This Guide has been developed to assist CLCs to provide culturally safe and appropriate services to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander clients, as well as to assist CLCs to meet the Cultural Safety Standard in the National Accreditation Scheme (NAS).

This Guide is not intended to be an exhaustive resource and provides general information only. NACLC acknowledges that centre expertise and practices vary significantly, and the particular expertise of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander employees across the sector. However, the Guide is intended to provide high-level nationally relevant information that may assist CLCs in considering how they deliver services to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and work with local communities. A number of existing sector resources that CLCs should review are included in Appendix 3.

This Service Delivery Guide was developed as part of a NACLC project funded by the Commonwealth Attorney-General’s Department. One of the project initiatives was to model and encourage culturally safe policies and practices in CLCs to improve accessibility and appropriateness of frontline service delivery to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. In developing this resource, NACLC has consulted a range of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and networks within the legal assistance sector, as well as conducted a review of existing good practice resources.This Guide also draws on experiences shared by CLCs across Australia.

This Guide is intended to be used as a resource by CLCs, which are non-Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander organisations. While some aspects of the Guide may be of interest to the many Family Violence Prevention Legal Services and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Legal Services that now come under the NACLC umbrella, NACLC recognises that community-controlled organisations have particular expertise and connection with community, but encourages FVPLS and ATSILS to use this Guide where it is useful.

A pictorial summary of information from the The National Census of Community Legal Centres 2015 National Report.

NACLC's oral statement to the Human Rights Council 31st Session on the Australian Government Response to Universal Periodic Review on 17 March 2016

noteBook is NACLC's hardcopy newsletter sent to all CLCs, once or twice a year. noteBook keeps CLCs informed about what has been happening in the Community Legal sector and within NACLC.

The National Census of Community Legal Centres 2014 National Report contains data on staffing, volunteer and pro bono contributions, use of technology, partnerships, policy advocacy and law reform work, and engagement with key client groups, among other important topics.

This publication tells the stories of five lawyers and how they came to be working in regional, rural and remote areas of New South Wales.

NACLC contributed to the writing of and endorsed this Joint NGO Report on Australia's Compliance Under the Convention Against Torture. The Report is intended to inform the United Nations Committee Against Torture's 5th review of Australia during its 53rd session in November 2014. 

This is an updated version of the 2012 document which now includes statistics from the NACLC National Census of CLCs 2013. This document looks at the increased capacity, both legal and non-legal, pro bono partnerships bring to CLCs - both generalist and specialist Centres (including Public Interest Law Clearing Houses - PILCHs); and the mutual benefits derived from these partnerships.

This brochure highlights some of the Australians that EDOs have worked with, from rural landholders wanting to understand the laws affecting their land and livelihoods, to residents seeking accountability over toxic smoke from a mine fire. The brochure has examples of the many ways that EDOs helped these individuals and communities to have their voices heard, to actively participate in neighbourhood issues, and to contribute to decision-making processes.

This is an update on Australia’s progress towards achieving the recommendations made by the UN Human Rights Council in our last Universal Periodic Review (UPR). The report has been prepared with support from 64 NGOs across Australia.

Australia will appear before the international community for its next review at the 23rd session of the UN Human Rights Council in 2015. Over 50 of the 145 recommendations made by the UN Human Rights Council have not yet been implemented. 

For a summary of key findings from the first, annual National Census, please refer to this Executive Summary.

The plain language resource for guardians in Western Australia provides a handy checklist for guardians on protecting, promoting and respecting the human rights of people under guardianship.

This is the National version of Yarnin' Up which celebrates the work of Aboriginal access workers in the Community Legal Centres and Family Violence Prevention Legal Services sectors across Australia. Case studies and photos show the great diversity of work; from mentoring men to stay out of prison in Queensland to building confidence and financial independence in Fitzroy Crossing in WA, as well as other great examples.

The plain language resource for guardians in Queensland provides a handy checklist for guardians on protecting, promoting and respecting the human rights of people under guardianship. Other states and territories may like to adapt this information for their own use.

This is an illustrated, plain language resource for guardians in New South Wales. The publication provides a handy checklist for guardians on protecting, promoting and respecting the human rights of people under guardianship. Other states and territories may like to adapt this information for their own use.

In June 2012 NACLC conducted a survey of CLCs, 106 CLCs responded. This document looks at the contributions volunteers provide to CLCs, the benefits volunteers receive from giving up their time, as well as the investment CLCs make in training effective and confident volunteers.

The Strategy’s aims are to improve the recruitment of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander staff, to create the right work environment, and to ensure the support and retention of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander employees in CLCs. It is being provided to all CLCs for their consideration as to whether they wish to adopt it, in part or whole, at their Centre.

NACLC received funding from the Commonwealth Attorney-General's Department (AGD) to retain a consultant to report on measuring outcomes for CLCs.  The Final Report, written by ARTD Consultants, can be downloaded below, for anyone who is interested.  NACLC hopes you may find it of some interest and use for evaluating/reporting/planning purposes.

Within over 200 community legal centres (CLCs) around Australia there are many hard working and committed people performing a range of important paid and unpaid roles. One very important volunteer role is that of the centre’s Management Committee or Board member.

NACLC engaged Mercer Human Resource Consulting to undertake a review of a selection of their positions. This report (available to download below) contains the key findings and recommendations arising from this detailed review. 

In summary, the key findings were that the Community Legal Centre’s (CLC) current recommended remuneration levels are less than competitive with the markets referenced within this report, the current average competitiveness of CLC remuneration in each of the chosen markets is:  compared to APS Salary Scales, at 70% of the market; compared to Commonwealth Attorney General’s department salary scales, at 69% of the market; compared to NSW Crown Employees Salary scales, at 62% of the market, and compared to NSW Crown Employees Legal Officer Award, at 71% of the market.

Community Legal Centres  (CLCs) are independent, community organisations providing equitable and accessible legal services.  They are of their communities and responsive to their communities. “Communities” may be geographic communities as for generalist CLCs or communities of interest as for specialist CLCs that may target a group (e.g. children) or a particular area of law.

CLCs are able to offer appropriate, effective and creative solutions based on their experience within their community. It is this community relationship that distinguishes community legal centres from other legal services. It is this community relationship that makes community legal centres essential and vital organisations.

While providing legal services to individuals, CLCs also work beyond the individual. Community legal centres initiate community development, community legal education and law reform projects that are preventative in outcome and that strengthen the community.

The clients of community legal centres are those who are facing injustice, whose legal problem is not profitable, and whose life circumstances are affected by their legal problem.

Community legal centres harness the energy and expertise of thousands of volunteers across the country. Centres are committed to collaboration with government, legal aid, the private legal profession and community partners to ensure the best outcomes for their clients and the system of justice in Australia.
Community legal centres are about Justice and not simply the Law.

Here are our stories.