Issue 62: October 2010
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Welcome to the October 2010 edition of the e-Newsletter of the National Pro Bono Resource Centre (the Centre). We welcome your feedback/contributions/ideas. In this edition, read about:
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On 17 October 2010 the National Pro Bono Resource Centre released a set of 12 stories demonstrating how pro bono legal services have helped alleviate poverty, to celebrate the launch of Anti-Poverty Week 2010. These stories come from law firms and pro bono clearing houses across Australia and illustrate how the legal profession can make a difference to the lives of the marginalised and disadvantaged.
The stories cover:
For further information please download the media release, or contact the Centre at info@nationalprobono.org.au or on (02) 9385 7381.
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The 2010 NSW Justice Awards again provided an inspiring evening of stories of those who work relentlessly to improve justice for others.
In 1999, to place pro bono legal and medical services in a day time refuge centre for women in Kings Cross was very new – the prevailing view was that it was much better to surround the women with services rather than make them seek those services. The partnership between Blake Dawson and Lou’s Place in Kings Cross, that did this for the first time 10 years ago, was recognised this year as the winner of the National Pro Bono Partnership Award.
The award has as one of its key criteria the degree of innovation in the partnership. This was demonstrated by its continuing success – the ‘surround model’ has gone on to underpin the Homeless Persons Legal Services throughout Australia (NSW HPLS was also nominated for the award) and is now recognised as an effective service delivery model in the US and the UK.
In responding to the award, Anne Cregan, pro bono partner at Blake Dawson said that rather than the smell of Dettol and disinfectant, Lou’s Place had the smell of home and warm food and it was only the affected women’s trust in Lou’s Place that allowed the lawyers from Blake’s to do their job.
Ern Phang, a practitioner from a small practice in Parramatta (Phang Legal), won the Law Society Presidents Award for always being willing to take on pro bono referrals from the NSW Law Society Pro Bono Scheme. In responding to the award he said he was proud of creating a legal practice that was open to and served the community rather than just a business that sold legal products.
A full list of the nominees and winners of this year’s Justice Awards can be found at www.lawfoundation.net.au/justice_awards/awards.
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 In 2005 the National Association of Community Legal Centres and the National Pro Bono Resource Centre collaborated to launch the CLC Volunteers website. This is a national database of Community Legal Centres (CLCs) and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Legal Services (ATSILs) containing information about current volunteering opportunities.Since launch the number of hits received has continued to grow. The number of unique page views has more than doubled since 2008, from a monthly average of 5,429 to 11,396so far in 2010. The Centre receives excellent feedback from students, graduates and lawyers who appreciate having a ‘one-stop shop’ where they can find out which Centres need volunteers and what sort of work this may entail.
This year improvements were made to the website and it was decided to carry out a thorough audit. At the end of September all 233 CLCs and ATSILs were contacted by mail and email, provided with a copy of their profile and asked to check if changes were required. So far 66 profiles have been changed.
For more information please visit the website or contact the Centre on info@nationalprobono.org.au or on (02) 9385 7381.
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The uniqueness of the AGS pro bono practice stems from the fact that it is a government-owned legal services business and a statutory authority established under Part VIIIB of the Judiciary Act 1903 (Cth) for the purpose of serving the interests of the Commonwealth[1]. As a result AGS does not undertake pro bono work in any matter against a Commonwealth department, agency or officer, or where there is an unacceptable potential for conflict of interest between the matter and AGS’s work for government Bronwyn Negroni clients. AGS’s power to undertake pro bono work is also limited to matters that AGS is permitted to undertake under its enabling legislation, the Judiciary Act 1903. Despite these restrictions, AGS manages to offer pro bono services that harmonise with its role and that utilise the specialised skills and knowledge of its specialist government lawyers[2]. The AGS pro bono practice, while different from the pro bono programs run by the private law firms, has its own pro bono policy and procedures in place for the approval of projects[3]. Pro bono coordinators in each office across Australia provide input into the national program and the program provides opportunities for a broad range of people to be involved in pro bono work. AGS is a government-owned legal practice offering services to the Australian Government, statutory authorities and agencies in competition with private law firms. AGS has been providing legal services to government for over 100 years and was converted to a government business enterprise in 1999. AGS’s main office is in Canberra and other offices are located in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide, Hobart and Darwin. Over 340 AGS lawyers work across the 8 offices. While AGS’s lawyers have had a long history of supporting pro bono work in their personal capacity, they now undertake pro bono legal activities as a firm[4]. On top of sponsored projects, individual lawyers are still encouraged by AGS to individually volunteer out of work hours. AGS Pro Bono Activities A key focus for AGS’s pro bono program is to enhance access to justice for the disadvantaged and marginalised members of the community by supporting existing community sector initiatives. AGS lawyers have worked on secondment at legal clearing houses and community legal centres across Australia, including the Public Interest Law Clearing House (PILCH) Victoria, PILCH NSW, QPILCH, the Arts Law Centre of Australia, JusticeNet SA, the Employment Law Centre of WA and the ACT Pro Bono Clearing House. Since May 2010, AGS’s Canberra graduate program has provided for graduate lawyers to work on secondment with Street Law, an outreach service in the ACT for people who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless (a project of the Welfare Rights and Legal Centre ACT). AGS has assisted the Registrar of Indigenous Corporations (ORIC) in establishing LawHelp, a referral service that aims to give Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander corporations registered under the Corporations (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander) Act 2006 access to pro bono legal assistance. AGS is the founding legal services provider under this new service, and other lawyers and firms (Clayton Utz, Minter Ellison Lawyers and Peter Tree SC from Derwent and Tamar Chambers, Tasmania) have agreed to accept referrals since its commencement. Likely areas of practice include legal interpretations, employment issues, tax issues, corporation management issues, consumer protection and trade practices issues, intellectual property arrangements, property matters and other areas of law subject to the approval of LawHelp’s Assessment Panel.[5] To complement this work, AGS’s national employment law team has collaborated with ORIC to develop a series of templates and guides aimed at assisting Indigenous corporations to better manage their obligations as employers. These are expected to be launched in November.
 AGS Chief Operating Officer Louise Vardanega, Manager and Principal Solicitor of Street Law Amy Kilpatrick, ACT Attorney- General Simon Corbell, Commonwealth Attorney-General Robert McClelland and Federal Member for Fraser Andrew Leigh.
 AGS lawyer Sally Davis conducting training for PNG government employees
AGS Leading Government Lawyers in Pro Bono AGS is currently leading the way in the provision of committed pro bono services by government lawyers. With the goal of meeting or exceeding the Aspirational Target, AGS is dedicated to investing in pro bono work in spite of the limits on the pro bono work that is able to be performed by government lawyers. AGS’s remarkable engagement in providing pro bono services demonstrates a model for participation of other government lawyers across the nation. [2] See National Pro Bono News: Issue 49 at http://www.nationalprobono.org.au/page.asp?from=1&id=232 by Leanne Bowen, National Practice Manager with AGS’s Government Practice.
[3] See National Pro Bono News: Issue 49 at http://www.nationalprobono.org.au/page.asp?from=1&id=232 by Leanne Bowen, National Practice Manager with AGS’s Government Practice.
[5] See acknowledgement and other information at http://www.oric.gov.au/Content.aspx?content=training/LawHelp.htm&menu=training&class=training&selected=LawHelp
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Leanne Ho will take up the position of Senior Policy Advisor/Project Manager at the NPBRC at the end of November 2010.
Leanne is a graduate of Sydney University in law/arts and political science from the mid 1990’s.
She has worked extensively as an international legal officer and manager with United Nations Missions in Kosovo and most recently in Liberia.
Previously she worked as a caseworker and community legal education officer at the Welfare Rights Centre in Sydney and as a legal development manager and legal editor/team leader with legal publishers Butterworths and Lexis Nexis in Sydney.
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Articles of interest to the pro bono community from September – October 2010. Click through to read any news article in full. Pro bono helps alleviate poverty 17 October 2010 – Lawyers Weekly Disabled woman sues bus company 15 October 2010 – Sydney Morning Herald UK: First National Pro Bono Centre to launch 13 October 2010 – Family Law News Run-down legal centre inaccessible to those most in need 13 October 2010 – Northcote Leader UK: Clifford Chance places value on pro bono efforts of £17m a year 13 October 2010 – Legal Week Justice sought in Bowraville murders 6 October 2010 – The Coffs Coast Advocate
2 October 2010 – Maribyrnong Leader UK: Legal Aid scheme ruled unlawful 30 September 2010 – BBC News Wauchope solicitor in line for top gong 30 September 2010 – Wauchope Gazette UK: CC litigation partner made chairman at pro bono organisation A4ID 29 September 2010 – Legal Week Legal Aid client base grows in Brimbank 28 September 2010 – Keilor, Taylors Lakes & Sydenham Star I was framed for murder, says Mallard 27 September 2010 – ABC News 24 September 2010 – The New Lawyer USA: Forced Pro Bono: But is it Legal? 21 September 2010 – The Wall Street Journal USA: Mississippi lawyers may have to provide free aid to poor 19 September 2010 – The Clarion-Ledger Free legal service for women victims in the Hunter 16 September 2010 – Lakes Mail Council wants legal centre in Canterbury 14 September 2010 – Canterbury-Bankstown Express Mick Young Scholarship trust torn apart by factions 14 September 2010 – Sydney Morning Herald Canada: Cycling lawyers to pedal free advice 9 September 2010 – The Province |
In March 2009, the