Celebrating 2020

Although 2020 offered many challenges, your pro bono efforts brought lasting and positive change for many.

The legal profession delivered 33,383 pro bono hours in 2019/20 through LawRight – increasing access to justice at 21 community, health and court locations.

From supporting a woman with disabilities at a defamation mediation, to helping a young survivor of sexual violence navigate Centrelink, or restoring dignity to an elderly Torres Strait Islander women who lived without hot water for 8 months  – these opportunities to bring change are the reason LawRight exists.

Our Annual Report has all the details – of our legal casework and services, law reform, events and supporters. It is a “blockbuster”, featuring stories and impacts from each of the locations where we partner. We hope you enjoy it and will bring you highlights from the report in a summer newsletter series, starting in December.

Reconciliation Action Plan

LawRight is both proud and privileged to have launched our RAP. For centuries the legal system has added to challenges faced by First Nations people, and LawRight believes this places an additional responsibility on lawyers to provide constructive and culturally safe services to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander clients. LawRight’s new Acknowledgment of Country echoes the aspirations of the Uluru Statement, which we whole-heartedly support.

AGM

As well as tabling the Annual Report and launching the RAP, we also launched our new website.

at our recent AGM. We farewelled Damien O-Brien QC and Matthew Jones from the Management Committee and are grateful to all new and continuing members of the Committee.

LawRight Management Committee 

President – Roslyn Atkinson AO

Treasurer – Tony Denholder, Ashurst

Secretary – Gabriella Ritchie, McCullough Robertson

Tania Boal, MurphySchmidt

Katie Clarke, MinterEllison

Jacqueline Wootton, Herbert Smith Freehills

Francesca Bartlett, TC Beirne School of Law

Andrew Crowe QC, BAQ

Binny De Saram, QLS

Angela Rae of Counsel

Hamish Clift of Counsel

Every Step Counts

Seventeen LawRight staff registered for the recent Darkness to Daylight challenge to raise awareness for women experiencing domestic violence. Each participant walked, ran or cycled 100km throughout October or teamed up to count joint kms. LawRight has supported D2D every year since its creation in 2014 by our Life Member Rob Reed.

Summer break

We hope you enjoy a refreshing summer break. LawRight offices are closed from COB Wednesday, 23 December 2020, reopening on Monday, 11 January 2021. Next year LawRight turns 20 and we are already planning a series of celebrations, which we look forward to sharing with you in the new year. 

2021 dates

Queensland Legal Walk – Tuesday 18 May
Red Wine for Justice – Friday 6 August
Public Interest Address – Monday 25 October