Launch of AusLSA’s 2016 Legal Sector Sustainability Insight Report

The Centre congratulates AusLSA on the recent launch its 2016 Legal Sector Sustainability Insight report. The report was launched by Stuart Clark AM, President of the Law Council of Australia earlier this month.

AusLSA is a growing alliance of Australian law firms and strategic partners who work together to collaboratively promote and increase sustainable practice across the legal sector.

In 2015, acknowledging the key role that pro bono plays within a firm’s community program and sustainability framework, AusLSA and the Australian Pro Bono Centre signed a Joint Statement under which they agreed to work together to support their shared objectives. During his keynote address Mr Clark reiterated the importance of pro bono legal work within the broader sustainability framework.

FY2016 represents the first year in which pro bono reporting has been specifically included in AusLSA’s sustainability reporting framework. In particular, all AusLSA members were asked whether they were signatories to the National Pro Bono Aspirational Target administered by the Centre. Almost three quarters of the AusLSA members indicated that they were signatories.  The Target, established by the Centre in 2007, is a voluntary target of at least 35 hours of pro bono legal services per lawyer per year. The Centre was pleased to assist AusLSA with the development of the pro bono section of the report.