Round-Up: 2 March 2023

Story of the week 

Pro bono hours continue to rise, but ‘greater participation’ still needed from BigLaw firms - Lawyers Weekly
Findings from the APBC's 8th National Law Firm Pro Bono Survey show that Australian law firms have once again increased the volume of pro bono hours they undertake annually. However, there remains “room for growth” among the nation’s biggest legal practices — even if capacity is a “major constraint”.

National News

Youth justice overhaul 'directly at odds' with Path to Treaty and Closing the Gap, Queensland government warned
Indigenous leaders and advocates have criticised Queensland's proposed overhaul of the youth justice system as being likely to have a grossly disproportionate impact on young Indigenous people. The government has been warned that the planned changes could also be met with "extreme resistance" from youth detention centre workers who are “already struggling”.

One year on: The ongoing legal fallout of the Northern Rivers floods
One year ago, the first of two catastrophic floods enveloped Northern NSW and Southeast Queensland, leaving tens of thousands of people homeless, businesses destroyed and lives lost. The LSJ spoke with Nicole Jenkins, Northern Rivers Community Legal Centre Manager, to find out how their work has evolved during the last tumultuous 12 months. 

HopgoodGanim pro bono partner wanted to be able to live on the beach 
HopgoodGanim’s Head of Pro Bono, Leanne Collingburn, sat down with Australasian Lawyer to speak about her career path, pro bono practice and the future of the legal sector in Australia. 

NSW's fourth drug court opens in Dubbo as a way to break drug dependency
NSW’s fourth drug court has opened in Dubbo, New South Wales. This marks the expansion of the program, which takes a rehabilitative approach to drug-dependent offenders, by providing access to treatment and support services to help break the cycle of addiction-related offending. 

Shorter Indigenous life expectancy should mean lower pension age, court told
A case has been brought before the Federal Court of Australia, arguing that Indigenous Australians should be entitled to access their age pension from a younger age than non-Indigenous Australians, due to their significantly shorter life expectancy. The case is being brought by the Human Rights Law Centre alongside the Victoria Aboriginal Legal Service and DLA Piper, on behalf of a 65-year-old Indigenous man who is seeking to access the pension three years early. 

We #FixedFundraising: Justice Connect celebrates an advocacy victory of national importance
The Commonwealth, state and territory Treasurers have announced their agreement to a set of nationally consistent fundraising principles. The new National Fundraising Principles will bring an end to seven separate (and inconsistent) sets of onerous fundraising laws, and will enable charities to focus on delivering vital services. This development is a result of Justice Connect’s decade-long #FixFundraising campaign. 

Updates from the sector

Climate Initiatives

The case study describes how Gunns, an Australian logging company, initiated a strategic lawsuit against public participation (a "SLAPP lawsuit") against 20 protestors who were trying to prevent the logging of an old-growth forest in Tasmania. Lander & Rogers provided pro bono legal assistance to one of the protestors, resulting in the case being settled three days before trial. Read the full case study here. 

Have a climate case study to share? Submit it here.

International News

Europe 

One year on: A&O’s global pro bono legal support for Ukrainian refugees
In the year since Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Allen & Overy has partnered with professional organisations, NGOs and other law firms to provided legal support to Ukrainian refugees facing a wide range of legal issues.

North America

Appellate pro bono attorneys step up to defend children
'Defending Best Interests' is an initiative of the Florida Guardian ad Litem Office, in which attorneys act for children in termination of parental rights appeals on a pro bono basis. In doing so, they help remove obstacles to children finding safe and loving homes, as children cannot be adopted while they are the subject of an open appeal. In the five and a half years since the initiative's inception, pro bono attorneys have handled over 560 cases and donated nearly 12,000 hours, representing $3.6 million in in-kind contributions.

Pro Bono Net's Immigrant justice technology incubator Justicia Lab announces $500,000 in funding from Google.org
Justicia Lab, an immigrant justice technology incubator by Pro Bono Net, has received $500,000 in funding from Google.org. Google.org’s support will enable Justicia Lab to nationally scale a free and accessible universal intake and case referral tool. The new integrated platform will provide resources for immigrants to understand the legal system and their rights within it, complete immigration forms, and help connect them to in-person and virtual support.

Latin America and Caribbean

Interest in pro bono on the rise in Colombia 
Pro bono work in Colombia faces challenges due to multiple factors, including insufficient capacity at courts and numerous delays. However, pro bono work has increased and allowed more people to believe in achieving justice, writes Marcela Ayala of Baker Mackenzie Bogotá.