Community Legal Centres NSWs' sessions are not accredited by the NSW Law Society, however many may be eligible for CPD points. 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.
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. Register to attend ≫
This Quarterly will be a face-to-face event, with the option to join online. We encourage all people who are able to attend in-person to do so. There was strong feedback from the November event about how lovely it was to connect in person.
When
- Tuesday 7 March, 9.00am-5.00pm.
- Wednesday 8 March, 9.00am-5.00pm
Where
- In person: NSW Teachers Federation Conference Centre, 37 Reservoir St, Surry Hills
- Online: Zoom. Registrants will be emailed the Zoom links.
Register to attend ≫
Family Law/Domestic Violence training
In addition to the Quarterly Program, Women's Legal Service NSW is presented 2 days of Family Law/Domestic Violence training:
- Tuesday 7 March, 9.30pm-4.00pm
- Wednesday 8 March, 9.30pm-4.00pm
Details:
- Location: Sydney CBD
- Must have pre-registered
- This is in-person and is not available online or recorded
- Available as a recorded modules from May 2023
Program
Yarn Up is a forum specifically for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander workers in community legal centres to gather, provide support, and discuss key policy and practice issues.
When
- Monday 6 March, 9.30am-3.00pm
Where
This Yarn Up will be a hybrid event.
- In person: Gilbert + Tobin: Two, International Towers, Level 35 Tower/200 Barangaroo Ave, Sydney, Gadigal Land.
- Online: Zoom. Registrants will be emailed the Zoom links.
Register for Yarn Up »
Tuesday 7 March
9:30am - 11am
Opening Plenary: Nothing about us without us: Listening to First Nations voices through genuine and meaningful consultation
We can't create better outcomes for Aboriginal people through advocacy, law reform or service delivery without engaging in consultation and engagement with First Nations people and communities. Collaboration and co-design is essential to ensure local Aboriginal people and communities have control over how they want to be engaged, and the outcomes they want to see.
This session brings four centres together that have worked to create relationships and positive expectations about best practice consultation and negotiation when working with Aboriginal people. Arts Law, Central Coast, PIAC and Women's' Legal Service have a strong commitment to consultation and use different models in their work that are founded on principles of respect, deep listening and creating culturally safe workplaces.
Presenters:
Jo Driessens, Artists in the Black Coordinator I Arts Law Centre
Robyn Ayres, Chief Executive Officer I Arts Law Centre
Central Coast CLC First Nations Team: Barry Duncan, Wayne Cooke, Kristy Groat-Barber and Brooke Rosthorne
Deborah Macmillan, Chief Executive Officer I Central Coast CLC
Jonathon Hunyor, CEO I Public Interest Advocacy Centre
Helen Campbell, Executive Officer I Women’s Legal Service NSW
Open meeting: all welcome
Meeting recorded
Ethics & Professional Responsibility; Professional Skills
Tuesday 7 March
11am - 11:30am
Morning Tea
Tuesday 7 March
11:30am - 1pm
Talking justice: values-based messaging for community legal centres
Join Community Legal Centres NSW as we launch Talking Justice, a values-based messaging guide for community legal centres. This training session will cover best-practice guidance and recommendations in using language that reflects our values, boosts understanding of community legal centres, and builds public support for social justice and progressive change.
Talking justice has been developed specifically for people who work at community legal centres, those passionate about social justice, or people who work at other community-based organisations. Whether you are a director, community lawyer, social worker, law reformer, Aboriginal legal access worker, communicator, or volunteer: this training is for you.
Presenter: Stella Maynard, Media & Communications Manager I Community Legal Centres NSW
Open meeting: all welcome Session recorded Professional Skills; Practice Management & Business Skills
Tuesday 7 March
1pm - 2pm
Lunch
Tuesday 7 March
2pm - 3:30pm
Best practice law reform: cross-sector collaboration on Coercive Control legislation
The introduction of Coercive Control legislation in NSW was a long and contested process with hard lines around many aspects of the proposed offence. In this session we talk about how we negotiated from different positions to come to a shared position, consensus-building in law reform coalitions, joint advocacy and the power of a shared voice.
Presenters:
Sarah Marland, Policy and Advocacy Manager I Community Legal Centres NSW
Renata Field, Team Manager, Policy, Advocacy and Research Manager I Domestic Violence NSW
Rachael Martin, Principal Solicitor I Wirringa Baiya Aboriginal Women’s Legal Centre
Liz Snell, Law Reform and Policy Co-ordinator I Women’s Legal Service NSW
Open meeting: all welcome Session recorded Professional Skills; Practice Management & Business Skills
Tuesday 7 March
3:30pm - 3:45pm
Afternoon Tea
Tuesday 7 March
3:45pm-5pm
TBA
Wednesday 8 March
9:30am - 11am
Ethics: The grey areas: Do our ethics and professional responsibilities ensure we treat vulnerable people well?
The rules around issues like a conflict of interest and confidentiality are straight-forward...aren’t they? In this session, we discuss whether the application of rules around professional responsibility rules pose challenges for us as lawyers and whether they disadvantage vulnerable clients. Join a thoughtful discussion on the intersection of the legal practice rules and the reality of working with clients who experience disadvantage.
Part three of a series
Presenters:
Arlia Fleming, Director & Principal Solicitor I Central Tablelands and Blue Mountains Community Legal Centre
Sarah Dale, Centre Director & Principal Solicitor I Refugee Advice and Casework Service
Rachael Martin, Principal Solicitor I Wirringa Baiya Aboriginal Women’s Legal Centre
Open meeting: all welcome Session recorded Ethics & Professional Responsibility; Practice Management & Business Skills
Wednesday 8 March
11am - 11:30am
Morning Tea
Wednesday 8 March
11.30am - 1pm
Building a Dream Team: State-wide collaborations
The Financial Abuse Service at Redfern Legal Centre provides legal services to victim survivors of family violence across NSW. To support clients from Broken Hill to Byron Bay to Bega, we work with local services in different regions and different practice areas to ensure that clients get the multi-disciplinary help and support they need. Those local services mean we can provide practical, wrap-around assistance, and ensure that our service is safe and effective – even when provided from a great distance.
In this session, we will share lessons learned and provide examples of how we have worked effectively with regional services to provide a specialist state-wide service from a metro area. We will workshop case studies of working closely with services on the ground in regional areas, through all stages of a client’s matter, to resolve financial problems resulting from domestic violence. And the results-improving the way we work together for the benefit of clients, adding value to complementary services and building their capacity to assist clients; and harnessing the benefits of the “post-Covid” world to collaborate closely, even when we’re far apart.
Presenters:
Rebecca Campbell, Solicitor I Financial Abuse Service NSW I Redfern Legal Centre
Amelia Klein, Solicitor I Financial Abuse Service NSW I Redfern Legal Centre
Open meeting: all welcome Session recorded Professional Skills; Practice Management & Business Skills
Wednesday 8 March
1pm - 2pm
Lunch
Wednesday 8 March
2pm - 3:30pm
Decision-making ability and making decisions about capacity
Can you assess whether a client can give instructions? How do you navigate questions about decision-making ability sensitively with the client? Can decision making ability change from day to day?
The reality is if a client doesn’t have the capacity to give instructions it’s difficult for them to get legal help. Join Seniors Rights Service and Intellectual Disability Rights Service who grapple with these issues daily to learn from their knowledge and expertise in finding practical solutions to the complex issues of decision-making capacity.
Presenters:
Melissa Chaperlin, Solicitor I Seniors Rights Service
Jennifer Smythe, Solicitor I Intellectual Disability Rights Service
Open meeting: all welcome Session recorded Ethics & Professional Responsibility; Professional Skills
CLCNSW Annual General Meeting
This is Part 2 of the Coordinators and Directors meeting. All are welcome to join the AGM.
Chaired by: Deb Macmillan, Chairperson | CLCNSW
Open meeting: all welcome Session not recorded
Wednesday 8 March
3:30pm - 3:45pm
Afternoon Tea
Wednesday 8 March
3:45pm - 4:45pm
Showcase: Innovation, practice and technology: First steps: Solutions to finding legal help and responding to requests for help
Information technology is moving at a rapid pace and community legal centres are embracing changes to the way we work that better assist clients and staff. Justice Connect have been working on a Diagnostic AI project with the University of Melbourne to help people navigate legal assistance services and IARC who have revolutionised their practice, creating an on-line intake system that allows them better oversight of the work they are doing and making their lives (slightly!) easier.
Presenters:
Joshua Strutt, Centre Director and Principal Solicitor (Acting) I Immigration Advice & Rights Centre
Rose Hyland, Innovation Project Lead | Innovation and Engagement I Justice Connect
Tom O'Doherty, Innovation Manager | Innovation and Engagement I Justice Connect
Open meeting: all welcome Session recorded Practice Management & Business Skills
CPD points