City of Cockburn’s Post

When hundreds of community legal services around Australia who give FREE help to thousands of people each month are in strife, once again it will be people in financial distress, in violent and controlling relationships and who are homeless, most affected.  To add to this challenge, our sector is also struggling to retain trained, experienced and passionate staff— the lifeblood of this important work.  We are calling for additional investment in legal assistance as part of a comprehensive response to meet the justice needs of people across the country (in line with the NLAP Review findings). This will require a much larger Commonwealth contribution to all legal assistance providers under the next NLAP including at least an additional $125 million a year for community legal centres. #CommunityLaw  #FundEqualJustice Mark Dreyfus Jim Chalmers Katy Gallagher Mark Butler Amanda Rishworth Stephen Bates

Rights for Elders. We recognise that First Nations People are some of the most vulnerable and disadvantaged in Australia and, as a rights-based organisation, we are committed to ensuring that our legal, advocacy and information services meet the needs of Indigenous Australian communities. https://lnkd.in/ghgARmx5

Community Legal Centres Australia today released an important report on the state of the community legal sector. CLCA did an excellent job of surveying and collecting data from 117 centres across Australia. As more Australians are experiencing poverty and pressure from the cost of living, more funding is urgently needed to ensure Australians in need can receive legal advice and representation from community legal centres. 💡 Community legal centres turned away an estimated 350,000 clients in 2022-23 - that’s over 1,000 a day. They cannot meet this legal need because of lack of funding and staffing. On average, centres indicated they would need an extra 12 FTE staff to meet current demand. (CLCs have an average of 19 FTE staff.) 💡The top 3 challenges for community legal centres are: lack of funding, staff recruitment and increased client demand. 💡Community legal centres are experiencing a workforce crisis. Particularly in rural, regional and remote communities, community legal centres struggle to recruit and retain employees, when wages are not comparable to private and public sectors (including Legal Aid employees), and many cannot provide career progression pathways due to funding uncertainty. Community legal centres make an incredibly valuable contribution to the community, and deserve better than the current status quo. Read more here: https://clcs.org.au/sots/

Legal issues arise in many situations when dealing with seniors and their livelihood. We can help ease these concerns. #PowerOfAttorney #LegalIssues #EstatePlanning

Legal issues arise in many situations when dealing with seniors and their livelihood. We can help ease these concerns. #PowerOfAttorney #LegalIssues #EstatePlanning

Community legal centres are at breaking point. Due to a national funding crisis, centres are turning away people in crisis.  We are asking the Federal Government to invest in a society where access to legal advice and the justice system is based on need and not based on the size of your bank balance. The Commonwealth Government should increase funding to local community legal services by at least 125 million dollars annually in the 2024 Budget to ensure centres can keep their doors open, support their staff, and begin to address high and increasing levels of unmet demand in their communities. #CommunityLaw  #FundEqualJustice Community Legal Centres Australia Community Legal Centres Queensland Mark Dreyfus Jim Chalmers Katy Gallagher Amanda Rishworth

HELP PROTECT BAYSIDE COMMUNITY LEGAL SERVICE The State election is on 26 October 2024 and Queensland community legal centres are at a critical time, with the National Legal Assistance Partnership ending in June 2025; and a significant State one-year investment that is not yet guaranteed to be continued under the next partnership agreement . The run-up to the State Election is an opportunity to get the Queensland State Government to commit to providing secure funding for Community Legal Centres (CLCs). The key asks in the week of action will be: Include this year’s $12.4 million workforce uplift investment in the base funding for the next partnership agreement; and Ensure that Queensland CLCs have funding certainty by the end of 2024. You can help us by spreading the word - the Bayside needs FREE, accessible legal advice! #Wynnum #tingalpa #hemmant #tingalpatalk #wynnummanly #law #brisbane #manly #lota #volunteering #free #volounteer #Spotlight #heretohelp #LegalAdvice #community

Having completed my journey as a volunteer legal advisor at Citizens Advice in Barking and Dagenham, London, I am delighted to reflect on this transformative experience. Over six months, I gained invaluable qualifying legal experience, for which I am incredibly grateful. Before taking on this role, I underwent two months of intensive training with the Pro Bono Community, followed by three months of certified mentorship on UK GDPR, debt issues, employment law, and redundancy. During my time there, I provided tailored advice on a variety of issues, including rent review clauses, tenancy renewals, homelessness, workplace discrimination, unfair redundancy, and benefits eligibility. One particularly memorable case involved assisting an elderly gentleman in reclaiming his pension after it had been wrongfully withheld. Navigating the complexities of the process and ensuring his pension was restored was deeply rewarding. I also had the opportunity to help a man threatened with homelessness by guiding him through the housing application process, offering him much-needed stability during a critical time. These experiences truly highlighted the profound impact legal support can have on individuals’ lives. Of course, the role came with its challenges, especially when managing distressed or agitated clients. However, through the mentorship of my adviceline supervisor, I developed key skills in problem-solving, case management, and communication, enabling me to provide effective legal support even under pressure. This experience not only strengthened my professional abilities but also broadened my perspective as a lawyer. It deepened my understanding of the legal profession's role in driving social impact and emphasized the importance of empathy, patience, and resilience—particularly when assisting vulnerable individuals, such as single mothers and those facing gender-based violence. I am more committed than ever to using my legal expertise to make a meaningful difference in people’s lives. #LegalAdvisor #ProBono #ClientAdvocacy #SocialImpact #DebtAdvice #EmploymentLaw #HousingLaw #GenderBasedViolenceSupport #LegalExperience #EmpathyInLaw

An important part of public advocacy work is that it allows you to expand your knowledge into other areas of the law. I have realized that we are often the only legal avenue for people regardless of whether it is within the specialized work that we do. Lately, I have been helping a lot of clients and others with legal outreach outside of criminal record sealing and expungement. Many of our clients are low-income and rely on other assistance programs, they are often in need of aid and advice on other matters. Since access to economic and social opportunities is directly connected to whether they have a criminal record, I often have clients looking for well-rounded and informed legal advocates. It is not uncommon for clients to ask for legal advice or assistance in matters related to employment and housing discrimination. As a result, I have become acquainted with matters involving public housing and Section 8 and anti-discrimination policies in federal employment. This way I can refer my clients and provide them with satisfactory resources. Thus, there is never just one “area” of the law that you are required to know. To be an adequate advocate in public interest law, I believe that you should educate yourself on the interacting and interconnected aspects of your job.  #EJAFellowUpdate @Equal Justice America @Greater Boston Legal Services @Northeastern University School of Law https://lnkd.in/e6UKi4Gm 

📣 Did you know? Access to justice is a cornerstone of a just society. However, many Canadians encounter significant legal hurdles without seeking professional assistance. At ABC Foundation, we're on a mission to promote access to justice and provide vital education on legal rights. Together, let's empower individuals to navigate the legal landscape with confidence and fairness. Join us in our efforts to make justice accessible to all. #AccessToJustice #LegalEducation #ABCFoundation #LegalAdvocacy #Empowerment #SocialJustice #CommunityEngagement 🤝✨