For In-House Lawyers and Legal Teams

Australian in-house corporate and government lawyers can make a significant contribution to pro bono legal services. In-house pro bono enables lawyers to give back to the community, enhances professional and personal development, and can bring long-term benefits for organisations which support pro bono work.

Pro Bono Legal work: A guide for in-house corporate lawyers, prepared by the Australian Pro Bono Centre in association with the Law Society of NSW and the Association of Corporate Counsel, is a comprehensive guide and essential reference point for corporations looking to establish, manage or refine in-house pro bono legal programs, and individual corporate lawyers seeking involvement in pro bono legal work.

Topics in the Guide include:

• the benefits of establishing a pro bono program
• pro bono and corporate social responsibility
• the current models of in-house pro bono
• tips on how to establish a pro bono program
• the regulatory requirements applying to pro bono legal work by in-house lawyers
• in-house pro bono FAQs
• case studies on successful in-house pro bono partnerships
• organisations currently providing in-house legal teams with pro bono opportunities

The Centre has also compiled a list of other resources which may be relevant to the establishment of particular in-house pro bono programs.

For insights into how you can establish strong in-house pro bono programs, please see the Centre’s profiles of Paula Stirling, Senior Solicitor at the Crown Solicitor’s Office and our Q&A with Stephen Chang, Hewlett Packard Enterprise.

For additional information on how to contribute as an individual lawyer please visit For Individual Solicitors and Barristers.

Where an in-house lawyer or team partners with a pro bono referral scheme, organisation or community legal centre, it will likely be the case that the partner organisation’s professional indemnity insurance will cover the in-house team’s pro bono legal work.

For projects or programs that are not otherwise covered by professional indemnity insurance, the Centre operates the National Pro Bono Professional Indemnity Insurance Scheme, which provides lawyers with free professional indemnity insurance for approved pro bono projects. Please visit the National Pro Bono Professional Indemnity Insurance Scheme for more information on the availability of the Scheme in your jurisdiction and for examples of the projects that the Centre has previously approved.

The organisations listed below may be able to provide in-house legal teams with pro bono opportunities.

Arts Law Centre

Arts Law Centre makes pro bono referrals to in-house lawyers through its Document Review Service. See case study in section 7 Case studies. Please visit www.artslaw.com.au/ or contact artslaw@artslaw.com.au or 02 9356 2566 for more information.

Cancer Council

The Cancer Council Pro Bono Program is a national program through which people affected by cancer are connected with professionals who volunteer their time to provide legal, financial, small business and workplace advice to clients who otherwise wouldn’t be able to afford to pay for that advice. It welcomes support from in-house lawyers, particularly lawyers with expertise in employment, insurance and estate planning matters. Please visit http://www.cancercouncil.com.au/31192/get-support/practical-support-services-get-support/legal-financial-support/pac/ or email probono@cancercouncil.org.au for more  information.

Justice Connect

Justice Connect places referrals received through its national Not-for-profit Law service with in- house legal teams (primarily in Victoria and NSW, but also in the ACT, Tasmania and the Northern Territory). In-house teams can also assist by reviewing and drafting legal resources for the Not- for-profit Law Information Hub. See case study in section 7 Case studies. In-house teams may also be interested in supporting Justice Connect’s work helping individuals experiencing disadvantage. Please visit www.justiceconnect.org.au or contact admin@justiceconnect.org.au or 03 8636 4400 for more information.

JusticeNet SA

JusticeNet SA is the pro bono referral organisation for South Australia and makes direct pro bono referrals to corporate members. Please visit www.justicenet.org.au/ or contact admin@justicenet.org.au or 08 83135005 for more information.

Law Access (Western Australia)

Law Access is the pro bono referral program for Western Australia. Please visit http://www.lawsocietywa.asn.au/law-access or contact lawaccess@lawaccess.com.au or 08 9324 8600 for more information.

LawRight (Queensland)

LawRight is the pro bono referral organisation for Queensland and makes direct pro bono referrals to corporate members. In-house legal teams may also be interested in participating in Law Right’s Homeless Persons’ Legal Clinic in Queensland. Please visit http://www.lawright.org.au/ or contact admin@lawright.org.au (Attn: Sue Garlick and Linda Macpherson –  joint directors) or 07 3846 6317 for more information.

National Children’s and Youth Law Centre

The National Children’s and Youth Law Centre (NCYLC) is a Community Legal Centre dedicated to addressing human rights issues for children and young people in Australia through legal change. Both in its core services and project activities, NCYLC is sponsored by a host of organisations including in-house counsel. See case study in section 7 Case studies. Please visit http://www.lawstuff.org.au/ or contact matthew.keeley@ncylc.org.au or 02 9385 9585 for more information.

Public Interest Advocacy Centre

The Public Interest Advocacy Centre operates the Homeless Persons’ Legal Service in New South Wales and encourages participation by in-house lawyers. Please visit https://www.piac.asn.au/ or contact homelessproject@piac.asn.au or 02 8898 6545 for more information.

Salvos Legal

Salvos Legal’s Inhouse Pro Bono Desk is staffed by in-house lawyers across both the corporate and government sectors. Lawyers volunteering at the Desk can work on a diverse range of matters across the organisation’s Humanitarian practice. In-house lawyers can also volunteer at Salvos Legal’s Advice Bureaus where they provide free legal advice. Interested in-house lawyers can either volunteer in their own time, or with the permission of their employer to undertake the pro bono work as part of their official employment. Please visit www.salvoslegal.com.au/careers/ corporate-pro-bono-opportunities/ for more information or email probonodesk@salvoslegal.com.au, setting out: your name; position and employer; contact details; any particular area of law or case you wish to experience at the Desk (Salvos Legal will try its best to accommodate); the number of hours you wish to volunteer at the Desk; and the dates you wish to work at the Desk (if known).

General

• The Information on Pro Bono section of this site, which includes a definition of pro bono
• The Australian In-House Legal Counsel Pro Bono Guide, prepared by DLA Piper and updated in August 2013
• Justice Connect’s web resources for In-house Counsel Pro Bono Work 
• Speech by John Corker, Director of this Centre “Now is the time for in-house lawyers to get involved” delivered at “A New Chapter for Pro Bono In Victoria” event hosted by the Centre and PILCH (Vic) and held at DLA Piper, Melbourne on 31 May 2012
• “In-house pro bono grows with more to come” from the March 2012 edition of the NSW Law Society Journal
• For the wealth of experience from the United States, see the resources on the corporate pro bono website cpbo.org

In-house Corporate Lawyers

• Practical findings from the PILCH ACLA Corporate Pro Bono Project, a paper presented at theACLA National Conference, 26 November 2011
• “Models of in-house corporate pro bono” from the September 2011 edition of The Australian Corporate Lawyer
• Australian Corporate Lawyers Association Policy on Pro Bono Work by In-House Counsel (21 October 2009)

In-house Government Lawyers

• Commonwealth Attorney-General’s Department Guidance Note on AGD Lawyers and Pro Bono Legal Work (approved 24 September 2012)
• Australian Government Solicitor Legal Practice Policy – AGS and Pro Bono Work (approved 24 September 2012)
• “Government Lawyers and Pro Bono Legal Work”, a paper given by John Corker, Director, National Pro Bono Resource Centre, at the Public Sector In-House Counsel Conference, 30 July 2012, Hotel Realm, Canberra
• Government lawyers and pro bono, an information paper prepared by this Centre in October 2004