News

On 28 May 2009, the Refugee Advice and Casework Service (RACS) officially opened its new premises in Phillip St, Sydney.  RACS’ relocation to the former office of the Faculty of Law, University of Sydney, is due to its involvement with the Law School’s new “Social Justice Program”. 

From July 2009, RACS will host the first group of students in the Faculty’s clinical legal education subject.  Students will gain a unique and invaluable insight into the practice of law in a social justice setting, through observing and assisting RACS lawyers in the delivery of legal services to asylum seekers. 

The venture represents an exciting development for RACS, which over the period of its 22-year history has struggled with financial survival.  Despite being a Community Legal Centre in every sense, RACS was not historically given official CLC status.  In 2008, RACS’ position was strengthened when it received welcome support from the Public Purpose Fund, which has enabled it to continue its core work of advising and representing a vulnerable and indigent client base. 

Through the new venture with the Law School, RACS will receive generous in-kind support for its role in the clinical legal education program.  With a full-time staff of three lawyers plus administrative support, during the past 5 years RACS has represented over 800 asylum seekers from more than 50 countries, over 80% of whom were accepted as refugees.  The new venture will hopefully enable RACS to meet the increasing demand for legal representation in this under-funded area. 

The opening on 28 May was attended by friends and supporters of RACS from the legal and medical professions, academia, the welfare sector as well as the general community, who joined the Dean of the Faculty, Professor Gillian Triggs, in launching what all hope will be a successful partnership between Australia’s oldest law school and the only specialised refugee legal centre in the country.