Law firms
LAW FIRMS AND ILPs
LawRight helps law firms to deliver pro bono work in a strategic and efficient way.
Firms can participate in pro bono work with LawRight by:
- joining the roster for the Court & Tribunal Services in QCAT, Federal Courts and/or State Court services
- partnering with LawRight and a host agency to deliver a Community & Health Justice Partnership
- joining the referral panel for pro bono matters (available to QLS members)
- joining the referral panel for public interest pro bono matters
- joining LawRight as a member, to provide financial support for structured coordination of pro bono work and to have access to all LawRight programs and CLE.
Participation in the Court & Tribunal Services, Community & Health Justice Partnerships and public interest referrals through Pro Bono Connect is available to LawRight members only.
Membership fees
For ILPs, the fee is $500 per 5 unrestricted, practising, Queensland-based solicitors at an ILP.
For Firms, the fee is $500 per Queensland-based partners at a firm.
How firms deliver pro bono through LawRight
LawRight refers clients with eligible public interest matters to member firms willing to help pro bono.
QLS Referral Scheme
Queensland Law Society members can participate in the QLS Pro Bono Referral Service that LawRight coordinates on behalf of the QLS. It is free to join, you choose if and when you take on a matter, and you receive emails about available matters.
- the public interest of the matter;
- the level of hardship faced by the applicant;
- the potential outcome;
- the prospects of achieving a successful outcome;
- the resources required to progress the matter; and
- alternative options available to the applicant – including LawRight’s direct services.
Volunteers from member firms provide discrete help to people involved in court and tribunal proceedings in civil law. The work is done under the supervision and insurance of LawRight staff.
Jurisdictions
Member firms partner with community and health services to help people experiencing homelessness or disadvantage in Brisbane and Cairns.
Locations
- Cairns Homelessness Service Hub
- Brisbane Youth Service
- Micah Projects
- New Farm Neighbourhood Centre
- 3rd Space
- Roma House
In-house legal units
In-house or Government legal units
Corporate and government in-house legal units are well placed to contribute to and benefit from a relationship with LawRight.
Ways to get involved
- join as a member - your membership fee helps us deliver pro bono programs ($1,210 for government legal units, $3,630 for corporate legal unit)
- sponsor a LawRight project
- participate in or sponsor forums and other services provided by LawRight
- second an in-house lawyer to LawRight
- accept referrals for pro bono case work (independently or through co-counsel arrangements with a LawRight member law firm)
The benefits of becoming involved
- LawRight assists your legal department in establishing a pro bono policy and procedures to best suit its corporate identity and philosophy.
- The opportunity to demonstrate your legal department's real support for the ideal of good corporate citizenship.
- Public recognition for pro bono work by your involvement in public interest policy issues.
- Improved recruitment possibilities with many graduates and lawyers seeking out employers with real commitment to pro bono lawyering.
- Wide experience for lawyers, with exposure to diverse legal issues and regular contact with the broader sections of the legal and general community.
- Increased staff satisfaction and retention by involving lawyers in community legal work.
- Regular publication in the LawRight newsletter and other publications of the pro bono activities of its members.
- The knowledge that you are helping people with real problems in practical ways.
- Recognition of the full professional responsibilities of lawyers, wherever they work.
Projects
Involvement in our projects may be of particular interest. For example:
- We received a philanthropic grant from the English Family Foundation to develop legal services for people with mental illness.
- We coordinate the Open Minds Legal Clinic in coordation with DLA Piper, and have trained students to appear as advocates for clients in the Mental Health Review Tribunal.
- In partnership with a number of community organisations, such as the Salvation Army and Mission Australia, we operate the Community & Health Justice Partnerships (CHJPs).
- Through the HPLC, volunteer lawyers with the support of their employers assist people experiencing homelessness during work hours at community host agencies.
- Ashurst seconded a solicitor to set up and initially coordinate the CHJP, and now over 300 lawyers from 24 firms across Brisbane and Cairns volunteer with the CHJP.
- In Victoria, corporate legal units participate in the CHJP.
- Our member firms, professional associations, government departments and corporations send teams to participate in the Queensland Legal Walk, held annually as part of Law Week. The funds raised go to legal services for disadvantages and vulnerable people.
Corporate involvement in pro bono cases is increasing internationally. We can provide further detailed information that will help a corporate legal department decide what its association with LawRight would involve.
Insurance
LawRight's insurance covers involvement by a corporate legal unit participating in our services. The Australian Pro Bono Centre has introduced a Professional Indemnity Insurance Scheme to encourage lawyers that work in corporations and government to undertake pro bono legal work. Cover is available at no charge to the applicant.
Support LawRight-old
Support LawRight
Each year, LawRight supports the Queensland legal profession to deliver around 30,000 hours of pro bono work. Here are some ways that you can support LawRight.
Become a LawRight member
Firms and barristers who are LawRight members participate in pro bono work and support access to justice through a membership fee. Read more about membership.
Deliver strategic pro bono through LawRight
Law firms deliver strategic pro bono work by participating in LawRight’s Court & Tribunal Services, Community & Health Justice Partnerships, Pro Bono Connect and Queensland Law Society referral scheme, Read more…
Barristers contribute depending on their specialty and capacity, providing advices, mediation, repesentation and supporting LawRight’s Court & Tribunal Services, Pro Bono Connect and Bar Association Qld referral scheme, Read more…
Government and corporate legal units can partner with LawRight to do pro bono work. All work is covered by LawRight’s professional indemnity insurance and arrangements can be made for practitioners without practising certificates. Read more…
Individual volunteering or employment with LawRight
Law students support pro bono work and gain valuable experience by participating in student clinics or volunteering at our services. Read more about opportunities for students.
Lawyers generally participate in LawRight throught their firms, but lawyers who are retired or on a career-break may volunteer “in-house” at LawRight, helping staff to coordinate programs and assess client requests. Read more.
LawRight has around 30 staff, including lawyers and admins. Positions are advertised here and on our social media accounts. Read more.
Become a Friend of LawRight
Friends of LawRight support our ongoing work by committing to three annual donations of $1,000. Read more about their contributions and how you can help.
Events
Events
Queensland Legal Walk
The Queensland Legal Walk has brought the legal profession together to celebrate the power of pro bono work for more than 17 years.
The Walk has become a regular fixture in the legal calendar, reflecting a shared commitment to pro bono work and the role the profession plays in supporting people experiencing disadvantage across Queensland.
For more information, follow our socials or check out the Queensland Legal Walk site.
Red Wine for Justice
Red Wine for Justice is a night of good wine and good company, all in support of a great cause.
Past Events
Friends of LawRight
Friends of LawRight
What we do
Friends of LawRight pledge $1,000 a year for three years to support access to justice. By making a donation, you can help LawRight deliver vital services, as well as building independence to develop new services that address the legal needs of disadvantaged communities.
Friends of LawRight receive complimentary invitations to selected LawRight events, a hard copy of our annual report, and are acknowledged publicly (unless anonymity requested).
Why support LawRight
LawRight increases access to housing, income and legal rights and improves the health and wellbeing of vulnerable people.
LawRight partners with the pro bono resources of the legal profession, and with courts, community and health organisations, to deliver civil legal services to people who would not otherwise find a lawyer.
How to Join
Use the link below to complete the form and become a Friend of LawRight.
If you wish to renew, please email us at [email protected].
THANK YOU to our current Friends of LawRight
Adam Connolly
Andrew Buchanan
Andrew Crowe CBE KC
Angela Rae
Claire Schneider
Damian Clothier KC
Hamish Clift
Hon Justice Doyle KC
Hon Justice Thomas Bradley KC
Hon Margaret McMurdo AC
Hon Marshall Irwin
Hon Robert W. Gotterson AO KC
Jacqueline Wootton
Joanne Rennick
Lucy Bretherton
Majella Pollard
Matthew Jones KC
Mei Yin Barnes
Michael Hodge KC
Michael Trim
Nitra Kidson KC
Olga Buchanan
Paul Newman
Randal and Susan Dennings
Salwa Marsh
Tamara McCombe
Tony Denholder
and eight anonymous Friends
Volunteer & Work opportunities
Volunteer & Work opportunities
LawRight encourages First Nations applicants, people from diverse backgrounds, and people with disabilities to apply and seeks to be an inclusive and welcoming employer.
We welcome retired and career break practitioners who wish to volunteer at LawRight and can provide their knowledge, skills and experience to assist disadvantaged Queenslanders, and to mentor students.
Retired practitioners can obtain a volunteer practising certificate from the QLS at no cost, so long as they volunteer through a CLC such as LawRight. Our professional indemnity insurance and volunteer insurance covers lawyers who volunteer with LawRight.
If you would like to assist LawRight by doing pro bono legal work at your firm or chambers (rather than volunteering at LawRight) you may wish to become a member.
Student clinics are organised through the university, who partner with LawRight to support our pro bono services.
Normally, students attend one day per week for the semester and are supervised by a LawRight lawyer.Students receive guidance from experienced practitioners as they help deliver pro bono work. The student clinics help to instil the importance of pro bono in the next generation of lawyers. Each clinic operates one day per week over the university semester.
University of Queensland
- Community & Health Justice Partnerships student clinic – a clinical legal education subject that involves student placements with LawRight and private law firms, focussing on client casework and research. (2 semesters per year) In each university semester, 6 law students participate in the subject, which comprises two major activities:
- Working with volunteer lawyers from private law firms to assist in the provision of legal assistance to people experiencing homelessness or related forms of disadvantage and marginalisation. Over 6 weeks, students are placed with a firm, attend one of the Legal Clinics and participate in casework and other tasks to assist clients to resolve their legal issues; and
- Contributing to the HPLC’s legal research and advocacy work. Students spend 6 weeks in the LawRight office under the supervision of HPLC staff and are involved in research and law reform projects.
To participate, see University of Queensland TC Beirne School of Law’s website.
- Health Advocacy Legal Clinic at Mater – The legal clinic at the Mater Young Adult Health Centre is a partnership involving the Mater Hospital, UQ Law, Social Work and Medical schools. Students help to provide advice and assistance to patients in a variety of areas, including guardianship law, advanced care planning, enduring powers of attorney and care issues for people with a disability.
Queensland University of Technology
- QUT students may consider individual placement subjects through LawRight.
Bond University
- Bond University Litigation clinic – A Bond Law School clinic of 6 students who conduct casework for the LawRight Court & Tribunal Services. (Semester 3 each year). The clinic enables senior Bond University law students to gain practical experience of litigation by conducting casework and research to support LawRight’s Court & Tribunal Services. Students work with LawRight staff to assist in the provision of legal assistance to self-represented litigants in the Queensland Supreme and District Courts, the Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal or the Federal Court and Federal Circuit Court of Australia.
During the semester, students and staff invite guest speakers to discuss civil procedure topics. The guest speaker is usually a member of the judiciary, barrister or a representative of one of our member firms, Legal Aid Queensland or another community legal service.
Griffith University
- Griffith University Social Justice Lawyering Clinic – a clinic of senior law students who undertake initial research and assessment of applications with the Pro Bono Connect Service for public interest referrals. Students also assist with LawRight projects. (Semester 1 each year)
Some universities offer an internship or a practical placement course. If you would like to do an internship at LawRight, speak to your course coordinator about whether your university offers such a course. We prefer that interns work one day per week for a semester.
LawRight primarily works with law firms and in-house legal units, but we welcome individual lawyers who wish to volunteer at LawRight during business hours.
We also welcome students who wish to volunteer outside of student clinic placements.
If you’re interested in volunteering, please:
- follow us on social media to hear when we’re recruiting; or
- email [email protected] with your CV and tell us your interest and availability, in case we have any places available.