In recognition of the need for greater access to justice in Regional, Rural and Remote (RRR) areas, the UQ Pro Bono Centre partners with social justice legal services to deliver legal advice and assistance throughout Queensland.
This ongoing initiative gives students the opportunity to be involved in the planning and travel associated with justice visits to RRR areas supporting community lawyers. We hope that through this project, students will be encouraged to consider regional legal practice as a career option.
Virtual assistance
Our cohort of skilled law students can remotely assist your community legal centre/community organisation pro bono publico.
The types of work our students can assist with include:
- legal research
- drafting community legal education
- preparing policy or legislative submissions to government
- design/updating of legal materials such as fact-sheets
- casework assistance and preparation for proceedings such as proof-reading submissions, preparing chronologies and lists of authorities, analysing evidence and transcripts.
Email your request for assistance to the UQ Pro Bono Centre (probono@law.uq.edu.au). Please provide a description of the type of support your community legal centre/organisation needs.
RRR Project - Grant assistance
Our grants program is now closed and will reopen again in early 2024. Stay tuned for announcements.
Djaara (Dja Dja Wurrung Clans Aboriginal Corporation)
Our first RRR justice visit involved 3 students and 2 UQ academic supervisors travelling to regional Victoria in July 2022 to meet and work with Traditional Owners following the research and development of a comprehensive report involving cultural loss in Native Title claims. Read more about the project here.
Gulf Communities Outreach
In September 2022, the Centre partnered with Basic Rights Queensland to undertake outreach work in Queensland Gulf communities. Two UQ Law students travelled with Basic Rights Queensland to deliver legal services in Burketown, Cloncurry, Doomadgee, and Mt Isa.
The UQ Pro Bono Centre will be continuing to support student RRR Justice Visits via our forthcoming grants program. Sign up to our community newsletter to stay in the loop.
We are partnering with not-for-profit legal service providers to assist in the delivery of legal services and programs in RRR areas. We can provide financial assistance and student support to projects that aim to deliver legal services to financially disadvantaged and vulnerable people in RRR communities.
Grants of up to $20 000 are available.
Our grants program is now closed and will reopen again in early 2024. Stay tuned for announcements.
This Summer 2024, the UQ Pro Bono Centre is piloting a regional placement offering for LAWS5180 Clinical Legal Education, as part of our Regional, Rural and Remote (RRR) Justice Project.
The students on placement will be shadowing several highly experienced and well-respected community lawyers. This is an outstanding for-credit placement opportunity (LAWS5180) to get hands-on experience in the diverse practice of a regional community legal centre: participating in client interviews, legal research, project work, community engagement, and more, under close supervision.
Please click here for further information.