Report to NLAF
Activities/Outcomes
- NLAF’s bid to Commonwealth Attorney General’s Department for funding for a research project was successful and a funding agreement has been signed between the Law and Justice Foundation of NSW and Commonwealth AGD
- At a meeting with the LJF researchers the Group agreed that:
- the focus of the research would be:
– looking at which areas of NSW are most affected by difficulties in recruiting and retaining lawyers practicing in the public sector (CLCs, ALS, Legal Aid, Private solicitors practicing legal aid)
– exploring differences between geographic areas of high and low retention
– identifying reasons for success or otherwise in the recruitment and retention of lawyers in these areas. - The first step in the project is to map public/community sector lawyer positions and in particular long and short term vacancies across the state. To keep the data manageable, there will be a snapshot of vacancies on a particular day (30 June 2009). This will be followed by a survey of a small number of lawyers in selected areas.
- Data request forms have been forwarded to Legal Aid NSW, CLC co-ordinators, the ALS and the Law Society of NSW. A literature review has also been started.
- The Group, through the Law Society of NSW, is continuing to pilot the advertisement of public legal assistance vacancies in RRR areas on the Law Society website and in Monday Briefs.
- The Chair followed up on the NLAF submission to the House of Representatives Inquiry into the impact of the global financial crisis on regional areas through interviews on ABC local radio and by providing evidence to the Committee at its Sydney hearing on 6 July 2009.
- The Group is planning to arrange an information session for Sydney lawyers on work in public legal assistance agencies, including in RRR areas. Speakers to include NLAF agencies heads. An informal program to place interested lawyers in CLCs was also discussed.
