Tuesday 22 November
9.30am-3.00pm

Yarn Up | Register

For Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander staff at community legal centres to meet and discuss key policy and practice issues. Yarn Up is open to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander workers at Community Legal Centres NSW's member centres. We encourage everyone - no matter your role or how new you are to the sector - to join us.

Yarn Up will be a hybrid meeting. 

• 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

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

Wednesday 23 November
9.30am-11.00am

Opening Plenary

• Welcome to Country
  Aunty Joan Bell
   
• Short film screening: Living under threat (12 mins)
  Watch the preview of a film about Northern Rivers Community Legal Centre and the devastating 2022 Lismore Flood (produced by Community Legal Centres NSW). Opening remarks by Nicole Jenkins, (Centre Manager, Northern Rivers Community Legal Centre) and Stella Maynard (Community Legal Centres NSW). 
   
• Opening plenary – Disasters and Emergencies: Learning from international experiences of preparedness and response. 
  In emergencies we know that local actors are always the first responders; that is true internationally as it is here in Australia. We also know that preparedness, co-ordination and shared effort is key to implementing dignified disaster responses. Supporting locally led responses and recovery is critical to both immediate and long-term outcomes for communities and individuals impacted by crises. In this plenary we will hear from Anthea Spinks, Director of Programs at Oxfam Australia who has spent her career working in international humanitarian and development

  Presenter: Anthea Spinks (Director of Programs, Oxfam Australia) oversees the units within Oxfam that implement international programs across 25 countries as well as First Peoples’ programming and advocacy that is implemented alongside partners in Australia. Anthea has over 20 years of experience working in international programmes with a focus on humanitarian and conflict affected contexts. 

 Open meeting: all welcome

Wednesday 23 November
11.00am-11.30am

Morning tea

Wednesday 23 November
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

Domestic Violence & Victim's Compensation Network

A/Commissioner Annette Farrell and Principal Policy Manager Deanne Black from Victims Services will be attending the Domestic Violence & Victim's Compensation Network meeting to provide a Victims Services update and respond to questions. 

Convenors: Sarah Dahlenburg (Mid North Coast Legal Centre) and Karen Mifsud (Women's Legal Service NSW)

Open meeting: all welcome
 Meeting not recorded

Communications Network

Convenors: Finn O'Keefe (Redfern Legal Centre), Stella Maynard (Community Legal Centres NSW), Elise Newton (South West Sydney Legal Centre). 

Open meeting: all welcome
 Meeting not recorded

Wednesday 23 November
1.00pm-2.00pm

Lunch (provided for in-person attendees) 

Wednesday 23 November
2.00pm-3.30pm

Legal Assistance for Families: Partnership Agreement (LAFPA)

An agreement focused on working collaboratively to achieve the best and safest outcomes for families. This agreement is relevant and applicable to all families who have contact with the child, youth and family division of the Department of Communities and Justice. The Legal Assistance for Families: Partnership Agreement (‘LAFPA’) heralds the beginning of a new collaborative relationship between Legal Aid NSW (‘Legal Aid’), the Aboriginal Legal Service (‘ALS’) and the Department of Communities and Justice (‘DCJ’). It also consolidates existing processes in the one place.

Presenter: Katie Kelso (Deputy Director Family Law, Legal Aid NSW).

Session organised by the Family Law and Care & Protection & Network. 

Convenors: Luke Carr (Redfern Legal Centre), Symmon Andrews (Central Coast Community Legal Centre).

 Open meeting: all welcome
 Meeting not recorded. Training recorded

Unfair dismissal matters: Are certain workers NSW public servants or not?

Presenter: Joe Kennedy (Industrial Relations Commission of New South Wales)

Session organised by the Employment and Discrimination Network

Convenors: Sharmilla Bargon (Redfern Legal Centre), Anastacia Coronea (Youth Law Australia)

 Open meeting: all welcome
 Meeting not recorded. Training recorded

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

Wednesday 23 November
3.30pm-4.00pm

Afternoon tea

Wednesday 23 November
4.00pm-5.00pm

Live recording of a podcast for Hearsay, the Legal Podcast

Ever thought about doing a podcast? Come and listen to a live recording exploring the amalgamation of the Federal Circuit and Family Court, family violence, and the Lighthouse Project. Learn about what it takes to make a good podcast. 

Hearsay combines an interview-format podcast with e-learning multimedia content to enable you to obtain your CPD points in a convenient and flexible way.   

Presenter: David Turner (Founder and Head of Operations, Hearsay The Legal Podcast) and Brett McGrath (Senior Judicial Registrar, Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia).

Community Legal Education Workers Network

Community Legal Centres NSW has developed a Free Legal Resources Hub, which brings together the factsheets and resources developed by community legal centres into a single digital page. Come and see the draft hub, provide feedback, and help develop principles for collaborating and maintaining the hub. This short presentation will be followed by a general Network Meeting. 

Presenter: Stella Maynard, Media & Communications Officer, Community Legal Centres NSW. 

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.

Wednesday 23 November
5.00pm-5.45pm

Networking and drinks

Wednesday 23 November
5.45pm-7.00pm

Screening of NINGLA-ANA, Australia’s greatest protest documentary

Capturing the early days of the Aboriginal Tent Embassy – a hugely influential symbol of sovereignty that began as a beach umbrella erected by four activists in 1972. The launch of the Tent Embassy marked the first time many saw First Nations people confronting the establishment. Protestors congregated, marched, occupied public spaces and clashed with cops, and brought the struggle for land rights to the world.

Community Legal Centres NSW invites you to join us in person to watch this important documentary.

Runtime: 72 minutes
Produced: 1972, rereleased 2022
Director and producer: Alessandro Cavadini

Thursday 24 November
9.30am-11.00am

COVID Fines and the Rule of Law  

Over 62,000 COVID fines were issued in NSW.  By 31 January 2022 - 266 principal and amending public health orders had been issued. The public health orders were a moving beast and disproportionately impacted on those living in low socio-economic areas.  Redfern Legal Centre is representing three plaintiffs in a Supreme Court case which seeks to contest the validity of COVID fines. This presentation will discuss COVID fines and the application of the rule of law.

Presenter: Samantha Lee (Senior Solicitor, Redfern Legal Centre)

 Open meeting: all welcome
 Training recorded

Law Reform and Policy Network

This network discusses issues and strategies for law and policy reform.

Convenors: Alistair Lawrie (Public Interest Advocacy Centre), Sarah Marland (Community Legal Centres NSW), Sean Bowes (knowmore)

Open meeting: all welcome
 Meeting not recorded. 

Community of Practice: Vicarious Trauma

A newly-convened group exploring what a community of practice is and vicarious trauma in the community legal sector.

Convenors: Kim Richardson (Youth Law Australia), Ken Beilby (Central Coast Community Legal Centre)

 Open meeting: all welcome
 Meeting not recorded

Thursday 24 November
11.00am-11.30am

Morning tea

Thursday 24 November
11.30am-1.00pm

PII (Professional Indemnity Insurance) Committee Meetings

Requirement for attendance under RMG and PII for Principal Solicitors.

Convenor: Pip Davis (Principal Solicitor, Women’s Legal Service NSW) & Natalie Ross (Principal Solicitor, Welfare Rights Legal Service)

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

First Nations Response: Lessons in caring for community

First Nations Response is a grassroots group that supports community in the Inner West of Sydney by delivering food relief, readymade meals, Elders check-ins and care packages, new and used phones, and furniture. It is entirely run and sustained by volunteers. Join Coral Lever to hear about how First Nations response started, their approach to community care, and what it means to support communities experiencing both short-term crises (like Covid) and long-term crises (like food insecurity, poverty and colonisation).

Presenter: Coral Lever (First Nations Response)

Thursday 24 November
1.00pm-2.00pm

Lunch

Thursday 24 November
2.00pm-3.30pm

Bad Santa: Employment Law and Work Xmas Parties

Employment solicitors will discuss recent employment law cases arising out of the ubiquitous work Christmas party. With many employers holding their annual end of year staff parties, 'tis the season to attend this important session even if you don't practice in employment law.

Presenters: Emma Wise and Martika Trpenovska (Solicitors, Employment Rights Legal Service, Inner City Legal Centre). Introduced and facilitated by Sharmilla Bargon (Co-ordinator of the Employment Rights Legal Service, Redfern Legal Centre). 

RRR (Rural Regional and Remote) Network

In the face of ever-growing difficulties with RRR recruitment, the Law Council of Australia has piloted the ‘Digital Treechange’ initiative. Aimed at overcoming the ‘barrier of the unknown’ for lawyers considering RRR practice, the initiative provides for candidates to work remotely for a participating workplace for a defined trial period. While in its early stages and designed predominately with the private sector in mind, the program aims to be flexible enough to be used in other sectors, including the community legal sector. Please email through any questions for the presenters to Cassandra Coleman ahead of time. 

Presenters: Natalie Cooper (Law Council of Australia) & Nathan MacDonald (Law Council of Australia)

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

Thursday 24 November
3.30pm-4.00pm

Afternoon tea

Thursday 24 November
4.00pm-5.30pm

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

Youth Advocacy Network

This network discusses legal issues that affect young people.

Convenor: Matthew Keely (Director, Youth Law Australia). 

Open meeting: all welcome

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: Maree Selvaraj (knowmore) & Michelle Ericoli (Western Sydney Community Legal Centre)

 Open meeting: all welcome