and develop young lawyers just starting out in their careers. 

I’ve also enjoyed the training and development opportunities we’re offered, along with the work life balance and the benefits of working in the public sector.”