Event: March Quarterly 2023

 

Skills development, training and collaboration are important. That's why we organise Quarterlies – a chance for everyone who works at community legal centres in New South Wales to catch-up, learn, share experiences, and coordinate advocacy. Register to attend ≫

This Quarterly will be a face-to-face event, with the option to join online. We encourage all people who are able to attend in-person to do so. There was strong feedback from the November event about how lovely it was to connect in person.

When

  • Tuesday 7 March, 9.00am-5.00pm.
  • Wednesday 8 March, 9.00am-5.00pm

Where

  • In person: NSW Teachers Federation Conference Centre, 37 Reservoir St, Surry Hills
  • Online: Zoom. Registrants will be emailed the Zoom links. 

Register to attend ≫

Family Law/Domestic Violence training

In addition to the Quarterly Program, Women's Legal Service NSW is presented 2 days of Family Law/Domestic Violence training:

  • Tuesday 7 March, 9.30pm-4.00pm
  • Wednesday 8 March, 9.30pm-4.00pm

Details:

  • Location: Sydney CBD
  • Must have pre-registered
  • This is in-person and is not available online or recorded
  • Available as a recorded modules from May 2023

Register your interest here ≫

Program

Yarn Up is a forum specifically for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander workers in community legal centres to gather, provide support, and discuss key policy and practice issues.

When

  • Monday 6 March, 9.30am-3.00pm

    Where

    This Yarn Up will be a hybrid event.

    • 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. 

    Register for Yarn Up »

    Tuesday 7 March
    9:30am - 11am

    Opening Plenary: Nothing about us without us: Listening to First Nations voices through genuine and meaningful consultation

    We can't create better outcomes for Aboriginal people through advocacy, law reform or service delivery without engaging in consultation and engagement with First Nations people and communities. Collaboration and co-design is essential to ensure local Aboriginal people and communities have control over how they want to be engaged, and the outcomes they want to see. 

    This session brings four centres together that have worked to create relationships and positive expectations about best practice consultation and negotiation when working with Aboriginal people. Arts Law, Central Coast, PIAC and Women's' Legal Service have a strong commitment to consultation and use different models in their work that are founded on principles of respect, deep listening and creating culturally safe workplaces.

    Presenters:

    Jo Driessens, Artists in the Black Coordinator I Arts Law Centre
    Robyn Ayres, Chief Executive Officer I Arts Law Centre
    Central Coast CLC First Nations Team: Barry Duncan, Wayne Cooke, Kristy Groat-Barber and Brooke Rosthorne
    Deborah Macmillan, Chief Executive Officer I Central Coast CLC
    Jonathon Hunyor, CEO I Public Interest Advocacy Centre
    Helen Campbell, Executive Officer I Women’s Legal Service NSW

    Open meeting: all welcome
     Meeting recorded
     Ethics & Professional Responsibility; Professional Skills

    Tuesday 7 March
    11am - 11:30am

    Morning Tea

    Tuesday 7 March
    11:30am - 1pm

    Talking justice: values-based messaging for community legal centres

    Join Community Legal Centres NSW as we launch Talking Justice, a values-based messaging guide for community legal centres. This training session will cover best-practice guidance and recommendations in using language that reflects our values, boosts understanding of community legal centres, and builds public support for social justice and progressive change. 

    Talking justice has been developed specifically for people who work at community legal centres, those passionate about social justice, or people who work at other community-based organisations. Whether you are a director, community lawyer, social worker, law reformer, Aboriginal legal access worker, communicator, or volunteer: this training is for you.

    Presenter: Stella Maynard, Media & Communications Manager I Community Legal Centres NSW

    Open meeting: all welcome
     Session recorded
     Professional Skills; Practice Management & Business Skills

    Tuesday 7 March
    1pm - 2pm

    Lunch

    Tuesday 7 March

    2pm - 3:30pm

    Best practice law reform: cross-sector collaboration on Coercive Control legislation

    The introduction of Coercive Control legislation in NSW was a long and contested process with hard lines around many aspects of the proposed offence. In this session we talk about how we negotiated from different positions to come to a shared position, consensus-building in law reform coalitions, joint advocacy and the power of a shared voice.

    Presenters:

    Sarah Marland, Policy and Advocacy Manager I Community Legal Centres NSW
    Renata Field,  Team Manager, Policy, Advocacy and Research Manager I Domestic Violence NSW
    Rachael Martin, Principal Solicitor I Wirringa Baiya Aboriginal Women’s Legal Centre
    Liz Snell, Law Reform and Policy Co-ordinator I Women’s Legal Service NSW

    Open meeting: all welcome
     Session recorded
     Professional Skills; Practice Management & Business Skills

    Tuesday 7 March
    3:30pm - 3:45pm

    Afternoon Tea

    Tuesday 7 March

    3:45pm-5pm

    TBA

    Wednesday 8 March
    9:30am - 11am

    Ethics: The grey areas: Do our ethics and professional responsibilities ensure we treat vulnerable people well?

    The rules around issues like a conflict of interest and confidentiality are straight-forward...aren’t they? In this session, we discuss whether the application of rules around professional responsibility rules pose challenges for us as lawyers and whether they disadvantage vulnerable clients. Join a thoughtful discussion on the intersection of the legal practice rules and the reality of working with clients who experience disadvantage.

    Part three of a series

    Presenters:

    Arlia Fleming, Director & Principal Solicitor I Central Tablelands and Blue Mountains Community Legal Centre

    Sarah Dale, Centre Director & Principal Solicitor I Refugee Advice and Casework Service

    Rachael Martin, Principal Solicitor I Wirringa Baiya Aboriginal Women’s Legal Centre

    Open meeting: all welcome
     Session recorded
     Ethics & Professional Responsibility; Practice Management & Business Skills

    Wednesday 8 March
    11am - 11:30am

    Morning Tea

    Wednesday 8 March

    11.30am - 1pm

    Building a Dream Team: State-wide collaborations

    The Financial Abuse Service at Redfern Legal Centre provides legal services to victim survivors of family violence across NSW. To support clients from Broken Hill to Byron Bay to Bega, we work with local services in different regions and different practice areas to ensure that clients get the multi-disciplinary help and support they need. Those local services mean we can provide practical, wrap-around assistance, and ensure that our service is safe and effective – even when provided from a great distance.

    In this session, we will share lessons learned and provide examples of how we have worked effectively with regional services to provide a specialist state-wide service from a metro area. We will workshop case studies of working closely with services on the ground in regional areas, through all stages of a client’s matter, to resolve financial problems resulting from domestic violence. And the results-improving the way we work together for the benefit of clients, adding value to complementary services and building their capacity to assist clients; and harnessing the benefits of the “post-Covid” world to collaborate closely, even when we’re far apart.

    Presenters:

    Rebecca Campbell, Solicitor I Financial Abuse Service NSW I Redfern Legal Centre
    Amelia Klein, Solicitor I Financial Abuse Service NSW I Redfern Legal Centre

    Open meeting: all welcome
     Session recorded
     Professional Skills; Practice Management & Business Skills

    Wednesday 8 March
    1pm - 2pm

    Lunch

    Wednesday 8 March
    2pm - 3:30pm

    Decision-making ability and making decisions about capacity

    Can you assess whether a client can give instructions? How do you navigate questions about decision-making ability sensitively with the client? Can decision making ability change from day to day?

    The reality is if a client doesn’t have the capacity to give instructions it’s difficult for them to get legal help. Join Seniors Rights Service and Intellectual Disability Rights Service who grapple with these issues daily to learn from their knowledge and expertise in finding practical solutions to the complex issues of decision-making capacity.

    Presenters:

    Melissa Chaperlin, Solicitor I Seniors Rights Service
    Jennifer Smythe, Solicitor I Intellectual Disability Rights Service

    Open meeting: all welcome
     Session recorded
     Ethics & Professional Responsibility; Professional Skills

     

    CLCNSW Annual General Meeting

    This is Part 2 of the Coordinators and Directors meeting. All are welcome to join the AGM.

    Chaired by: Deb Macmillan, Chairperson | CLCNSW

    Open meeting: all welcome
     Session not recorded

    Wednesday 8 March
    3:30pm - 3:45pm

    Afternoon Tea

    Wednesday 8 March
    3:45pm - 4:45pm

    Showcase: Innovation, practice and technology: First steps: Solutions to finding legal help and responding to requests for help

    Information technology is moving at a rapid pace and community legal centres are embracing changes to the way we work that better assist clients and staff.  Justice Connect have been working on a Diagnostic AI project with the University of Melbourne to help people navigate legal assistance services and IARC who have revolutionised their practice, creating an on-line intake system that allows them better oversight of the work they are doing and making their lives (slightly!) easier.

    Presenters:

    Joshua Strutt, Centre Director and Principal Solicitor (Acting) I Immigration Advice & Rights Centre
    Rose Hyland, Innovation Project Lead | Innovation and Engagement I Justice Connect
    Tom O'Doherty, Innovation Manager | Innovation and Engagement I Justice Connect

    Open meeting: all welcome
     Session recorded
     Practice Management & Business Skills

    CPD points

    Community Legal Centres NSWs' sessions are not accredited by the NSW Law Society, however many may be eligible for CPD points. Community legal centre solicitors should make their own assessment of whether the session meets their CPD requirements, and maintain their own records for meeting CPD requirements. Further information about CPD requirements are available on the Law Society NSW website.