Sourcing Pro Bono Opportunities:
Justice Project: Pro Bono Tool

This project has been endorsed by the Law Council of Australia.

Background on the Justice Project: Pro Bono Tool

As part of the Sourcing Pro Bono Opportunities Initiative (the Sourcing Pro Bono Initiative), the Justice Project: Pro Bono Tool builds on the Law Council of Australia’s Justice Project Final Report (the Justice Project Report) with the aim of mapping pro bono opportunities to assist with priority justice issues for the thirteen client groups identified in the Justice Project Report.

To date, the Centre has completed its set of resources for (i) Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and (ii) people who are homeless, as identified in the report. This set of resources will be expanded to include all thirteen client groups identified in the Justice Project Report.

The Justice Project: Pro Bono Tool is intended to provide pro bono providers with practical resources to source potential pro bono opportunities and form partnerships. Each mapping tool achieves this by listing:

  • pro bono partnership opportunities according to client groups identified in the Justice Project Report;
  • organisations (as well as initiatives within organisations) working on justice issues for this client group and their location;
  • the Justice Project Report recommendations (the Priorities) these organisations are working on; and
  • the type of services provided (direct legal services/policy reform).

To find out more about the Justice Project Report, please see here.

Currently available resources

For each client group, the following resources are available:

  • Mapping table– the detailed document with information on each organisation, their work, what Priorities they are working towards, and what pro bono opportunities they can offer.
  • Mapping summary– an overview of the mapping project that groups organisations by the Priorities they are working on.
  • Infographic– a short summary of the access to justice issues faced by the corresponding Priority group, important statistics from the Justice Report chapter and a summary of the priorities made by the Law Council. This is also available on the Law Council’s website.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples
People experiencing homelessness
People who experience family violence

Resources for the remaining eleven client groups identified in the Justice Project Report will be made available when ready and will include people with disability, people experiencing economic disadvantage, LGBTI+ people, prisoners and detainees, people who experience family violence, people who have been trafficked and exploited, recent arrivals to Australia, children and young people, RRR Australians, asylum seekers and older persons.

How to use the Justice Project: Pro Bono Tool

Methodology

Each mapping tool lists organisations and initiatives in which any aspect of their work may lead to furthering the Priorities. Although some Priorities are specifically directed at Commonwealth or State and Territories governments, if an organisation/initiative’s work can help inform or advocate for related policy or law reform, then it has been mapped to such Priorities.

For example, front line legal services can play a role in encouraging policy shifts, such as increasing funding for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Legal Services, by highlighting the need and the importance of providing these services. Through direct client work, an organisation is also able to provide government with feedback on the lived experience of its clients which can lead to specific policy reform. For this reason, the Priorities have been broadly interpreted to acknowledge the work of a variety of organisations that are working towards making the justice system more equitable.

The Centre has identified which Priorities an organisation/initiative aims to further and has asked for confirmation from each individual organisation as to the availability of pro bono opportunities.