How can I sign up?
You can sign up to the National Pro Bono Target as an in-house legal team or individual in-house lawyer online. All you need to do is:
- Read the Statement of Principles that is relevant to you
- Click on “I agree”
- Provide a few simple contact details
You will then be added to the Register of Target Signatories and sent a welcome email and certificate.
If you have any further questions please contact the Centre or refer to the FAQs on the Target or the FAQs on the Target for in-house corporate and government legal teams and lawyers.
Further information for in-house legal teams and individual in-house lawyers, specifically, can be found here.
In-House Guides
Corporate Guide
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.
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.
To access other Centre resources, including our Client management and self care guide and the Australian Pro Bono Manual, please click here.
Sourcing Pro Bono Work
Sourcing Pro Bono Opportunities Initiative
To grow participation and excellence in pro bono, the Centre has launched the Sourcing Pro Bono Opportunities Initiative (the Sourcing Pro Bono Initiative) to equip pro bono providers with practical resources to find potential opportunities, form pro bono partnerships, and reduce barriers to pro bono participation.
Justice Project: Pro Bono Tool
As part of the Sourcing Pro Bono Initiative, the Centre is creating a set of resources building on the Law Council of Australia’s Justice Project Final Report (the Justice Project Report), the Justice Project: Pro Bono Tool.
You can view key resources from the project below:
The complete set of resources for these client groups can be found here.
Other sources of pro bono legal work
There are a number of ways in which pro bono providers can source pro bono matters. These include:
- pro bono referral schemes and organisations
- community legal centres
- Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Legal Services
- independent not-for-profit legal organisations
- global opportunities
For more information on these sources of pro bono legal work, please click the links above.
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.
Articles from the Centre
- Growing pro bono participation / Ethos Summer 2020 / Law Society of the ACT Journal
issue.com, 14 December 2020 - Growing pro bono participation by in-house corporate and government teams
Pro Bono Voco, Issue 4 – November 2020 - An increased role for pro bono in our post-COVID world
Gabriela Christian-Hare, 28 April 2020
- WIN-WIN-WIN: How in-house corporate lawyers can contribute to their career, their company and their community / Australian Corporate Lawyer Magazine / Association of Corporate Counsel
acc.com, Summer 2017
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
Click here to see Gabriela’s full bio.
Mala Dharmananda, State Solicitor’s Office - Western Australia
Mala Dharmananda is a senior public servant, working at the highest levels in Western Australian public service including with the Departments of Premier and Cabinet, Planning and Development, Corrective Services and Multicultural Interests. In these departments, Mala played major roles in government reform programs including lesbian and gay law reform, reducing rates of Aboriginal incarceration and environmental approvals for major projects. Mala has also worked for the UN Special Rapporteur, the Aboriginal Legal Service and the Equal Opportunity Commission.
At the State Solicitor’s Office, Mala is leading implementation of reforms such as the WA Pro Bono Services Model and the inaugural Reconciliation Action Plan. Mala has contributed to the cultural heart of Perth as a board member for Barking Gecko Theatre Company, Steamworks Theatre Company and Perth Theatre Company as well as The Humanitarian Group, a community legal centre with a focus on migration and refugees.
Jon Downes, Willis Towers Watson & ACC Australia
Willis Towers Watson (WTW) is a global risk and advisory business, listed on the NASDAQ with its HQ in New York, with operations in more than 140 countries and over 40,000 staff. Jon is responsible for legal issues across the corporate, risk and broking business in the Asia-Pacific region. He is also Deputy General Counsel for WTW’s International Division. Prior to joining WTW in 2016, Jon commenced his legal career over 20 years ago in London at what is now Hogan Lovells, before moving to the Sydney firm now known as Allens Linklaters. After 10 years in private practice, Jon has over 10 years inhouse experience, having held General Counsel and Company Secretarial roles at a number of listed and private financial institutions before moving to WTW. Jon is currently Immediate Past President of the Association of Corporate Counsel (NSW) and a Board member of ACC. Jon has been involved in pro bono initiatives from his time in private practice to his current role – and is keenly interested in helping make pro bono work more accessible to in-house lawyers.
Rebekah Hunter, Macquarie Bank
Rebekah Hunter is the BFS Regulatory Change Program Manager in Macquarie’s Banking and Financial Services Regulatory Risk Team. A corporate in-house financial services lawyer with private practice experience and over 18 years experience in Australian banking and financial services, Rebekah’s role involves horizon scanning and regulatory thematic awareness with board, senior management and internal compliance forum reporting. Her regulatory oversight governance function encompasses monitoring execution of regulatory change initiatives in accordance with frameworks, as well as coordination of engagement in industry and internal consultations on regulatory and proactive industry change initiatives. Currently she is the chair of the NSW Law Society’s In-house Corporate Lawyers Committee and has been actively involved in a variety of pro bono legal work.
Nova Justen-Hoven, The Law Society of NSW
Nova is a Policy Lawyer at the Law Society of New South Wales and leads the In-House Corporate Lawyers Committee and the Government Solicitors Committee. Nova started her career with Clayton Utz in Sydney and then worked as an in-house lawyer in the UK and the Middle East for 15 years. She has extensive construction and commercial litigation experience and is particularly passionate about giving back through pro bono opportunities. Nova also has a master’s degree in medical law & ethics from Kings College, London.
Alice Rolls, Australian Pro Bono Centre
Click here to see Alice’s full bio.
Rania Tannous, AMP
Rania is currently Head of Legal, Corporate in Group Legal, & Governance, AMP leading a team of professionals across M&A, Corporate Advisory, Commercial/Procurement and Group Insurance. She also manages the Legal & Governance Pro Bono Program and Graduate Champion of the AMP Legal Graduate Program.
Rania has had roles as General Counsel with Clearpoint Counsel, General Counsel and Company Secretary at Carrick Education Group, Deputy and Acting Company Secretary for AXA Asia Pacific Holdings (Listed), Legal Manager and Senior Legal Counsel at AMP.
She is passionate about mentoring and supporting young lawyers in the legal profession.
Marina Yastreboff, UNSW & ACC Australia
Marina is a senior lawyer with the University of New South Wales, one of Australia leading research Universities, where she is an active participant in pro bono and CSR initiatives. Prior to joining UNSW, Marina head various leadership and senior consulting positions within the private and public sectors, including ANZ Counsel and Compliance Officer (Philips leadership team), Corporate Legal Counsel (LafargeHolcim) and Corporate Counsel and Regional IP Counsel (Computer Sciences Corporation). Her areas of specialisation include intangible asset creation and commercialisation, data, privacy, informatics and technology related contracts and compliance. Marina is the current president of the Australian Society for Computers and Law (NSW), a member of the International Association of Privacy Professionals (ANZ) Advisory Board, and committee member of the Association of Corporate Counsel (NSW), a representative on the ACC Pro Bono Committee. She is admitted as a solicitor in Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom, and is a Certified Practising Project Manager, Registered trademarks attorney and Notary public. Earlier in her career Marina was an intern with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and was a solicitor at Freehills Holdingdale and Page.
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
- 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
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.
