Maddocks’ pro bono program delivers vital assistance across our communities

Maddocks’ continued commitment to strengthening its pro bono program has led to increased vital support to not-for-profit organisations and individuals including First Nations people, refugees and asylum seekers, and people experiencing homelessness and financial hardship.

In FY24 Maddocks delivered over 17,000 pro bono hours, being an average of just under 44 hours of pro bono work per lawyer, an increase of 64 per cent on the previous financial year and exceeding the national pro bono target of 35 hours per lawyer.

Our dedicated pro bono team worked closely with the firm’s partnership on a range of initiatives throughout the year including establishing and expanding a number of pro bono clinics and relationships with key community legal centres and not-for-profit organisations. This included:

• Acting on behalf of the Federation of Community Legal Centres, the peak body for community legal centres in Victoria, to negotiate a new multi-enterprise agreement, significantly improving employee entitlements, which was approved by the Fair Work Commission in 2024.

• Supporting multiple Traditional Owner groups in remote parts of Australia across a broad range of legal areas, including commercial negotiations with mining companies and drafting heritage agreements.

• Assisting individuals facing significant barriers to justice, including those experiencing elder abuse and financial hardship, to prepare new wills and powers of attorney.

• Assisting not-for-profit organisation Women’s Property Initiatives, which provides affordable homes for women and children facing financial disadvantage, to become a member of the consortium appointed by Homes Victoria to deliver 1,370 new social housing projects in Melbourne.

• Supporting community legal centres to deliver essential legal services to people facing significant disadvantage across Victoria, NSW and the ACT. Our lawyers worked with:
• Anika Legal to provide legal advice to tenants who require repairs in their rental properties
• Kingsford Legal Centre to advise clients on a range of civil and employment law issues
• WEstjustice to provide legal advice to people experiencing discrimination and/or harassment at work.

Maddocks CEO David Newman said: “Maddocks is committed to making a difference in the communities in which we live and work. A renewed focus on our pro bono program has seen more of our lawyers taking up pro bono matters, allowing us to deliver impactful work for the benefit of some of the most disadvantaged members of society who may not otherwise have access to legal advice or assistance.”