Skills development, training and collaboration are important. That's why we organise Quarterlies – a chance for everyone who works at community legal centres in New South Wales to catch-up, learn, share experiences, and coordinate advocacy.
This August, given the ongoing Covid-19 outbreak, our Quarterlies will be online. The launch of Change takes community: Action for a fairer future at NSW Parliament House will be a hybrid event, both in-person and streamed on Zoom.
All community legal centre staff registered on the Off the Record mailing list will receive a program with Zoom links. Sign up to the mailing list. There is no need to register your attendance.
If you have any questions, please call Imogen on 0479 138 173 or email clcnsw@clcnsw.org.au.
Program
Monday 8 August
9.30am-3.00pm
Yarn Up
For Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander staff at community legal centres to meet and discuss key policy and practice issues.
Convenors: Zachary Armytage, Aboriginal Legal Access Program Coordinator, Community Legal Centres NSW
For Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander workers only
Meeting not recorded 
Ethics & Professional Responsibility I Substantive Law I Professional Skills
Monday 8 August
11.30am-1.00pm
Domestic Violence & Victim's Compensation Network
Training: National compensation scheme for survivors of modern slavery consultation
Presenter: Jennifer Burn (Anti Slavery Australia)
The network discusses issues affecting domestic and family violence (DV/FV) and victims compensation policies and legislation. It makes recommendations to government and non-government bodies.
Convenors: Sarah Dahlenburg (Mid North Coast Legal Centre) and Karen Mifsud (Women's Legal Service NSW)
Open meeting: all welcome Meeting not recorded. Training will be recorded
Monday 8 August
1.30pm-3.00pm
Admin and Finance Network
The network discusses current operational issues for centres.
Convenor: Kerrith Sowden (Refugee Advice and Casework Service)
Open meeting: all welcome Meeting not recorded. Training will be recorded
Tuesday 9 August
9.30am-11.00am
Opening Plenary: Change Take Community - Advocating for Change
We have a new Federal government and a State election in seven months. How can Community Legal Centres respond to these external circumstances to make our communities fairer, safer, more inclusive, more secure and put people back in charge of their own lives.
Presenter: Sarah Marland (Community Legal Centres NSW)
Open meeting: all welcome Meeting not recorded
Tuesday 9 August
11.30am-1.00pm
Coordinators & Directors (Part 1)
Convenors: Arlia Fleming (Blue Mountains and Central Tablelands Community Legal Centre) and Robert Pelletier (Macarthur Legal Centre)
Meeting for Coordinators & Directors Meeting not recorded Practice Management & Business Skills
Prisoner's Rights Working Group
The network is for staff who visit clients in prison, work for, or have an interest in prisoners’ rights to share their experience, discuss current issues and contribute to policy development.
Convenor: Open for nomination
Open meeting: all welcome Meeting not recorded
Tuesday 9 August
1.30pm-3.00pm
Coordinators & Directors (Part 2)
Convenors: Arlia Fleming (Blue Mountains and Central Tablelands Community Legal Centre) and Robert Pelletier (Macarthur Legal Centre)
Meeting for Coordinators & Directors Meeting not recorded Practice Management & Business Skills
Family Law, Care & Protection Network
This network discusses issues in family law and child protection practice, policy and legislation and makes recommendations to government and non-government bodies.
Convenors: Kenn Clift (Intellectual Disability Rights Service), Luke Carr (Redfern Legal Centre), Symmon Andrews (Central Coast Community Legal Centre).
Open meeting: all welcome Meeting not recorded
Safer spaces: Trans-inclusive practices
This is a repeat of a session run at the November 2021 Quarterly. Creating spaces that are inclusive for trans and gender diverse folks may be easier than you think. It starts with understanding. This session will break down the acronym to situate trans and gender diverse people, explain what non-binary actually means and then provide you with practical ways to make your centre a safer place for trans folks to visit.
Presenter: Imogen Brackin (Office Manager, Community Legal Centres NSW & Trans-inclusivity trainer)
Open meeting: all welcome Session not recorded
Tuesday 9 August
3.15pm-4.45pm
Showcase: Innovation, practice and technology: Advocating to protect victims and survivors of child abuse from claims farming practices
Since the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse we have seen a proliferation of claims farming practices targeting victims and survivors of child abuse throughout Australia. knowmore has been advocating for legislative protections to be introduced in all states and territories to ensure victims and survivors are protected from harassment and exploitation when pursuing their legal rights to compensation and redress. In this presentation, we will discuss new laws that have been introduced in Queensland to address these practices and our current advocacy in NSW.
Presenters: Lauren Hancock and Melanie Morgan, Law Reform and Advocacy Officers at knowmore legal service.
Open meeting: all welcome Session recorded
Community Legal Education (CLE) Workers Network
This network discusses activities, experiences and emerging practices in community legal education.
Convenors: Nalika Padmasena (Seniors Rights Service) and Melanie Kallmier (Mid North Coast Community Legal Centre).
Open meeting: all welcome Meeting not recorded
First Nations Justice Working Group
In the midst of the Black Lives Matter uprising, we were presented with a number of tangible areas where community legal centres are able to support Aboriginal communities’ fight for justice. This group is a place where we can share experience and knowledge about how we can better support and engage in First Nations justice work, and keep us accountable for the commitments we've made and continue to make going forward.
Convenors: Zachary Armytage (Aboriginal Legal Access Program Coordinator, Community Legal Centres NSW).
Open meeting: all welcome Meeting not recorded
Wednesday 10 August
9.30am-11.00am
Trauma informed practice Kozarov: Employers duty of psychosocial care
This recent High Court decision has big implications — both for workers and employers — about who is responsible when there's a psychiatric injury at work. The High Court found that the employer was duty-bound to exercise reasonable care to protect Ms Kozarov against risks to her mental health, in line with their policies and procedures, including their vicarious trauma policy. The decision shifts the onus of burden back onto employers to implement a safe system of work for all staff, including in instances of psychiatric injury.
Presenter: Samantha MangwanaI (Practice Leader, Special Counsel ‑ Employment Law Shine Lawyers)
Open meeting: all welcome Session recorded
Law Reform and Policy Network
Training: Navigating government. How to find the right person to speak to.
This network discusses issues and strategies for law and policy reform.
Convenors: Alistair Lawrie (Public Interest Advocacy Centre) & Sarah Marland (Community Legal Centres NSW).
Open meeting: all welcome Training recorded. Meeting not recorded.
Youth Advocacy Network
This network discusses legal issues that affect young people.
Convenor: Matthew Keely (Director, Youth Law Australia).
Open meeting: all welcome Training recorded
Wednesday 10 August
11.30am-1.00pm
Communications Network
Good communications can change hearts and minds. This network discusses strategies, lessons and challenges in media engagement, storytelling, messaging, and social media for community legal centres.
Convenors: Finn O'Keefer (Redfern Legal Centre), Stella Maynard (Community Legal Centres NSW), Elise Newton (South West Sydney Legal Centre).
Open meeting: all welcome Meeting not recorded
PII (Professional Indemnity Insurance) Committee Meetings
Requirement for attendance under RMG and PII for Principal Solicitors.
Convenor: Ali Mojtahedi (Principal Solicitor, Immigration Advice and Rights Centre.
Only open to Principal Solicitors. Where the Principal Solicitor is unable to attend, they can nominate someone else to attend in their place by emailing officemanager@clcnsw.org.au Meeting not recorded
Wednesday 10 August
1.30pm-3.00pm
RRR (Rural Regional and Remote) Network
The network discusses issues involved in providing services in RRR areas.
Convenors: (Julia Adamski, Hunter Community Legal Centre), Cassandra Coleman (Warra-Warra Family Violence Prevention Legal Service), Stacy Treloar (Far West Community Legal Centre).
Open meeting: all welcome Meeting not recorded
Employment and Discrimination Law Network
The network discusses issues employment and discrimination law.
Convenors: Sarmilla Bargon (Redfern Legal Centre), Anastacia Coronea (Youth Law Australia)
Wednesday 10 August
3.15pm-4.45pm
Health Justice Partnerships (HJP)
This newly-convened network is not just for centres with health justice partnerships. The way we work in community legal centres is client focussed and in collaboration with other stakeholders - and this is central to the success of health justice partnerships. Come along to learn and contribute to the discussion about working with clients in an interdisciplinary practice.
Convenors: Caroline Odgers (Justice Connect), Diane Agnosis (Kingsford Legal Centre)
Open meeting: all welcome Meeting recorded for internal note taking
Developing a Community of Practice: Vicarious Trauma
A newly-convened group, it will work in a community of practice model. Our first meeting will cover what a community of practice is and will look at how two practices work with vicarious trauma. There will be lots of opportunity for discussion and information sharing.
Convenors: Kim Richardson (Youth Law Australia), Ken Beilby (Central Coast Community Legal Centre)
Open meeting: all welcome Meeting not recorded
Thursday 11 August
12.45pm-2.30pm
Parliamentary launch: Change takes community – Action for a fairer future
Join Attorney General Mark Speakman and Community Legal Centres NSW at this parliamentary launch of Change takes community: Action for a fairer future.
Register to attend in-person or online ≫
Change takes community presents the community legal sector’s holistic vision for justice, a comprehensive set of legislative and policy reforms will ensure that our communities are fairer and more-inclusive places, where everyone is housed, safe, and has the support they need to thrive and participate.
Change takes community draws upon the community legal centre sector’s extensive experience delivering 185,000 frontline legal services to over 54,000 people across New South Wales every year. As services at the coalface, community legal centres are uniquely placed to identify structural and systemic issues and develop meaningful solutions to these barriers to justice.
Hear from frontline workers and legal experts, learn about the complexities and challenges faced by communities experiencing disadvantage across New South Wales, and be inspired by the solutions that will set us on the path to a more-just future.
Guest speakers
- The Hon. Mark Speakman SC MP, NSW Attorney General
- The Hon. Michael Daley DipLaw MP, Shadow Attorney General
Panel: Lessons from the frontline
- Christine Robinson, Coordinator, Wirringa Baiya Aboriginal Women’s Legal Centre
- Nicole Jenkins, Centre Manager, Northern Rivers Community Legal Centre
- Carolyn Jones, Principal Solicitor, Youth Law Australia
- Sharmilla Bargon, Senior Solicitor, Redfern Legal Centre
This will be a hybrid event. In-person attendees will be provided with lunch and the chance to connect with colleagues and Parliamentarians. The launch will be live-streamed over Zoom.
- 12:45pm: Doors open, Theatrette, NSW Parliament House
- 1:00pm-2pm: Change takes community launch (live-streamed)
- 2pm-2:30pm: Networking
The launch of Change takes community: Action for a fairer future is hosted by Attorney General Mark Speakman SC MP.
CPD points
Community Legal Centres NSW indicates whether a session may be appropriate to attract Continuing Professional Development (CPD) points but takes no responsibility if the content does not meet CPD requirements. Sessions are not accredited by the NSW Law Society. Community legal centre solicitors should make their own assessment of whether the session meets their CPD requirements, and maintain their own records for meeting CPD requirements. Further information about CPD requirements are available on the Law Society NSW website.