Justice Project: Pro Bono Tool
Recent Arrivals to Australia
More information about this project can be found here. 
This project has been endorsed by the Law Council of Australia.
Priorities identified in the Justice Project Final Report
Priorities Identified in the Justice Project Final Report[i]:
- Work with recent arrival communities to build their legal literacy and general knowledge of the Australian system of law and government during the initial settlement and later phases.
- Ensure that information about the law, particularly regarding key legal issues experienced by recent arrivals, is provided in a range of languages, as well as Easy English, and is available in a range of accessible modes (radio, audio-visual, face-to-face, peer-to-peer, as well as printed and online material).
- Ensure that free, appropriately skilled interpreters are available to assist recent arrivals at every stage of their interaction with the justice system, in line with the Judicial Council of Cultural Diversity’s best practice guidelines.
- Prioritise face-to-face, intensive and free assistance allowing additional time for services (eg client appointments or court services) to meet recent arrivals’ needs including in civil matters such as employment, housing and tenancy and consumer issues.
- Expand employment of cultural or community liaison officers in legal assistance services, courts and tribunals and other key justice sector players (e.g., police) to build trust amongst recent arrival populations.
- Expand access to free specialised legal assistance in RRR areas with high recent arrival populations, including through outreach or referral networks.
- Resource key justice sector players (legal assistance services, courts and tribunals, police, administrative departments) to increase their cultural competence and cultural diversity.
- Support collaborations to build multi-disciplinary knowledge and referrals between legal and non-legal organisations, such as settlement/migrant services.
- Increase independent accountability mechanisms to overcome concerns about under- and over-policing of recent arrivals.
- Address a lack of secure, low-cost housing for recent arrivals, as this can exacerbate associated legal problems with landlords.
- Address gaps in evidence about recent arrivals, their legal needs and their experiences of the justice system, including through targeted surveys and research, and improved justice data collection which better captures the cultural, linguistic and gender diversity of users as well as their outcomes.
Justice Project: Pro Bono Tool Summaries
Directory of Organisations
Quick links to organisations by location
Quick links to tables by location:
National
Organisations for recent arrivals to Australia
| Organisations | Information for Pro Bono Providers | Direct Legal Services | Law Reform |
|---|---|---|---|
| Asylum Seeker Resource Centre – Provides holistic legal support at all stages of the refugee determination process, including expert refugee law advice and representation at primary, merits review and judicial review stages of the process. Using an integrated service model, and through offices based in Footscray and Dandenong (Melbourne) legal clients are also linked into other non-legal ASRC/other provider services including health, employment, food, emergency relief and support. It provides both full legal representation services as well as limited assistance through a number of legal clinics and advice services staffed by around 150 volunteers under lawyers’ supervision, including a specialised gender clinic for those fearing persecution due to their gender or sexual identity. It also has partnerships with a number of law firms who provide a range of pro bono legal and other supports to its work. It works closely with Victorian Bar whose members frequently provide pro bono or conditional costs-based assistance for clients involved in litigation. The ASRC is also actively engaged in advocacy, policy and law reform, working closely with other sectors, and also provide community legal education and training. | For partnership opportunities please see here For volunteer opportunities please see here | ✔ | ✔ |
| Refugee Legal – Provides free specialist legal assistance to people seeking asylum, refugees and disadvantaged migrants in the community and in immigration detention in Victoria and across Australia. Legal services provided: telephone advice line, evening advice service, day-time casework, including full legal representation, Temporary Protection Visa (TPV) Clinics, strategic ‘test case’ litigation and client and community information sessions. | For volunteer opportunities please see here | ✔ | ✔ |
Australian Capital Territory (ACT)
Organisations for recent arrivals to Australia
| Organisations | Information for Pro Bono Providers | Direct Legal Services | Law Reform |
|---|---|---|---|
| Migrant and Refugee Settlement Services of the ACT Inc – Provides a service delivery hub for new and recently arrived refugees and migrants to settle into the ACT and surrounding regions. Includes provision of a Legal Aid officer who can help with citizenship, immigration, housing and various other applications. Also offers outreach from Legal Aid ACT. | See here | ✔ |
Organisations with initiatives for recent arrivals to Australia
Organisations Information for Pro Bono Providers Direct Legal Services Law Reform
Legal Aid ACT – Helps people in the ACT with their legal problems, especially people who are socially or economically disadvantaged. The Migration Clinic is a free service that provides legal advice and information about refugee law and other immigration matters. In some cases, the Clinic can provide ongoing representation. See here for volunteering opportunities ✔ ✔
New South Wales (NSW)
Pro bono providers are encouraged to contact the Pro Bono Referral Schemes and Organisations to source pro bono matters. In New South Wales, please contact Justice Connect.
Organisations for recent arrivals to Australia
| Organisations | Information for Pro Bono Providers | Direct Legal Services | Law Reform |
|---|---|---|---|
| Immigration Advice and Rights Centre– Provides free immigration legal advice to eligible people in New South Wales or in immigration detention. IARC provides assistance in relation to immigration and domestic violence, family visas, refugee and humanitarian visas, citizenship and visa cancellations. IARC also provides free community legal education to workers and the general public. | See here. IARC is not currently engaging volunteer Registered Migration Agents but welcomes expressions of interests from solicitors, barristers and other professionals who are interested in supporting their work. | ✔ | |
| Refugee Advice & Casework Services (RACS) – Provides critical free legal advice, assistance and representation, for financially disadvantaged and vulnerable people seeking asylum in Australia, including: women who have experienced or fear domestic, family or gender based violence, members of the LGBTIQA+ community, stateless people, children who are seeking protection without their parents and people seeking family reunion in Australia. RACS advocates for systemic law reform and policy that treats refugees with justice, dignity and respect, and we make complaints about serious human rights violations, to Australian and United Nations complaints bodies. | See here. | ✔ | ✔ |
Organisations with initiatives for recent arrivals to Australia
| Organisations | Information for Pro Bono Providers | Direct Legal Services | Law Reform |
|---|---|---|---|
| Legal Aid New South Wales – The Refugee Service is a state-wide specialist service of Legal Aid NSW. The service helps newly arrived refugees learn about their rights and responsibilities under the law, and access legal services to prevent their legal problems from escalating. | For partnership opportunities please see here. | ✔ | ✔ |
Referral organisations
| Organisations | Information for Pro Bono Providers | Direct Legal Services | Law Reform |
|---|---|---|---|
| Justice Connect – Helps migrants, refugees, and asylum seekers to navigate the legal system. | See here for law firms wanting to become a member. See here for individuals who want to volunteer. | ✔ | ✔ |
Campaigns
| Organisations | Information for Pro Bono Providers | Direct Legal Services | Law Reform |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jesuit Refugee Service – Advocates to promote the dignified living of people seeking asylum, refugees and migrants in vulnerable situations. The advocacy takes a number of forms including participation in policy development, and lobbying at the national, Asia-Pacific international levels; parliamentary engagement; research and commentary; campaigning with partners; and grassroots organising. | See here. | ✔ |
Northern Territory (NT)
Organisations with initiatives for recent arrivals to Australia
| Organisations | Information for Pro Bono Providers | Direct Legal Services | Law Reform |
|---|---|---|---|
| Northern Territory Legal Aid Commission – Provides legal advice. | ✔ | ||
| Anglicare NT – Refugee and Migrants Settlement services (RAMSS) is a free and confidential service assisting refugees and migrants who have lived in Darwin, Palmerston, and rural areas for less than five years. They provide settlement information, referrals, and support in a wide range of areas, including immigration, and police and legal issues, among other things. | ✔ | ✔ |
Queensland (QLD)
Pro bono providers are encouraged to contact the Pro Bono Referral Schemes and Organisations to source pro bono matters. In Queensland, please contact LawRight.
Organisations for recent arrivals to Australia
| Organisations | Information for Pro Bono Providers | Direct Legal Services | Law Reform |
|---|---|---|---|
| Refugee and Immigration Legal Service (RAILS) – Provides free immigration advice, legal assistance and legal education to immigrants, refugees, and asylum seekers in Queensland. RAILS also takes on legal casework in protection visas, Refugee Family Reunion, Family Violence and visas, Temporary Protection Visas (TPV) and Safe Haven Enterprise Visas (SHEV). | For pro bono opportunities in Queensland, please contact LawRight | ✔ | ✔ |
Referral organisations
| Organisations | Information for Pro Bono Providers | Direct Legal Services | Law Reform |
|---|---|---|---|
| LawRight – Operates a civil law referral service and direct legal services for disadvantaged client groups, and undertakes law reform, policy work and legal education in Queensland. | See here for information on how to become a member. See here for information on how law firms can assist. See here for information on how law students can assist. | ✔ | ✔ |
South Australia (SA)
Pro bono providers are encouraged to contact the Pro Bono Referral Schemes and Organisations to source pro bono matters. In South Australia, please contact JusticeNet SA.
Organisations for recent arrivals to Australia
| Organisations | Information for Pro Bono Providers | Direct Legal Services | Law Reform |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australian Refugee Association – Supports newly arrived communities and individuals, empowering them to participate actively in all aspects of life in Australia. A team of registered migration agents provides advice and assists people in applying for visas, residence and citizenship applications. | For pro bono opportunities in South Australia, please contact JusticeNet SA. | ✔ | |
| Australian Migrant Resource Centre – Specialises in humanitarian and migrant settlement, and community capacity building and development for young people, women and other migrants, empowering them through training and employment initiatives. | For pro bono opportunities in South Australia, please contact JusticeNet SA. | ✔ | ✔ |
Organisations with initiatives for recent arrivals to Australia
| Organisations | Information for Pro Bono Providers | Direct Legal Services | Law Reform |
|---|---|---|---|
| Legal Services Commission of South Australia – Provides a free legal advisory service to immigrants and refugees through its Adelaide office. The migration legal advisory service provides information and advice (but not representation) regarding permanent protection visas, and refusals of permanent protection visas by the Administrative Appeals Tribunal, ‘split family’ humanitarian or family stream visas for recent humanitarian arrivals, and visa cancellations, or refusals, based upon a failure of the character test among others. | For pro bono opportunities in South Australia, please contact JusticeNet SA. | ✔ | ✔ |
Referral organisations
| Organisations | Information for Pro Bono Providers | Direct Legal Services | Law Reform |
|---|---|---|---|
| JusticeNet SA – Provides legal help to those in South Australia with civil law problems when no one else can, including recent arrivals to Australia. | See here. | ✔ |
Tasmania (TAS)
Organisations for recent arrivals to Australia
| Organisations | Information for Pro Bono Providers | Direct Legal Services | Law Reform |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Migrant Resource Centre – Provides expert migration services to achieve timely and cost-effective approvals and outcomes, and specialises in a range of visas including Family and Partner, Humanitarian, Employer, Student, Skilled and Tourist. | See here for volunteer opportunities. | ✔ | |
| Tasmanian Refugee Legal Service – A not for profit refugee legal service whose primary purpose is to relieve the necessitous circumstances of people of refugee background, humanitarian entrants and people seeking asylum who reside in Tasmania through the provision of free and confidential legal services. The Centre provides advice, assistance and representation, such as, but not limited to: visa applications; applications before the Immigration Assessment Authority or Administrative Appeals Tribunal, judicial review before the Federal Circuit Court, and Ministerial Intervention Requests. The Centre also provides a Family Violence Migration Service for temporary visa holders who have experienced, or are experiencing, family violence. | See here for volunteer opportunities. | ✔ |
Victoria (VIC)
Pro bono providers are encouraged to contact the Pro Bono Referral Schemes and Organisations to source pro bono matters. In Victoria, please contact Justice Connect.
Organisations for recent arrivals to Australia
| Organisations | Information for Pro Bono Providers | Direct Legal Services | Law Reform |
|---|---|---|---|
| Asylum Seeker Resource Centre – Provides holistic legal support at all stages of the refugee determination process, including expert refugee law advice and representation at primary, merits review and judicial review stages of the process. Using an integrated service model, and through offices based in Footscray and Dandenong (Melbourne), legal clients are also linked into other non-legal ASRC/other provider services including health, employment, food, emergency relief and support. It provides both full legal representation services as well as limited assistance through a number of legal clinics and advice services staffed by around 150 volunteers under lawyers’ supervision, including a specialised gender clinic for those fearing persecution due to their gender or sexual identify. It also has partnerships with a number of law firms who provide a range of pro bono legal and other supports to its work. It works closely with the Victorian Bar whose members frequently pro bono or conditional costs-based assistance for clients involved in litigation. The ASRC is also actively engaged in advocacy, policy and law reform, working closely with other sectors, and also provides community legal education and training. | For partnership opportunities please see here. For volunteer opportunities please see here. | ✔ | ✔ |
| Refugee Legal – Provides free specialist legal assistance to people seeking asylum, refugees and disadvantaged migrants in the community and in immigration detention in Victoria and across Australia. Legal services provided: telephone advice line, evening advice service, day time casework, including full legal representation, Temporary Protection Visa (TPV) Clinics, strategic ‘test case’ litigation and client and community information sessions. | For volunteer opportunities please see here. | ✔ | ✔ |
Referral organisations
| Organisations | Information for Pro Bono Providers | Direct Legal Services | Law Reform |
|---|---|---|---|
| Justice Connect – helps migrants, refugees and asylum seekers to navigate the legal system. | See here for law firms wanting to become a member. See here for individuals who want to volunteer. | ✔ | ✔ |
Western Australia (WA)
Pro bono providers are encouraged to contact the Pro Bono Referral Schemes and Organisations to source pro bono matters. In Western Australia, please contact Law Access.
Organisations for recent arrivals to Australia
| Organisations | Information for Pro Bono Providers | Direct Legal Services | Law Reform |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Humanitarian Group – Provides professional migration assistance, legal advice and education for people new to Australia who are disadvantaged in their access to legal services. The Humanitarian Group provides legal assistance with protection visas, family reunion visas as well as general legal assistance such as, but not limited to, issues on family violence, slavery, and human trafficking, criminal injuries compensation, child protection, discrimination and criminal matters. | For pro bono opportunities in Western Australia, please contact Law Access. | ✔ | ✔ |
Organisations with initiatives for recent arrivals to Australia
| Organisations | Information for Pro Bono Providers | Direct Legal Services | Law Reform |
|---|---|---|---|
| Southern Communities Advocacy Legal Education Service Inc. (SCALES) – A community legal centre and the site of the Murdoch University legal clinic. SCALES also provides a state-wide service in the area of immigration. | For pro bono opportunities in Western Australia, please contact Law Access. | ✔ | ✔ |
Referral Organisations
| Organisations | Information for Pro Bono Providers | Direct Legal Services | Law Reform |
|---|---|---|---|
| Law Access – Coordinates the provision of pro bono legal assistance by the Western Australian legal profession to not-for-profits and individuals. Law Access established the Lawyers for Refugees Network to boost the capacity of the profession to undertake pro bono referrals in this area of law. The group builds pro bono capacity and expertise by providing training about judicial review and, where required, by pairing less experienced instructors with experienced Counsel or vice versa. | See here – Opportunities are available to lawyers who register on the Law Access lawyer database. The database will send you information about your areas of interest. Law Access also welcomes secondees from private firms who second lawyers on a part-time basis to assist Law Access with triage and assessment of applications. | ✔ | ✔ |