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.
Government Guide
On 14 March 2019 the Centre launched Pro Bono Legal Work – A Guide for Government Lawyers at the National Access to Justice and Pro Bono Conference in Canberra. The Guide is a central resource supporting the Centre’s goal to increase participation by government lawyers in pro bono legal work, and to provide practical guidance for government legal teams seeking to establish, refine or expand in-house pro bono legal programs.
Topics in the Guide include:
- the benefits of pro bono legal work for government lawyers and their agencies or departments
- how government can support its lawyers to do pro bono work
- constraints and regulatory requirements applying to pro bono legal work
- the types of pro bono work that government lawyers can do
- examples of existing government pro bono legal work
- tips on how to establish a pro bono policy
- government pro bono FAQs
- useful contacts and other resources that support government pro bono legal work.
In-House Counsel Pro Bono Steering Committee
The Centre has formed an In-House Counsel Pro Bono Steering Committee to grow participation and excellence in pro bono legal service delivery by in-house counsel, including corporate counsel and government lawyers.
Steering Committee Members
Gabriela Christian-Hare
Australian Pro Bono Centre
Jessica Hatherall
Australian Pro Bono Centre
Other members:
- Rania Tannous (AMP)
- Rebekah Hunter – (Macquarie Bank)
- Nova Justen-Hoven – (Law Society of NSW)
- Marina Yastreboff – (UNSW &ACC)
Steering Committee Objectives
- Activate new and existing in-house counsel to increase the quality and quantity of pro bono legal work by promoting the Target and identifying foundation signatories.
- Equip in-house counsel to engage in pro bono through resources and practical assistance.
- Connect in-house counsel to the pro bono eco-system through communications and networking.
Goals for 2020
- Ignite the in-house counsel community
- Provide a wide range of pro bono opportunities for new signatories
- Promote the work of in-house counsel
- Provide a wide range of pro bono opportunities to new signatories
- Connect members of the community to organisations needing assistance
- Bring the in-house community together to learn and network with each other
- Promote the work of in-house counsel
- Present on the results of the steering committee at conferences and other events
- Case study promotion through the Centre’s resources
Professional Indemnity Insurance
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.
Current Pro Bono Opportunities
The organisations listed below may be able to provide in-house legal teams with pro bono opportunities. Please see Pro Bono Legal Work – A Guide for In-house Corporate Lawyers (Guide) for more information.
Arts Law Centre
Arts Law Centre makes pro bono referrals to in-house lawyers through its Document Review Service. See the case study in section 7 Case Studies of the Guide. 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 https://www.cancercouncil.com.au/get-involved/volunteer-with-us/ or email probono@cancercouncil.org.au or call 13 11 20 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 8313 5005 for more information.
Law Access (Western Australia)
Law Access is the pro bono referral program for Western Australia. Please visit www.lawsocietywa.asn.au/law-access or contact lawaccess@lawaccess.com.au or (08) 6488 6813 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 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 of the Guide. Please visit www.lawstuff.org.au or contact Matthew Keeley, Director, at matthew.keeley@ncylc.org.au or 02 9385 9588 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 www.piac.asn.au or contact homelessproject@piac.asn.au or 02 8898 6545 for more information.
Redfern Legal Centre – NSW Domestic Violence Financial Abuse Service (NSW DVFAS)
Redfern Legal Centre (RLC) is setting up a new state-wide Domestic Violence Financial Abuse Service, having identified a significant demand for advice and representation services for women experiencing financial abuse as a form of domestic violence. It is inviting teams of NSW based in-house corporate lawyers to partner with RLC to deliver a client advice clinic based at the RLC premises in Redfern. RLC will manage pro bono appointments, train in-house lawyers in working with domestic violence victims, provide supervision and mentoring as well as professional indemnity insurance. Please visit https://rlc.org.au or contact Joanna Shulman, CEO, at joanna@rlc.org.au or 02 9698 7277 for more information.
Refugee Advice and Casework Service (RACS)
The Refugee Advice and Casework Service (RACS) assists people seeking asylum in Australia. RACS provides legal representation and advice about refugee law and processes, represents children who are in Australia without their parents, makes complaints for people about serious violations of their human rights to the Australian and United Nations complaints bodies, and writes submissions, advocates and lobbies for law reform. RACS operates a number of different services which are assisted by volunteer lawyers. Please visit www.racs.org.au or contact reception@racs.org.au or 02 8317 6500 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).
Q&A: Insights from corporate in-house counsel
For insights into how you can establish strong in-house pro bono programs, see our Q&A articles with in-house lawyers below.
Additional Resources
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 additional information on how to contribute as an individual lawyer please visit For Individual Solicitors and Barristers.
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