Public Interest Law Careers Guide - Consumer Action Law Centre
Field of Law
Community Legal Centres; Consumer Rights
Stage of Career
Secondary; Undergraduates; Practising Lawyers
Contact details
Address: Level 7, 459 Little Collins Street, Melbourne 3000
Phone: 9670 5088
Visit the Consumer Action Law Centre website
Contact person: For basic enquries please email info@consumeraction.org.au. If specifically related to placements email volunteerapplications@consumeraction.org.au.
Email: info@consumeraction.org.au
Description of Organisation
The Consumer Action Law Centre is a campaign-focused consumer advocacy organisation.
CALC was formed in 2006 by the merger of the Consumer Law Centre Victoria and the Consumer Credit Legal Service and is primarily funded jointly by Victoria Legal Aid and Consumer Affairs Victoria
As a community legal centre, CALC provides free legal advice and pursues litigation on behalf of vulnerable and disadvantaged consumers across Victoria, and is the largest specialist consumer legal practice in Australia.
As well as working with consumers directly, Consumer Action provides legal assistance and professional training to community workers who advocate on behalf of consumers.
As a financial counselling centre, Consumer Action operates MoneyHelp, a not for profit email and telephone financial counselling service providing free, confidential and independent financial advice to Victorians experiencing financial difficulty.
MoneyHelp is nationally-recognised as the first point of telephone contact in Victoria for anyone with financial counselling issues.
As a nationally-recognised and influential policy and research body, Consumer Action pursues a law reform agenda across a range of important consumer issues at a governmental level, in the media, and throughout the community directly.
Number of legal positions within organisation
15
Information for secondary schools
Do you have work experience placements for secondary school students?
No
Contact person for work experience placements: Email volunteerapplications@consumeraction.org.au
Information for university students/graduates
Do you have a graduate clerkship program?
No - not specifically. Although they have PLT - practical legal training placement roles for students who have just finished their law degree.
What sorts of volunteer/work experience opportunities are available?
Commitment, enthusiasm, motivation.
Qualifications/skills required
Basic administration skills, interpersonal skills. For PLT – finished the degree, for basic volunteer positions no formal qualifications are required though law students are considered favourably.
What electives/areas of study are viewed favourably?
No set subjects – varies depending on the role
What prior work/volunteer work is viewed favourably?
Anything in the field with a specific focus on consumers, though any legal experience is favourable.
How many graduates do you take a year?
Varies
How does one apply
Email: Use the email volunteerapplications@consumeraction.org.au and attach CV.
Dates for application
Varies - give it a go whenever.
Do you require your applicants to be recent law graduates? If so, how recent?
For PLT but not basic volunteer positions.
Interview process
Interview over the phone and for volunteers too.
How many law graduates to you employ outside your graduate program, and what sort of roles do they fill?
Just PLT - no set number.
Do you have a minimum Grade Point Average standard for an applicant's academic record?
Varies - no set GPA.
What sort of volunteer/internship opportunities are available?
There are basic volunteer positions in administration work.
Contact person for volunteers: Email volunteerapplications@consumeraction.org.au
Information for practising lawyers
What are you looking for in a permanent employee?
Varies
What prior work is viewed favourably?
Previous legal experience, though once again, case by case basis depending on the position required at the time.
On average, how many positions become available per year?
Varies
How many applications do you receive for these?
When a position comes up - typically too many applications for positions. It is very competitive.
Where do you advertise your positions?
Online
Advice for applicants
Embody the values listed above.
