Legal Assistant

About Dentons

Dentons is the world’s largest law firm. We’re 20,000+ people globally across 80+ countries including USA; Europe; India and Asia. We are a global polycentric firm which is expanding rapidly in an increasingly globalised legal industry.

Dentons now consistently ranks as one of the five best regarded legal brands in the world according to the Acritas Global Elite Law Firm Brand Index.

Legal Assistant to Head of Office:  Employment Litigation & Dispute Resolution (12‑month Parental Leave Contract)

Melbourne Office

Embrace this opportunity to join Dentons - the largest law firm in the world and play a pivotal role supporting two of our highly regarded Melbourne Partners, Paul O’Halloran (Employment & Safety) and Head of Office and Sarah Fregon (Dispute Resolution), and their busy, high‑performing teams.

This dual support role offers exceptional variety, exposure to two dynamic practice areas, and the opportunity to make a meaningful impact for our lawyers and clients. This is a 12‑month parental leave contract, ideal for a proactive, organised and people‑focused Legal Assistant who thrives in a fast‑paced environment and enjoys litigation matters.

About the Role

Providing direct support to two Senior Partners, including our Melbourne Head of Office, you will be a trusted and valued member of the team. 

Key responsibilities include:

• Supporting the Head of Office with office events, internal communications, recruitment, HR and coordinating social media content
• Calendar management, including scheduling meetings, court hearings and tracking key dates
• Drafting, formatting, editing and preparing legal correspondence and documents, with a meticulous approach to accuracy and presentation
• Preparing and collating Briefs to Counsel, chronologies and court materials
• Managing financial processes and the full life cycle of legal matters, including opening matters, conflict checking, high‑volume end‑of‑month billing, trust payments, write‑offs, file closing and archiving
• Providing day‑to‑day administrative support, including answering calls, managing mail, printing, scanning and document handling
• Liaising with clients, counsel, third parties and internal stakeholders with professionalism, confidence and warmth.

This is an excellent opportunity to gain exposure to the full breadth of Employment and Dispute Resolution legal support while contributing meaningfully to a collaborative, client‑focused team.

About You

You will thrive in this role if you bring:

• A background in legal administration support or you are a law student with at least 18mths remaining and demonstrated experience in legal support
• An interest in client and case management and litigation processes
• Strong proficiency in Microsoft Word, including styles, templates and complex formatting
• Fast, accurate and detail‑oriented work habits, with the ability to manage multiple deadlines
• Discretion and professionalism when handling sensitive and confidential information
• Experience using Elite or similar finance software for billing, reporting and matter management
• Strong working knowledge of Outlook, Excel and PowerPoint, with the ability to produce professional‑quality documentation
• A proactive, adaptable and team‑oriented mindset.

Why Dentons

Dentons Australia offers a wide range of incentives aimed at embracing your authenticity, providing purpose, and strengthening your ongoing development.
 
We offer:

• Equitable salary packaging, incentive pay and rewards
• Salary continuous insurance (for permanent employees or employees on a 6 month or more maximum term contract basis)
• Salary sacrificing and novated leases
• 5 days Bonus Leave per year after 12 months of service
• Additional leave options
• Equal family leave for all genders (including kinship groups)
• Floating public holidays for days of cultural significance
• Exclusive retailer discounts
• Offices designed for collaboration on Gadigal, Naarm, Yuggera, Kaurna and Whadjuk land
• Learning & Development opportunities
• Generous health and wellbeing programs
• Agile and flexible working for all
• Social and diversity networks providing year-round events
• Opportunities to undertake pro-bono legal work

Diversity, Equality & Inclusion

Embedded in our people is a passion to help others through the delivery of justice. It is through this that our commitment to inclusion, equity, and reconciliation has evolved. We are proud to say that by design, we have no single headquarters or dominant national culture, this means the unique perspectives, experiences, and identities of our people come together globally under one purpose to create an inclusive and accessible environment where anyone can thrive.

Please apply online with your CV, Cover Letter, and academic transcripts. If you have questions beforehand, please email our recruitment team at recruitment.au@dentons.com. Enquiries only please, applications will not be accepted by email.

Agency Submissions

Dentons does not accept agency submissions unless the agency is specifically contacted by a member of the Recruitment Team. Please do not forward candidate profiles or resumes to partners, hiring managers or other employees - this will not constitute an introduction to the firm and Dentons will not be liable for a fee.