Introduction
The Deputy Secretary, Law, Reform and Legal Services at the Department of Communities and Justice leads legal services, law reform and strategic legal policy across a large, complex department. The role advises Ministers and the Secretary on matters with major justice-system and whole-of-government consequences. It is based in Parramatta or Sydney and reports to the Secretary. View the official job ad before drafting.
For anyone deciding how to apply for Deputy Secretary, Law, Reform and Legal Services, the immediate task is a cover letter of no more than two pages and an up-to-date résumé of no more than five pages. The letter has to show how you meet the requirements of the role. At this level, broad claims about strategic leadership will use valuable space without showing the judgement behind your work.
Choose a small number of substantial examples. One might show the legal advice you provided to a senior decision-maker on a sensitive matter; another could show the reform program you led across agencies and the change it produced. Give the panel enough context to understand the size, legal complexity, political sensitivity and outcome.
Contents
- Role snapshot
- Application requirements
- Candidate evidence
- Example application structure
- Before you submit
Deputy Secretary, Law, Reform and Legal Services role snapshot
| Role title | Deputy Secretary, Law, Reform and Legal Services |
| Organisation | Department of Communities and Justice |
| Location | Parramatta / Sydney |
| Job reference | 86515-44443747 |
| Work type | Ongoing, full time |
| Total remuneration | $483,851 to $535,240 |
| Closing date | Tuesday 29 September 2026 at 11:59pm AEST |
| Official job ad | View the official job ad |
Application requirements for Deputy Secretary, Law, Reform and Legal Services
The stated page limits matter. The panel needs a complete application that also makes your most relevant evidence easy to assess. Use the role description to decide which legal, reform and organisational-leadership examples deserve space in the two-page letter.
- Cover letter, maximum two pages, outlining how you meet the role requirements.
- Up-to-date résumé, maximum five pages.
The cover letter should make the connection between your decisions and the role’s legal and justice-system remit. Your résumé can then establish the breadth of your career, leadership scope and major outcomes. Check the application portal before submission for any additional fields.
A tertiary qualification in law is listed among the role requirements. Treat that as an eligibility item and state it accurately in your résumé or application fields.
Candidate requirements for Deputy Secretary, Law, Reform and Legal Services at the Department of Communities and Justice
The vacancy asks for executive experience across legal services, law reform, policy or strategy in a large organisation. These evidence areas help you select examples; they are not a replacement for the complete role description.
| Evidence area from the role | How to demonstrate it |
|---|---|
| Leading a complex legal function | Explain the size and remit of the function you led, your approach to legal risk and service quality, and the outcomes for decision-makers. |
| High-level legal and policy advice | Use an example involving Ministers, a board, statutory office holders or equivalent leaders. Show how you framed options and balanced legal risk with policy and operational needs. |
| Law reform and cross-government influence | Describe a reform or inter-jurisdictional initiative you led, the stakeholders you negotiated with and what was implemented. |
| Organisational stewardship | Show how you led diverse teams, governed resources and built capability while maintaining accountability through change. |
Example application structure for Deputy Secretary, Law, Reform and Legal Services
The application requires a cover letter and résumé, with the letter carrying the main explanation of fit. Keep the cover letter within two pages and the résumé within five pages. The outline below shows how to use the letter’s space for the most relevant executive evidence.
| Cover letter section | What to include |
|---|---|
| Opening | Identify your current executive scope and why it fits DCJ’s legal and law-reform responsibilities. |
| Legal leadership and advice | Present a substantial matter where you directed a legal function or advised senior decision-makers. Explain the risk, your judgement and the result. |
| Reform and relationships | Use one reform example involving government, judiciary, statutory or community stakeholders. Show influence and implementation, not a list of meetings. |
| Stewardship | Briefly show how you developed people, managed resources and maintained governance across a large function. |
| Closing | Connect your record to DCJ’s legal service, justice reform and access-to-justice outcomes. |
What the panel will want to see in your examples
- Your personal role in complex legal and policy decisions.
- The scale and sensitivity of the functions or reforms you led.
- How you influenced senior decision-makers and external institutions.
- Outcomes for governance, legal quality, public policy or service delivery.
Before you submit
Return to the official role description as you edit the letter. Check that each claim has evidence and that both documents stay within the stated limits. If you want help shaping a senior government application, Team 3Thirty can help with the written application.