PRO BONO WORK

AGS’s commitment to pro bono work flows from an integral focus on serving the public interest.

We work closely with our clients and the wider community to deliver pro bono services that respond to a real community need, that use our special skills as government lawyers, and that harmonise with our position as a government-owned legal services business serving the interests of the Commonwealth.

Pro bono referral schemes

Seconding AGS lawyers to work with public interest law clearing houses and other pro bono referral schemes (which receive, assess and refer requests for pro bono legal assistance) is one way in which we have been delivering pro bono services to the community. In Victoria, for example, we have been providing lawyers on rolling, full-time secondments since January 2009 to assist with the work of the Public Interest Law Clearing House (PILCH) in Melbourne, and will continue these secondments in 2009–10.

PILCH’s activities

PILCH Victoria, an independent, not-for-profit organisation, is dedicated to furthering the public interest, improving access to justice, and protecting human rights. It does this by facilitating the provision of pro bono legal services to Victorian individuals and community organisations in need, by undertaking law reform and policy work on issues that impact upon marginalised and disadvantaged members of the community, and by providing community legal education and training.

AGS lawyers Kathy Heba and Astrid Haban-Beer each spent three months on secondment to PILCH in 2009. Their work primarily involved assessing applications for pro bono assistance against PILCH’s public interest criteria, conducting a detailed analysis of the legal issues involved, and managing referrals to PILCH member law firms and barristers. They also assisted with the organisation’s law reform and policy work in areas as diverse as human rights, anti-discrimination, costs recovery and environmental law.

Key projects that Kathy and Astrid were involved in included:

• coordinating the Bushfire Legal Help scheme in response to Victoria’s Black Saturday bushfires
• consulting with community members, not-for-profit organisations, Indigenous organisations and government as part of a scoping project in relation to unmet civil law needs for Indigenous clients
• assisting with the joint submission by PILCH and the Human Rights Law Resource Centre on the review of the exceptions and exemptions in the Equal Opportunity Act 1995 (Vic).

PILCH relies heavily on secondees in carrying out its work. AGS is proud to support PILCH’s significant contribution to enhancing access to justice in Victoria.

Secondee experiences

Kathy Heba: My secondment at PILCH was an immensely positive experience. Helping individuals and not-for-profit organisations that would otherwise be unable to afford legal assistance was very rewarding. It was also an excellent opportunity to broaden my knowledge of areas of law that I had not practised in at AGS. Secondee solicitors and staff at PILCH have diverse backgrounds and interests, and are always willing to share their knowledge and experience. The experience is personally and professionally rewarding, and PILCH certainly values the unique perspective and specialist knowledge of government that AGS lawyers have.

Astrid Haban-Beer: Referring a matter out to a firm can be difficult, depending upon the type of matter, but being able to pass a matter on to a team of lawyers or a barrister who can help a public-interest client on a pro bono basis is extremely satisfying. Most of the top and medium-tier firms are members of PILCH, and many have particular areas of interest such as Indigenous, environmental or women’s rights issues. These firms have cultivated a strong pro bono culture, and it’s exciting for AGS lawyers to join with other firms in undertaking pro bono legal work on an organisational level.