What happens when legal education goes beyond the classroom and into the community?
At The University of Queensland (UQ) Law School, students have a transformative opportunity to serve the public good by volunteering with the UQ Pro Bono Centre.
Pro Bono Centre volunteers apply their legal education in real-world settings to support disadvantaged individuals who might otherwise struggle to access legal assistance.
Centre Director and Law School researcher Professor Tamara Walsh said there was “no such thing” as the right to free legal advice or representation within the Australian legal system.
“Access to justice can be hard to come by in Australia. Many people who find themselves in need of legal services are really vulnerable and disadvantaged,” Professor Walsh said.
"Often, the only option for free legal advice or assistance is to go to a community legal centre.
“Because community legal centres have very limited resources, a lot of the work we do at the Pro Bono Centre is aimed at supporting them in their important work.
"One of the goals of our Centre is to create legal resources to help people in need find out more about the law and the help that’s out there.”
Founded in 2009 by Professor Walsh and colleagues, the Centre is the only one of its kind in an Australian law school.
In the years since, it has become a cornerstone of legal education at UQ, inspiring students to carry a lifelong commitment to pro bono work into their future careers.
Thanks to the Centre’s partnerships with community legal centres, law firms and advocacy organisations, students have a range of volunteer opportunities at their fingertips, including clinical legal education placements, law reform research projects and community outreach programs.
UQ Law School alum Rachna Nagesh said the work she did through the Pro Bono Centre – including volunteering at Community Legal Centres Qld and participating in the UQ/Caxton human rights case law project – helped her develop the skills and mindset she needed to pursue criminal law after graduation.
“Working with the Centre gave me a deeper appreciation for the importance of access to justice and advocacy for law reform in addition to legal practice,” Ms Nagesh said.
“It’s so valuable to work closely with like-minded students and inspiring supervisors, develop skills important for your future and gain an appreciation for the vital work that the community legal and pro bono sector do.”
Today, Ms Nagesh is on secondment at the Queensland Law Reform Commission on the criminal defences review. She also volunteers at Caxton Legal Centre's evening advice sessions, helping people navigate the criminal justice system.
Professor Walsh said the Centre worked hard to encourage students like Ms Nagesh to see the value in voluntary legal work.
“If we really care about access to justice, it has to start with making lawyers and legal information available to everyone, particularly those who are most vulnerable," she said.
“Our law students at UQ are working towards this goal every day.”
