Pro Bono in the News – September 2018
Articles of interest to the pro bono community that have been published since our last edition. Click through to read any news article in full.
Articles of interest to the pro bono community that have been published since our last edition. Click through to read any news article in full.
We spoke to expat Davyd Wong, Chair of the Hong Kong Conference Local Organising Committee and in-house counsel at the Hong Kong Monetary Authority, about pro bono in Hong Kong and this year’s Asia Pro Bono Conference.
A list of articles of interest to the pro bono community that have been published since our last edition.
Last month, we wrote about wage theft and the firms undertaking pro bono legal work to secure justice for exploited temporary migrant workers. Shortly afterwards, 4Corners aired an investigation into modern slavery happening inside Canberra’s embassies and the foreign workers that are tricked into inhumane conditions as domestic servants in the nation’s capital. With the plight of temporary migrant workers increasingly under the spotlight, the Diplomacy Training Program’s (DTP) Migrant Worker International Law Reference Tool is a timely resource for advocates.
Articles of interest to the pro bono community that have been published since our last edition.
The focus of this conference continues to be on education and empowerment with a significant number of students attending particularly from the University of Malaya, but also students from Queensland University of Technology in Brisbane and the University of Newcastle. Staff and students from the law faculties of the Universities from the region and NGOs made up about 20-25 per cent of the audience. This, together with the many lawyers from less developed countries in the region and its participatory style gives this conference a unique informality and dynamism.
It was fitting that the 2017 Global Pro Bono Forum (16-19 October 2017) was held in the place where PILnet established its first European clearing house in 2006. Celebrating 20 years since its inception, PILnet staged a forum that brought together many committed and talented public interest lawyers and pro bono enthusiasts to deliver an informative, thought-provoking and inspiring event. Notable was the depth of knowledge and experience of presenters.
The conference was held against the backdrop of pressing issues in Hungary concerning defence of the public interest and respect for the rule of law.
Links to stories of interest to the pro bono legal community that you may have missed. You can also stay up to date on the latest pro bono news by following the Centre’s Twitter feed @AusPBC.
The advent of online legal matching services demonstrates how technology is transforming the practice of law. There are already a growing number of online initiatives pairing lawyers with employers and clients. It’s good for business – but what can it do for pro bono?
A new report prepared by DLA Piper and PILnet focuses on unmet legal need in Hong Kong, identifies legal services gaps across government, legal NGOs and pro bono legal service providers and recommends a way forward.
Here are our Top 2 picks of the articles that have been circulating on the topic of the legal assistance sector and the unity of the legal profession in the wake of the Grenfell Tower fire in London.
Upcoming conferences in 2017 include the NACLC conference (9-11 August, Canberra), the Sixth Asia Pro Bono Conference (30 September-2 October, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia), and the PILnet Global Pro Bono Forum (16-19 October, Budapest, Hungary).