Pro bono response to natural disasters
The Centre is pleased to release new research into the role of pro bono in response of the pro bono sector into natural disasters.
The Centre’s report, Pro Bono Response to Natural Disasters, synthesises insights from 30 organisations across Australia, including legal aid commissions, community legal centres, referral schemes and law firms into 27 key national recommendations on pro bono best practice in this context.
The report briefly describes the disaster response landscape in New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia, and Tasmania. It extracts key learnings and recommendations for pro bono practitioners to consider when offering their support during live disasters in each jurisdiction, and how they might better support disaster resilience and preparedness outside of live disasters. The report also collates key recommendations from across the country to form a blueprint for pro bono practitioners for the future.
Pro Bono Response to Natural Disasters
Understand best practice pro bono sector responses to natural disasters.
“Congratulations to the [Australian] Pro Bono Centre on the release of this report! It is an exciting step for the sector as a whole to be considering best practice models for disaster – related legal assistance, and given the likely state of summer and the years ahead, is timely and important. The report is detailed and interesting and I hope serves as a valuable tool for those engaged in supporting communities impacted by extreme weather events.”
Melanie Kallmier
Legal Services Manager and Solicitor at the Mid North Coast Legal Centre
What does the Guide include?
The Guide aims to inform and inspire lawyers across the globe. It includes:
- a description of the disaster response landscape in New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia, and Tasmania
- key learnings and recommendations for pro bono practitioners to consider when offering their support during live disasters in each jurisdiction
- recommendations to better support disaster resilience and preparedness outside of live disasters, and
- key recommendations from across the country to form a blueprint for pro bono practitioners for the future.
List of Contributors
The Centre recognises and thanks the following organisations for their contributions to this research:
Organisations |
|
Aboriginal Legal Service NSW/ACT Limited | Law Institute of Victoria |
ARC Justice | Law Society of New South Wales |
Ashurst | LawRight |
Caxton Legal Centre | Legal Aid New South Wales |
Community Justice Services SA | Legal Aid Queensland |
Community Legal Centres New South Wales | Legal Services Commission of South Australia |
Community Legal Centres Queensland | Makinson d’Apice Lawyers |
Department of Justice Western Australia | Mid North Coast Legal Centre |
Disaster Legal Help Victoria, constituting: | New South Wales Bar Association |
Federation of Community Legal Centres | Northern Rivers Community Legal Centre |
Financial Rights Legal Centre | Shoalcoast Community Legal Centre |
Herbert Smith Freehills | Townsville Community Law |
Hobart Community Legal Service | Victorian Aboriginal Legal Service |
HopgoodGanim Lawyers | Victoria Legal Aid |
Hume Riverina Community Legal Service | Victorian Bar |
Justice Connect | Welfare Rights Centre |
JusticeNet SA | Women’s Legal Service New South Wales |
Law Access Western Australia |
You can find more of the Centre’s publications and resources here.