Commonwealth Legal Services Expenditure Report 2016-2017: government expenditure up, but pro bono down

The Commonwealth has just released their annual legal services expenditure report for 2016-2017 reporting total legal services expenditure of $825.51m (up 4.2%), and 502,619 hours of pro bono legal work done by reporting firms (down 9.5% on 2015-16 results).

LSMUL gone but Commonwealth commitment to pro bono conditions continues

The Commonwealth Government’s Legal Services Multi-Use List (LSMUL) of firms authorised to provide legal services to the Commonwealth ceased on 1 July 2018 and with it some of the conditions that formally encouraged firms to undertake pro bono legal work.

The Justice Project Final Report – A Pro Bono Perspective

In early 2017, the Law Council of Australia embarked on a national, comprehensive review into the state of access to justice in Australia for people experiencing significant disadvantage.

Pro bono promotions, September 2018

We’re pleased to congratulate pro bono coordinators Rebecca Dominguez and Sara Lane on their much-deserved promotions.

Pro Bono in the News – September 2018

Articles of interest to the pro bono community that have been published since our last edition. Click through to read any news article in full.

Q&A with The Hon. Malcolm McCusker QC, Law Access WA

The Hon. Malcolm McCusker AC CVO QC recently took up the post of Company Director and Chairman of Law Access WA, a legal pro bono referral service connecting some of the most vulnerable people from all over Western Australia, who cannot afford legal assistance, with lawyers willing to assist on a pro bono basis. We spoke to Mr. McCusker about his new role at Law Access WA and his experience of pro bono legal work.

Colin Biggers & Paisley trek the outback to raise funds for Artists in the Black

Walking up to 23 km a day through the central Australian desert may seem an unusual way of supporting access to justice, but one pro bono project has done exactly that, proving along the way that thinking outside the square can deliver multiple benefits for the client group, the working relationship and the delivery of legal services.

Pro Bono Legal Work and Corporate Social Responsibility – An Evening for In-house Corporate Lawyers

On 22 August 2018, the Australian Pro Bono Centre (Centre) and Law Society of NSW hosted a forum to engage and support in-house corporate lawyers to do pro bono legal work.

Introducing Trent Wallace

Welcome to Trent Wallace, our newest Secondee Policy and Project Officer. Trent comes to us from Australian Government Solicitor (AGS).