We profile the Centre’s four new interns

The Centre is currently putting together its new website and new editions of the Australian Pro Bono Manual and Pro Bono Partnerships and Models: A Practical Guide to What Works, all due to be launched early in the new year. In light of our increased workload, we have increased our intern intake to four, with students from the University of NSW, Sydney University and Macquarie University providing us with valuable assistance.

Amina Al Ramadhan
Amina commenced her internship at the Australian Pro Bono Centre in November. She is in her first year of her Juris Doctor at the University of Sydney and comes to the Centre with extensive experience working in the criminal justice system as a compliance officer in the Victorian police force.

Amina has a strong interest in community outreach, as well as initiatives that promote social integration and access to resources for marginalised groups. She previously completed an internship with Amnesty International, and is excited to be a part of the Centre this year. Amina embarked on a law degree with an express aim to provide a community service. Both her personal and professional pursuits are underpinned with a desire to help disadvantaged groups gain access to essential legal resources.

Priya Singh
Priya, entering her fourth year of Bachelor of Arts/Law at Macquarie University, is also currently volunteering with the Aboriginal Legal Service (ALS) in Redfern, Sydney. Through this work she has become familiar with the work of community legal centres and the contribution of pro bono organisations and legal professionals who volunteer their time to improve access to justice for those who cannot otherwise afford legal representation.

Priya hopes to use her time volunteering to expand her knowledge of the legal assistance sector, and to assist in the promotion of pro bono legal work. She is an enthusiastic learner, eager to leverage her broad experience into a career advocating for the marginalised in society.

David Le
David comes to the Centre through the UNSW School of Law Social Justice Internship Program. He is in his final year of a Bachelor of Laws at the University of NSW, with a background in personal injury law and extensive volunteering experience. David actively participates in humanitarian projects such as Operation Christmas Child, where he helps to distribute Christmas present donations to disadvantaged children in developing countries. In December 2014, David visited Hue, Vietnam where he coordinated the dissemination of aid to flood-affected villagers.

As a graduate at Withstand Lawyers, David hopes to use his experiences at the Australian Pro Bono Centre to establish a dedicated pro bono practice at the firm.

Jessie Shu
Jessie is volunteering at the Australian Pro Bono Centre over the summer before entering her penultimate year of Bachelor of Laws/Media (PR and Advertising) at the University of NSW. Jessie’s interest in legal pro bono developed during her time volunteering at a community legal centre over the second half of 2015. She found the experience incredibly rewarding, particularly when she witnessed how the Centre’s work directly benefited clients from diverse socio-economic backgrounds.

Jessie has a history of volunteering and actively working to ensure greater access to justice, especially in relation to vulnerable young people. She has recently created a social media campaign that aims to eradicate internships that unjustly exploit experience-hungry students. This campaign has achieved unprecedented success, having been met with global recognition and support from advocates in Geneva, UK and Canada.