Highlights: Arts Law and DLA Phillips Fox win pro bono partnership award
First published in ART+law, December 2008.
The outstanding work of Arts Law and DLA Phillips Fox was recognised when they were awarded the 2008 the Pro Bono Partnership Award by the Law and Justice Foundation. The award is presented to an outstanding pro bono legal assistance relationship between private law firms, community organisations and/or community legal centres which has resulted in improved access to justice for disadvantaged people in New South Wales. The 2008 award, presented by the Director of the National Pro Bono Resources Centre, Mr. John Corker, recognised the ongoing legal advice and assistance provided by Arts Law and DLA Phillips Fox to artists and, in particular, through the Artists in the Black (AITB) service, to Indigenous artists.
DLA Phillips Fox assists in Arts Law’s telephone advice service, takes on significant pro bono casework for Arts Law clients and makes a major contribution to the Artists in the Black service. One of the significant developments of the partnership is the work on the Indigenous Wills Project. Set up twelve months ago, the Wills Project aims to help reduce the number of Indigenous artists without a will by educating Indigenous communities about succession planning, drafting wills, and the creation of a probate kit.
Nicholas Patrick, DLA Phillip Fox's Pro Bono Director says that the Wills Project work in particular has enabled the firm’s lawyers to extend themselves geographically, intellectually and emotionally. ’We are very grateful to the Arts Law Centre for allowing us to be an integral part of such a significant and inspiring project.’
The recipients of other Law and Justice awards included the Director of the Shopfront Youth Legal Centre in Darlinghurst Ms Jane Sanders for the 2008 Justice Medal, Mr James Condren for the 2008 Law and Justice Volunteer Award for his work with intellectually disabled prisoners and Ms Bernadette Allas of BMA Lawyers, receiving the 2008 Law Society President’s Award for her work through the NSW Law Society’s Pro Bono Scheme.
