Q&A with Joanne Sharah, Sharah & Associates

To round off our series of interviews with Target Signatories, for this edition we caught up with 2017 Law Society President’s Award nominee, Joanne Sharah. Each year the Law Society presents the Award to a member of its Pro Bono Scheme in recognition of the outstanding pro bono work they have done through the Scheme.

Joanne is principal of Sharah & Associates, a small firm based in Sydney’s inner west.

Q: Congratulations on your nomination for the Award. How long have you belonged to the Law Society Pro Bono Scheme?

I joined the Scheme in 2009, but I like to think I joined the world of pro bono when I opened my doors as Sharah & Associates in October 1995.

Q: Tell us about the pro bono legal work you do.

I started my practice with one desk, a chair, a telephone and several loyal clients who followed me from my previous employment. I was very green and needed as much experience as I could get, and initially, taking on pro bono work was a great way of building up that experience. As well as the work through the Scheme, I also volunteered at Redfern Legal Centre and later at the Women’s Legal Resources Centre (now Women’s Legal Service).

Q: Do you focus on particular areas of law or practice?

My pro bono work covers similar areas as my commercial practice – mostly family law, but also wills and estates, criminal law and litigation.

Q: What are your criteria for taking on a pro bono matter?

I find there’s a lot of work out there but only some of it generates income, because in many cases the client just can’t afford to pay legal fees. In those cases I take the matter on pro bono or just ask for enough to cover disbursements.

Q: Who are your typical pro bono clients?

Usually they’re just ordinary people who are struggling, with little or no income, little education, sometimes no home and often children to support. The odds are stacked against them. In one case I acted for a full-time stay-at-home father in an application for parenting orders. He was a former electrician and he’d cared for his three-year old daughter since her birth while his wife was in full time employment, but after the separation he couldn’t find work.

Q: What motivates you to do pro bono work?

The case above is just one example of a range of matters taken on for needy clients which brought much job satisfaction and changed lives.

Q: What challenges are associated with your pro bono practice?

The client doesn’t always win, and that can be disappointing for them. But even then, you have given them their day in court which can mean a lot to them.

Q: What advice do you have for lawyers in small firms who are considering doing more pro bono legal work?

It’s a great way of obtaining valuable experience in a range of areas and that does help to build up your practice, as well as being good for your firm’s reputation.

But mostly it’s about going the extra mile for the client. Whatever happens at the end of the road, the solicitor knows when they have made a difference. Working pro bono provides an opportunity both for the solicitor and the client to do this.

*

See our other Q&As with pro bono practitioners here.