Exploring the Value of Pro Bono Work: Students, Public, Courts, Universities

1. Bringing meaning to what pro bono publico really means

2. Pro bono: legal services undertaken voluntarily and without payment as a public service

4. Examining the value of Pro Bono work: • For who? 1. Students 2. The public 3. The courts 4. Universities

5. About Community Legal Practice • 6 unit topic • Held in summer and semesters 1 and 2 each year. • Joint initiative between the Adelaide and Flinders Law Schools • Enrolment quota of 8 students from Flinders • All places are currently with the Adelaide Magistrates Court Legal Advice Clinic

6. About Community Legal Practice • 4 Flinders and 4 Adelaide students work at the clinic each Thursday • Students attend fortnightly seminars • Assessment includes a professional journal and an ‘access to justice’ project

8. Examining the value of Pro Bono work: 1. For the Students participating at the clinic Our Personal Goals

9. Examining the value of Pro Bono work: 1. For the Students participating at the clinic • Our experiences include several compulsory practical exercises: • conduct at least 3 interviews with clients • carry out conflict searches • open new files and close existing ones • observe court hearings

10. Interviewing

11. Conflict Searches

12. Opening and Closing Files

13. Examining the value of Pro Bono work:1. For the Students participating at the clinic Other experiences: • opportunities to draft pleadings • write letters of advice and opinion • perform research at the Adelaide Supreme Court Library

14. Observing Court Hearings

15. Examining the value of Pro Bono work:1. For the Students participating at the clinic Other experiences cont.: • exposure to a variety of practice areas

16. Consumer Protection Dispute Resolution - Fencing & Strata Title Property Tort Evidence Contract Corporate Insolvency Consumer Affairs

17. Examining the value of Pro Bono work:1. For the Students participating at the clinic • Develop time management skills

18. The Clinic’s fabulous staff! From Flinders University: Rachel Spencer Grant Niemann David Bamford

19. The Clinic’s fabulous staff! From Adelaide University: Margaret Castles Georgina Hone

20. The Clinic’s fabulous staff! Managing Solicitor: Christine Christopolous

21. Support from the Magistrates Court Registry

22. Support from the Court’s Administration Authority: Our new location!

23. Support from the Court’s Administration Authority: Our new location!

24. Support from the Court’s Administration Authority: Our new location!

25. Support from the Court’s Administration Authority: Our new location!

26. Examining the value of Pro Bono work: For who? 1. Students 2. The Public 3. The Courts 4. Universities

27. Examining the value of Pro Bono work: 2. For the Public • Client Satisfaction Survey : • 43 participants • 36 positive responses • 5 negative in some aspect responses • 2 denied attendance

28. Examining the value of Pro Bono work: 2. For the Public • Client Satisfaction Survey : • Reasons For Attendance: • to gain advice about a legal matter involving a Defence or commencement of proceedings • procedural assistance for appearance or documentation

29. Data and graph taken from “Client Survey Results” by Sally Cox et al

30. Examining the value of Pro Bono work: 2. For the Public Client Satisfaction Survey : • Positive responses • “ I felt supported” • “received invaluable assistance” • ● Constructive Criticisms: • greater publicity • supervisor present at interviews • offer advice for criminal matters

31. Examining the value of Pro Bono work: 3. For the Courts • 668 files to date • Caseflow Management

32. Examining the value of Pro Bono work: 3. For the Courts • Dr Andrew Cannon • Eases pressure off registry staff • “When the clinic provides competent advice and ensures parties have realistic expectations, then it is an invaluable service for the court and the individuals involved.”

33. Examining the value of Pro Bono work: 3. For the Courts • Dr Andrew Cannon cont. • querulous litigants – • complaining in a petulant or whining manner • majority of unrepresented litigants have genuine • and justifiable claims • Magistrates need to be more aware of the clinic’s existence and services

34. Examining the value of Pro Bono work: 4. For Universities Perpetuating the Flinders Ethos Think, Learn, Lead, Link

35. Examining the value of Pro Bono work: 4. For Universities Community Legal Practice enables us to: THINK independently and LEARN a range of skills that will assist in our development as lawyers. We are LEADing the way to access justice and LINKing Flinders University with the community.

36. Examining the value of Pro Bono work: 4. For Universities • Promoting Community Legal Practice: • Advocates legal work with a social focus

37. Examining the value of Pro Bono work: 4. For Universities • Promoting Community Legal Practice: • expands on practical skills learnt from core law topics

38. Mooting - Contract Pleadings and Files - Civil Litigation Interviewing - Lawyering & Administrative Law Legal Research - Legal Method& History & Philosophy of Law Group work skills- Constitutional Law & Criminal Law& Procedure Drafting- Professional English

39. Examining the value of Pro Bono work: 4. For Universities • Promoting Community Legal Practice: • Strengthens relationship between Flinders and Adelaide Law schools

40. Examining the value of Pro Bono work: 4. For Universities • Promoting Community Legal Practice: • ensures that students find out about the topic

41. Community Legal Practice The Future • Popularity growing • Increasing demand for places • Additional placements offered from Semester 2, 2007

42. Community Legal Practice The Future • Additional placements: • 2 places at the Tenants Information and Advice Service • for students who have studied Housing Law • 2 places at the Refugee Law and Policy Clinic • for students who have studied Australian Immigration & Refugee Law

43. In Conclusion • Today we have: • Talked to you about Community Legal Practice • Explained how the Magistrates Court Legal Advice Clinic works • Illustrated the positive impact the clinic has on students, the public, the court and universities

44. In Conclusion We hope that you can raise awareness about this topic amongst students and continue to support all pro bono work undertaken by students and fellow staff from Flinders University

45. Thank you for your time!