28 November 2019

The Centre held a lunch forum for in-house corporate lawyers on 25 November 2019. The forum aimed to inspire involvement in pro bono by in-house corporate lawyers, provide practical assistance, and share information and resources to develop and strengthen in-house pro bono practice.

In-house lawyers from a range of corporations attended. The program included:

• a panel discussion between Joanna Shulman (CEO, Redfern Legal Centre), Ali French (Pro Bono Lawyer, Ashurst) and Lynda Reid (Director, Legal, PwC), moderated by the Centre’s CEO Gabriela Christian-Hare, about Redfern Legal Centre’s new Financial Abuse Legal Service and the support provided to the service by law firms and in-house corporate teams, including PwC, AMEX, Ashurst and King & Wood Mallesons,
• a presentation by Karly Warner, CEO of the Aboriginal Legal Service (NSW/ACT), about the ALS and its pro bono requirements,
• a presentation by the Centre’s Head of Policy & Strategy, Jessica Hatherall, about a range of other current pro bono opportunities, and
• a description by the Centre’s Policy & Project Officer, Sally Embelton, about the Centre’s National Professional Indemnity Insurance Scheme, which provides insurance for in-house pro bono projects. Information about the Scheme can be found here.

The forum also provided an opportunity for in-house lawyers and the Centre to connect and discuss how the Centre can work together with in-house lawyers to foster a stronger culture of commitment to pro bono and develop channels of communication to share resources and information, including current pro bono opportunities.

A copy of the Centre’s guide, Pro Bono Legal Work – A Guide for In-house Corporate Lawyers, can be found here.

RLC’s Financial Abuse Legal Service Panel Discussion

Karly Warner, CEO ALS

Joanna Shulman (CEO, Redfern Legal Centre), Lynda Reid (Director, PwC Legal Team), Ali French (Pro Bono Lawyer, Ashurst)

Sally Embelton, Policy and Project Officer, Australian Pro Bono Centre

Jessica Hatherall, Head of Policy and Strategy, Australian Pro Bono Centre