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New civil justice specialist teams up and running
Date : 16 Sep 2011
Four new specialist teams are up and running as part of the Civil Justice Program at Victoria Legal Aid.
The new teams are Commonwealth Entitlements, Migration, Mental Health and Disability Advocacy and Social Inclusion and Equality and have been in operation for six months.
‘The teams have been established to more effectively respond to the increasing complexity of civil law issues, and can provide expert advice and early intervention in specific civil and administrative areas,’ said Joel Townsend, Director of Civil Justice, Access and Equity.
A fact sheet on the teams that are part of our Civil Justice Program is available to download below.
Purpose of the team
‘The purpose of these teams is to provide leadership and support for lawyers working not only in our civil justice practice in these areas, but those in our suburban and regional offices across the state.
‘Some of our clients may have criminal charges against them, or family law issues but are also grappling with problems traditionally seen in the civil area, and the creation of these teams allows our lawyers to be able to call on the expertise to further assist their own client in a number of ways.
‘With more than 30 civil lawyers working from a number of locations across the organisation, they support a diverse and significant civil justice practice in Victoria. While this represents 15% of Victoria Legal Aid clients, we know that clients with criminal or family issues may also be dealing with circumstances which require civil law expertise and the team can rapidly respond,’ said Mr Townsend.
The Civil Justice Program focus includes clients who:
- have mental health issues
- have an intellectual disability
- are from a culturally and linguistically diverse background
- are a victim of crime
- are in custody
- are experiencing homelessness.
Related pages
Our programs – Civil Justice Program
More information
| Civil Justice specialist teams - PDF, 108.0kb This fact sheet includes contact details for the Commonwealth Entitlements, Migration, Mental Health and Disability Advocacy and Social Inclusion and Equality teams. |