4 September 2025
Erin Shriner, Senior Executive Lawyer and Andrew Ray, Counsel, recently returned from Port Moresby having delivered pro bono legal training to Papua New Guinea (PNG) government lawyers from 18 to 22 August 2025 on legal research, legal writing, and statutory interpretation.
Historically, AGS has delivered pro bono training in PNG to lawyers from PNG’s Office of the State Solicitor, whose advisory role and role in reviewing proposed legislation and assisting with procurement and commercial transactions are analogous to those of AGS’s Office of General Counsel and Commercial practice areas.
However on this occasion, the training delivered by Erin and Andrew was also attended by lawyers from:
- PNG’s Office of the Solicitor General, whose advocacy role is similar to that of AGS’s Dispute Resolution practice area
- other branches in PNG’s Department of Justice and the Attorney General
- PNG’s Internal Revenue Commission and
- PNG’s Customs Service.
Erin and Andrew’s training was well received by the 39 participants and they had an intense but incredibly rewarding week, enjoying the opportunity to share their knowledge.
The legal research, legal writing, and statutory interpretation training is designed for new starter lawyers, to provide them with key foundational skills for their roles. AGS aims to deliver this training in Port Moresby at least annually and cover other legal topics over the course of up to 4 weeks each year.
The delivery of pro bono training in the Pacific is a key pillar of AGS's pro bono program.