Pro Bono Secretariat (Victoria)

"Ensuring that equal justice is more than mere words"
The Hon. Justice Michael Kirby, Patron of Pro Bono Secretariat (Victoria)

Victoria Law Foundation established the Pro Bono Secretariat (Voluntas) in 1998. The Secretariat facilitates communication between pro bono service providers, increases knowledge about available pro bono schemes, provides professional development for pro bono lawyers, coordinates policy development, and publishes information on pro bono matters.

Secretariat members are a network of pro bono service providers. We invite all legal practitioners to join the Pro Bono Secretariat (Victoria) and further pro bono!

Defining Pro Bono

The Latin term "pro bono publico" commonly shortened to "pro bono" means for the public good. The concept of pro bono work, ensuring access to justice for all persons regardless of their ability to pay, has developed over the centuries and generally means lawyers donating a percentage of their time to people on a low income who otherwise would not have access to legal assistance.

Getting Pro Bono help

Community organisations or individual members of the community contact pro bono service providers with requests for legal assistance. Most service providers have eligibility criteria including some or all of below:

The person with the request cannot get legal aid;
The person with the request is on a low income and does not have the means to access a private legal service;
The matter has merit;
The matter is in the public interest.

The service provider will make an assessment of the request and refers eligible matters to individual lawyers, law firms or the Bar.