Media release: Clayton Utz’s pro bono work in Western Australia recognised at Attorney General’s Community Service Law Awards

WA Attorney General The Hon John Quigley presented us with the Legal Firm Award in recognition of the 4,426 hours of pro bono legal work performed by our Perth office in FY22. 

Over the 12 months, 93 per cent of our partners and lawyers acted in 176 pro bono matters, for 100 people and 49 not-for-profits including nine First Nations organisations.  The Attorney General noted that our work “covered the spectrum” of legal support, ranging from burial disputes, unfair dismissal and unpaid wages claims, tenancy rights, and charity governance and mergers, to elder abuse, discrimination and sexual harassment complaints, consumer scams and insurance disputes.  Our legal teams were also successful in recovering $1.3 million in 19 successful Criminal Injuries Compensation applications for survivors of sexual assault and family violence.  

Clayton Utz partner and National Practice Group Leader – Pro Bono, David Hillard, said he continued to be proud of our firm’s pro bono leadership. 

We’ve made pro bono a part of our lawyers’ everyday practice and truly part of our culture. Our practice has always been about access to justice and making a positive difference in people’s lives, which will continue to drive the work we do.

This year marks 25 years of our pro bono practice – the first established by a large Australian firm.