Pro bono legal help for Local Aboriginal Land Councils

20 February, 2017

Pro bono legal help for Local Aboriginal Land Councils
20 February 2017

The NSW Aboriginal Land Council (NSWALC) and Justice Connect have joined forces to fund a lawyer, Phil Duffey, who will provide legal support and training for the State's network of 120 Local Aboriginal Land Councils (LALCs).

Under the two-year pilot project, NSWALC has committed $120,000 per year and will partner with Justice Connect to provide LALCs with legal assistance.

Some of the areas of law LALCs can expect assistance with include property, employment, work health and safety and environment.

Subject to Phil's availability and expertise, all LALCs will be eligible for free telephone advice.

Phil can be contacted on (02) 8599 2123 and at philip.duffey@justiceconnect.org.au

However, Justice Connect's usual eligibility criteria apply for referrals to pro-bono law firms. The eligibility forms can be found at: http://bit.ly/2kO2pwi

NSWALC Chair Roy Ah-See said the partnership would provide LALCs with increased knowledge and confidence about compliance and enhancing skills to manage legal and governance requirements.

"As a result, LALCs can make better use of their time and resources to effectively assist community members and further build their economic self-reliance.

"NSWALC is excited by this opportunity for LALCs to partner with and receive advice from top-tier law firms.

"In every community in New South Wales, there's a Local Aboriginal Land Council which places the Land Rights network in a strong position to partner with organisations like Justice Connect to deliver essential services.

"Many Local Aboriginal Land Councils are located in regional, rural and remote locations where the unmet needs are the greatest."

Acknowledgement

We pay our respects to the Traditional Owners of the lands where we work as well as across the lands we travel through. We also acknowledge our Elders past, present and emerging.

Artwork Credit: Craig Cromelin, from a painting he did titled, "4 favourite fishing holes". It is a snippet of his growing years on the Lachlan River, featuring yabby, turtle, fish and family.

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