Working Together

Welcome to the 2008 National Access to Justice and Pro Bono Conference

The Law Council of Australia and the National Pro Bono Resource Centre have teamed up again to host the second National Access to Justice and Pro Bono Conference, to be held on 14 and 15 November 2008 in Sydney.

The conference will centre on the key theme of "Working Together".

About $250 million of work was undertaken on a pro bono basis by Australian solicitors in 2007, and this figure continues to rise. On average, this amounts to every solicitor giving one week each year of their time free of charge to the community.

These figures demonstrate how active the legal profession is within the pro bono arena. Over the course of this two-day conference, you will hear from leading legal practitioners covering topics including:

• Improving the accessibility of justice for the Indigenous people and other disadvantaged litigants,
• Legal funding models,
• Access to justice in rural, regional and remote areas, and
• A review of the jurisdiction of the Federal Magistrates Court.

The Law Council believes the provision of justice to the Australian community is fundamental to the acceptance of the rule of law and to the stability of the community at large.

This conference aims to encourage all those who strive to provide access to justice in Australia to work more closely together and collaborate in projects and programs that will better address the legal needs of Australians.

We hope that you take advantage of the many programming and networking opportunities available that are designed to connect you to new ideas and creative approaches to addressing key access to justice issues.