community legal Our Practical Legal disadvantage, find it centres in NSW. Training students difficult to access legal services. Community legal centres We were to have the work for the public assistance of Lauren interest, particularly for Roche from May 2010 until disadvantaged and November 2010 while she marginalised people and completed the practical communities. We placement component of promote human rights, her PLT at the Centre. social justice and equity Lauren has remained in Advice through the provision of the Centre working as a legal services including paralegal. In February strategic casework, 2011, former This year has been community legal administration and referral another busy one for the education and law reform officer Matthew Varley Centre, with 1332 legal campaigns, which joined us to complete his advices provided to advocate for access to PLT placement at the clients. These clients justice, equitable laws Centre. Both Lauren and received advice on a and equitable legal Matt were invaluable to wide range of issues systems. the legal service during including: their placement, assisting The Service us by taking instructions domestic violence and from clients, completing The Legal Service has had apprehended violence research tasks and another busy year orders; victims drafting letters and providing advice, compensation; debt submissions. casework, community matters; vehicle legal education, and law accidents; family law; Our clients reform and policy work for unfair dismissal, unlawful our community. Whilst the service provides termination and advice on most legal underpayment of wages; Our Solicitors issues, the primary discrimination; fines; purpose of the legal consumer complaints; Pip Davis is the Centre’s service is to assist those and complaints about principal solicitor and has people in our community government departments. been with the Centre who experience barriers in since September 2005. accessing legal services. The purpose of the advice Gabrielle Craig joined the Our client base consists of session is to provide clients Centre as a solicitor in Aboriginal and Torres Strait with legal advice and December 2007 and Kellie Islander people, people information to enable a McDonald joined us as a from culturally and solicitor in October 2009. linguistically diverse Arlia Fleming worked with backgrounds, prisoners, us as a solicitor between young people and other November 2010 and April people, who because of 2011. mental illness, disability or social or economic
community legal centres in NSW. Community legal centres work for the public interest, particularly for disadvantaged and marginalised people and communities. We promote human rights, social justice and equity through the provision of legal services including strategic casework, community legal education and law reform campaigns, which advocate for access to justice, equitable laws and equitable legal systems. The Service The Legal Service has had another busy year providing advice, casework, community legal education, and law reform and policy work for our community. Our Solicitors Pip Davis is the Centre’s principal solicitor and has been with the Centre since September 2005. Gabrielle Craig joined the Centre as a solicitor in December 2007 and Kellie McDonald joined us as a solicitor in October 2009. Arlia Fleming worked with us as a solicitor between November 2010 and April 2011. Our Practical Legal Training students We were to have the assistance of Lauren Roche from May 2010 until November 2010 while she completed the practical placement component of her PLT at the Centre. Lauren has remained in the Centre working as a paralegal. In February 2011, former administration and referral officer Matthew Varley joined us to complete his PLT placement at the Centre. Both Lauren and Matt were invaluable to the legal service during their placement, assisting us by taking instructions from clients, completing research tasks and drafting letters and submissions. Our clients Whilst the service provides advice on most legal issues, the primary purpose of the legal service is to assist those people in our community who experience barriers in accessing legal services. Our client base consists of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, prisoners, young people and other people, who because of mental illness, disability or social or economic disadvantage, find it difficult to access legal services. Advice This year has been another busy one for the Centre, with 1332 legal advices provided to clients. These clients received advice on a wide range of issues including: domestic violence and apprehended violence orders; victims compensation; debt matters; vehicle accidents; family law; unfair dismissal, unlawful termination and underpayment of wages; discrimination; fines; consumer complaints; and complaints about government departments. The purpose of the advice session is to provide clients with legal advice and information to enable a
2010-2011-HNCLC-Annual-Report.docx