Sponsorship
Principal sponsor
Destination partner
Silver sponsor
Access and inclusion supporters
The Australian Financial Complaints Authority (AFCA) provides an independent and free dispute resolution service for consumers and small businesses with complaints about financial firms.
HWLE Lawyers is the largest legal partnership in Australia with offices in all states and territories, meaning we can leverage our broad expertise across the country quickly and efficiently. Our Pro Bono Practice provides assistance to vulnerable and disadvantaged individuals as well as directly to, and in partnership with, community legal centres that work to assist those who cannot otherwise access or afford legal assistance.
During FY25 our lawyers provided just under 40 000 hours of pro bono legal assistance and we are continually looking for ways to increase and maximise our contribution. We currently partner with over 30 CLCs across Australia providing secondments, accepting individual referral matters and jointly running legal clinics on matters that vary from disability law, employment and victim’s compensation to retirement village contracts. We also directly advise CLCs, charities and community organisations on governance, employment and privacy issues.
Our Pro Bono Practice does not have specific focus areas but aims to have a meaningful and positive impact on the lives of those in need in the community by listening to and collaborating with organisations that are best placed to assist those individuals. HWLE Lawyers’ aim is to be innovative and agile, and to reimagine how pro bono can work alongside and support the legal assistance sector, particularly in regional and remote communities, in order to add the most value.
The Law and Justice Foundation is proud to sponsor the 2025 National Community Legal Centres Conference and support a shared mission of a fairer, more accessible justice system.
With deep expertise in civil justice research, the Foundation offers tools that empower community legal centres to better understand and meet the legal needs of their communities. Our Data Packs and Legal Needs Dashboards provide localised, evidence-based insights – helping CLCs strategically plan and deliver services where they’re needed most.
Our Need for Legal Assistance Services , Community Profiles and Criminal Finalisations dashboards make it easy to explore indicators of legal need across NSW and beyond, so legal assistance can be targeted effectively. The Foundation’s Access to Justice Research Hub is another free and comprehensive resource offering practical tools and expert guidance – from understanding legal need to assessing service impact.
We know that frontline organisations are essential to a responsive and equitable justice system. Our role is to help you advocate, plan and deliver with confidence – grounded in independent, rigorous evidence.
Come say hello at the Foundation’s conference booth or visit www.lawfoundation.net.au to explore our tools and publications.
Victoria Law Foundation is committed to improving understanding of the civil justice system through evidence-based research, community engagement and sector support. One of its flagship initiatives is the Public Understanding of Law Survey (PULS), the largest study of its kind in Australia, exploring how people experience, understand and respond to legal problems in everyday life.
A recent VLF Research Network event highlighted the critical connection between legal need and health outcomes. Lisa Ward, Principal Lawyer at First Step Legal, shared her experience delivering legal help in a health justice partnership that puts people first.
Drawing on insights from the PULS study, the session explored how complex, intersecting problems such as housing, family violence or mental health cannot be solved in isolation. As Lisa explained, good law is people-centred, trauma-informed and integrated with the broader service system. This approach not only improves access to legal support but can also lead to better, more sustainable health and wellbeing outcomes.
The conversation also touched on the importance of trust, continuity of care, and listening to what people actually need. For the legal assistance sector, it is a reminder that how we deliver help matters as much as the help itself.
This is one of many ways VLF is working to build a stronger evidence base to shape policy, practice and service delivery.
Read the full article at victorialawfoundation.org.au/news
Exhibitors
