The above quoted phrase from Local Court Magistrate (and soon to be District Court Judge) Imad Abdul-Karim, comes from the foreword to a remarkable resource developed by NSW Young Lawyers, Demystifying pro bono.

This unwavering commitment, Magistrate Abdul-Karim says, lies at the very heart of our profession. This is a powerful illustration of why I’ve chosen, as my first President’s Priority, to honour the service of solicitors to their communities.

I commend NSW Young Lawyers for producing this guide that encourages early career lawyers to have a greater understanding of ways they can participate in pro bono work.

The March issue of the prestigious Law Society Journal, hitting desks this week, features an in-depth examination of how pro bono work is not only assisting the community’s most vulnerable people and non-government organisations who help them but is also benefiting the lawyers doing this invaluable work.

In one story, the Journal’s Francisco Silva spoke with leaders in pro bono practices across prominent law firms, the head of a community legal centre, as well as the CEO of the Australian Pro bono Centre, Gabriela Christian-Hare.

I found these words from Gabriela particularly moving. She told the Journal, “There’s something very powerful in using your unique skills and resources to aid fellow human beings. By supporting access to justice and positive outcomes for society’s most vulnerable, many lawyers claim that it supports their wellbeing.”

Put simply, doing good feels good. I thank and honour all solicitors in NSW who through their pro bono work put this most revered tradition of our profession into practice.

That includes the more than 500 mostly small-to-medium sized firms which have signed up to the Law Society’s Pro bono Scheme. If you’re interested in joining the Scheme, you can apply here.

A census of service paints a picture of need

Of course, no matter how deep our dedication to pro bono work, it should never be considered a substitute for properly funded legal assistance services.

I recognise and commend the tireless work of practitioners in the legal assistance sector, who often practise in difficult circumstances to provide access to justice for many of our community’s most vulnerable. Their work is buttressed by the large numbers of private practitioners who provide assistance on legally aided matters.

Last week, National Legal Aid (NLA) delivered the results of its census of private practitioners engaged in working on legally aided matters. Of the respondents surveyed nationwide, the overwhelming majority had performed legal aid work in the last two years.

I invite you to read the report, but the conclusions to be drawn from these results will be obvious to those who regularly work on legal aid matters. As the report concludes:

The strongest thread running through the survey, evident in responses to multiple questions, is that legal aid work must be adequately resourced.

Many practitioners who undertake this work do so at a loss, and when the funding is insufficient, they often perform work for free. As my predecessor Brett McGrath said in this forum when inviting responses to the NLA Census, “The Law Society of NSW has long advocated for fairer and sustainable rates for Legal Aid work performed by private solicitors.”

To that end we support the Law Council of Australia’s pre-Budget submission to the Commonwealth Government which reflects our strong advocacy for access to justice for those who need it most.

Jennifer Ball, President, Law Society of NSW