News and media

Please see below for a selection of the Australian Pro Bono Centre’s announcements and media releases.

The Centre also provides stories of interest to the Australian pro bono community, including articles on new pro bono initiatives, examples of best practice, profiles of key practitioners and successful pro bono partnerships, new resources, and emerging research. Read more here.

The Centre launched its new publication, Weekly Round-Up of Pro Bono in the News, in April 2019. Each week the Centre distributes some of the top news stories relating to pro bono legal work and access to justice.

The archive for issues for the Centre’s publication Australian Pro Bono News can be found here.

Note that the Centre changed its name from the ‘National Pro Bono Resource Centre’ to the ‘Australian Pro Bono Centre’ in June 2015 (for more information see Name and visual identity). For further information on any of these stories please contact the Centre.

• Review of community legal centres recognises importance of resourcing to leverage pro bono support
  1 August 2018

• National Pro Bono Target Remains at 35 Hours Per Lawyer Per Annum But Now Includes Work for Social Enterprises: Changes to apply from 1 July 2018
  27 June 2018

• Celebrating 2.86 Million Hours of Pro Bono Legal Work
  27 September 2017
• Pro Bono Centre Applauds Pro Bono Lawyers
  29 August 2017
• New Guide to Drive Pro Bono Work By In-House Lawyers
  8 August 2017
• Australian Pro Bono Centre Launches New Guide to Support Lawyers
  20 June 2017
• National Pro Bono Day Will Recognise The Diverse Pro Bono Contributions of Australian Lawyers
  12 May 2017
• Unmet Legal Need of Asylum Seekers Driving Pro Bono Growth
  21 March 2017

• The Centre’s Annual Report 2015-2016 now available
  23 November 2016

• New editions of the Manual and What Works launched
  26 October 2016

• Lawyers reach pro bono Target for first time in 5 years
  10 October 2016

• Centre says that Legal Aid Matters
  17 June 2016

• Lawyers to celebrate National Pro Bono Day on Tuesday 17 May 2016
  12 May 2016

• What is Best Practice in Pro Bono?
  5 May 2016

• A Tribute to Esther Lardent 1948 – 2016
  8 April 2016

• Mid Size Firms Lead Pro Bono Growth
  (Eighth Performance Report on the National Pro Bono Aspirational Target)
  2 October 2015

• Pro Bono Legal Services and Sustainability Reporting
  29 April 2015 (joint media release with Australian Legal Sector Alliance)

• National Survey Final Report Shows Pro Bono Growth But Reveals Warning Signs
  (Fourth National Law Firm Pro Bono Survey: Final Report)
  11 December 2014

• National Target Captures Large Law Firm Pro Bono Performance
  (Fourth National Law Firm Pro Bono Survey: Interim Report & Seventh Performance Report on the Aspirational Target)
  2 October 2014

• Productivity Commission does not support compulsory pro bono
  10 April 2014

• Legal Pro Bono Contribution Steady
  (Sixth Performance Report on the National Pro Bono Aspirational Target)
  9 October 2013

• Specialist family law practitioners play a vital role in providing free and low cost services
  4 October 2013

• New Resource Highlights What Works in Pro Bono Legal Partnerships
  30 May 2013

• Majority of pro bono legal work by law firms is done for organisations
  (National Law Firm Pro Bono Survey: Final Report)
  25 January 2013

• One hour’s investment by Community Legal Centres returns a day’s pro bono work
  5 November 2012

• Firm commitment to pro bono remains steadfast in times of uncertainty
  (National Law Firm Pro Bono Survey 2012: Interim Report)
  4 October 2012

• Lawyers need to be better prepared to help disadvantaged clients navigate Alternative Dispute Resolution
  26 June 2012

• New in-house lawyer pro bono insurance scheme and guide launched in Victoria
  1 June 2012

• New Research and Advocacy Tool to be launched at ACOSS National Conference (socialneeds.net.au)
  28 March 2012

• Pro Bono Contribution Steady
  (Fourth Performance Report on the National Pro Bono Aspirational Target)
  5 October 2011

• Report Calls for Increased Role of Legal Community in Disaster Planning
  23 August 2011 (joint media release with the Law Council of Australia)

• Law Students Want More Social Justice Opportunities
  13 May 2011 (joint media release with the Australian Law Students Association)

• Survey of Large Law Firms Highlights Areas of Unmet Legal Need
  9 December 2010

• Stories of Pro Bono Alleviating Poverty
  15 October 2010

• Downturn No Deterrent to Firms Acting Pro Bono
  25 August 2010

• International Pro Bono Disbursement Assistance Fund Launched
  28 June 2010

• Australian Lawyers Celebrate National Pro Bono Day
  17 May 2010

• Australian Lawyers to Walk for Justice on National Pro Bono Day
  11 May 2010

• National Pro Bono Day 2010
  20 April 2010

• Centre Misquoted in Senate Access to Justice Report
  9 December 2009

• Lawyers Aspiring to Do More
  (Second Performance Report on the National Pro Bono Aspirational Target)
  1 October 2009

• New National Guide to Law Firm Pro Bono Programs
  3 August 2009

• Pro Bono Set to Increase Under New LawCover Insurance Scheme
  15 May 2009 (joint media release with DLA Phillips Fox and LawCover Insurance)

• Barristers Would Rather Do It For Free
  6 November 2008

• $48.5m Pro Bono by Top 25 Australian Law Firms
  10 September 2008

• Lawyers Walk for Justice
  14 May 2008

• $250 Million Pro Bono by Australian Solicitors
  19 February 2008

• Legal Volunteers Vital to Community Legal Centre Service Delivery
  6 September 2007

• Mapping Pro Bono Research Released
  28 June 2007

• National Pro Bono Aspirational Target launched
  26 April 2007

• Pro Bono Aspirational Targets
  3 November 2006

• Pro Bono Survey Coming to Town
  16 August 2006

• National Website for Volunteering at Community Legal Centres
  9 October 2005 (joint media release with the National Association of Community Legal Centres)

• National Pro Bono Resource Centre – New Director, New Directions
  10 February 2004

• Pro Bono First (Australian Pro Bono Manual, 1st ed)
  November 2003