The Student Advisory Panel forms part of the governance structure of the UQ Pro Bono Centre and exists to ensure that student ideas and feedback are directly incorporated into the planning of Centre activities.
In 2023, the Student Advisory Panel members are: Ricqui Bradley, Michelle Brown, Rachel Li, Claudia Philp, James Rochester, Laura Rowswell, Sylvia Stuen-Parker, and Hannah Woodfield.
The UQ Pro Bono Centre has provided me with some of the most meaningful experiences of my undergraduate career. I have undertaken a variety of projects with the Pro Bono Centre which have not only afforded me exposure and practical experience to a range of different areas of law, but also lifelong connections with a number of different community legal centres such as Women's Legal Service and LawRight. Pro bono projects provide a well-rounded perspective of the legal challenges that face the most vulnerable and marginalised in our communities which is something that is not canvassed in the general law school curriculum. I cannot recommend highly enough participating in pro bono work and would encourage everyone to get involved.
- Thilini Joseph (Student Advisory Panel 2022)
Undertaking pro bono work with the UQ Pro Bono Centre has enriched my university experience. It has allowed me to gain invaluable practical legal experience liaising with diverse clients, undertaking research, and drafting legal submissions. It has enabled me to explore legal areas of interest and to apply my theoretical knowledge of the law to real problems while making a meaningful impact in the community. Without joining the UQ Pro Bono Centre, I would not have been exposed to such diverse perspectives on social and cultural problems, and I would not have made the long-lasting connections I have today.
- Hannah Woodfield (Student Advisory Panel 2022-2023)
As a habitually curious law student, the opportunity to engage in a vast and vibrant range of public interest work, law reform initiatives and regional placements through the UQ Pro Bono Centre has deepened my understanding of the law’s socio-political power, and its impact in our community, in ways that no classroom or work experience will replicate. Learning from, and advocating alongside social justice lawyers, community legal centres and not-for-profit organisations has equipped me with an invaluable sense of social awareness, tested the boundaries of my legal knowledge, and instilled an abiding commitment to promoting access to justice throughout my career, for which I will always be immeasurably grateful.
- Sylvia Stuen-Parker (Student Advisory Panel 2022-2023)
Professor Tamara Walsh