Pro Bono News

The University of Queensland is increasing its focus on access to justice for marginalised people by unlocking the benefits digitalisation is delivering for the legal profession.

This summer, six UQ law students travelled to Tennessee for an opportunity to develop their leadership skills while exploring differences between the Australian and United States legal systems.

The University of Queensland TC Beirne School of Law’s Pro Bono Centre has received a prestigious Australian Award for University Teaching.

Strategic Advocacy for Human Rights (SAHR) is a non-profit organisation that aims to increase women’s access to justice through strategic litigation. SAHR’s work is primarily conducted in Afghanistan, and comprises legal research and assistance in litigation and petitions.

In October, law students Jane Hall and Jessica Downing-Ide researched and drafted a submission to the Education, Tourism, Innovation and Small Business Committee in support of the proposed youth justice Bill which would allow 17 year olds to be treated as children in the criminal justice systems.

A University of Queensland law alumna is the inaugural recipient of the Colin Biggers & Paisley Foundation’s Access to Justice (A2J) Prize.

Located in the Brisbane CBD, Working Women Queensland is the service delivery arm for not-for profit organisation Queensland Working Women’s Service Inc. 

From July to August, the Centre examined the availability of legal support services for families involved in coronial inquests in Queensland, in situations where a relative has suffered a workplace fatality.

In September, law students Ashley Chandler, Christopher Vale and Pavlos Nicolas assisted law firm Slater and Gordon to prepare its submission to the Senate Standing Committee into Suicide by Veterans and Ex-Service Personnel. 

In June this year the UQ Pro Bono Centre released the Pro Bono Values Project. The report, What does pro bono publico mean to lawyers? details the findings of the Centre’s first empirical study into the personal values and motivations of lawyers who do pro bono work in Queensland, Australia.