Pro Bono

We use our legal expertise, platform and profile to deliver impact and outcomes through pro bono legal services. 

Our Pro Bono impact strategy is focused on delivering long-term changes in three impact areas: First Nations communities, Environmental disasters, and Domestic and family violence. 

First Nations communities

Working with First Nations communities to achieve the outcomes they want to achieve. 

Environmental disasters

Working to mitigate the impact of environmental disasters. 

Domestic and family violence

Working to reduce domestic and family violence. 

Partners and promoters 

Our partners and promoters include targeted referral centres, community legal centres, not-for-profits and charities, law associations and committees and human rights organisations. We also partner with our commercial clients and connections where appropriate to scale up our support for our pro bono clients.  

Clients 

Our pro bono clients include: 

• Organisations advocating for systemic reform: By supporting organisations focused on systemic reform, we help to scale up impact and tackle legal issues holistically to effect wider change. 
• Not-for-profits (NFPs) and charities: By providing legal assistance to NFPs and charities, we can help them to scale up their services and invest in their purpose. 
• Community Legal Centres (CLCs): CLCs are generally best placed to triage and connect individuals in need of pro bono legal services. By working with CLCs we ensure that our pro bono legal assistance is directed to those most in need.  
• First Nations controlled organisations: By lending our legal support to First Nations controlled organisations, we ensure that First Nations peoples have a voice, platform, power and control over the issues that impact them. 
• First Nations communities: By working directly with First Nations communities, we support community-led solutions and self determination. 
• Individuals: By dedicating a portion of our pro bono legal work to working with individuals, we can help to bridge the access to justice gap.

Publications

• Pro Bono Impact Report
• Coercive control reform tracker 
• Elder abuse and coercive control in Australia, 2023 (full e-version, report summary, PDF)
• Pro Bono impact strategy (PDF)
• Submission on Draft National Plan to End Violence against Women and Children 2022-2032 (PDF)
• First Nations startups fact sheets

Water Story Series: Leanne Collingburn with Joe Hedger

For National Water Week 2022, HopgoodGanim Lawyers have partnered with Caxton Legal Centre for a Justice in Focus: Water Stories series. Through interviews with guest speakers, we explore multi-disciplinary responses to environmental disasters and climate change in Australia, particularly in Queensland and Northern New South Wales. In this interview, Head of Pro Bono Leanne Collingburn interviews Joe Hedger, who leads Deloitte’s Indigenous Services Group, focusing on working with clients and First Nations communities. He is a proud Bundjalung and Yorta Yorta man and is highly respected for bringing the latest trends in strategy, technology and innovation to empower clients and First Nations communities to be future fit in an increasingly complex, disrupted and competitive market.

Water Story Series Q&A: Sarah Macoun and Andrew Gissing

For National Water Week 2022, HopgoodGanim Lawyers have partnered with Caxton Legal Centre for a Justice in Focus: Water Stories series. Through interviews with guest speakers, we explore multi-disciplinary responses to environmental disasters and climate change in Australia, particularly in Queensland and Northern New South Wales. In this interview of the series, HopgoodGanim Partner Sarah Macoun speaks with Andrew Gissing, CEO of Natural Hazards Research Australia.

Water Story Series Q&A: Jacqui Cavanagh and Bill Mitchell

For National Water Week 2022, HopgoodGanim Lawyers have partnered with Caxton Legal Centre for a Justice in Focus: Water Stories series. Through interviews with guest speakers, we explore multi-disciplinary responses to environmental disasters and climate change in Australia, particularly in Queensland and Northern New South Wales. In this interview, Jacqui Cavanagh, a Lawyer at Caxton Legal Centre, interviews Bill Mitchell, OAM HonLLD, Principal Solicitor, Townsville Community Law.

Water Story Series: Sarah Macoun with Julie Brook

For National Water Week, HopgoodGanim Lawyers have partnered with Caxton Legal Centre for a Justice in Focus: Water Stories series. Through interviews with guest speakers, we explore multi-disciplinary responses to environmental disasters and climate change in Australia, particularly in Queensland and Northern New South Wales. In this interview, Sarah Macoun, Partner at HopgoodGanim Lawyers, speaks with Julie Brook RPIA, Principal at Meridian Urban.

Water Story Series: Leanne Collingburn & Jacqui Cavanagh with Naomi Moran

For National Water Week 2022, HopgoodGanim Lawyers have partnered with Caxton Legal Centre for a Justice in Focus: Water Stories series. Through interviews with guest speakers, we explore multi-disciplinary responses to environmental disasters and climate change in Australia, particularly in Queensland and Northern New South Wales. Naomi Moran, General Manager at Koori Mail, joined Leanne Collingburn, HopgoodGanim's Head of Pro Bono and Jacqui Cavanagh from Caxton Legal Centre for a lunch and learn in support of National Water Week.

Our team 

Our Pro Bono practice is led by Leanne Collingburn, Head of Pro Bono. Leanne is supported by Law Graduate Jacob Currie, Legal Assistant Tom Kelman and our Pro Bono champions, Partners Jonathan Fulcher, Sarah Macoun, James Ireland, Geoff Wilson and Nicole Radice.