We have a close and ongoing relationship with a number of charities providing grass roots services to disadvantaged persons. We work for these charities across the spectrum of corporate and commercial legal needs as a dependable and reliable legal partner. Our partnership clients include:
Jonathan Hall Spence, Principal Solicitor at Public Interest Advocacy Centre:
JWS has been a strong supporter of PIAC’s asylum seeker rights projects for many years. The long-term pro bono placements they provide enable a tenacious and strategic approach to legal advocacy – exactly what is needed to make lasting change. With the input of skilled and determined JWS secondees, we have supported individual clients in need and driven systemic change to improve Australia’s failing immigration detention system.
Meg Barber, Operations Lead – Organisational Development and Governance, Safe and Equal
The pro bono support that Johnson Winter & Slattery has provided for Safe and Equal (formerly Domestic Violence Victoria and Domestic Violence Resource Centre Victoria) has been invaluable to the governance of the organisation, in particular through the process of merging the two organisations and establishing Safe and Equal as a merged entity. We really appreciate Claudia and Martin’s advice, responsiveness, and willingness to support as and when needed. As a not-for-profit organisation, receiving pro bono support from JWS enables Safe and Equal to be confident in its effective governance and ensure we are consistently adhering to governance standards, while we work towards a world beyond family and gender-based violence.
Glendle Schrader, Tin Truck Consulting
“As an Aboriginal company based in Alice Springs, Tin Truck Consulting Pty. Ltd works to support the aspirations and voice of Aboriginal communities throughout Central Australia. In our work on behalf of Aboriginal communities, organisations and government, we strive to facilitate open dialogue in appropriate languages, culturally safe environments and in the context of lived experience.
Over the past three years we have worked in the areas of Aboriginal community co-design and decision making, justice, health, education, community development, policy formation, local government, tourism, Aboriginal business development and management.
As many of the initiatives that we are assisting Aboriginal groups to develop are both new and emerging, the pro bono legal assistance of Johnson, Winter-Slattery has been invaluable. This has not only assisted our company, but also the numerous Aboriginal communities and organisations that we work with. The JWS assistance has included constitutions and officers’ documentation, service agreements, contracts and intellectual property. Without this assistance these organisations would not be able to obtain the high quality of legal assistance that they require.
It was our recent honour privilege to facilitate the attendance of two Johnson, Winter-Slattery lawyers at the repatriation ceremony held at the Yuendumu community in the Northern Territory. This ceremony involved the return of the remains of a Warlpiri elder, from the South Australian Museum. This was a great opportunity for Johnson, Winter-Slattery to meet some of their clients in their remote community location and at a time of celebration.”
Read more about our experience at Yuendumu.
We also work with a number of charities providing pro bono legal advice on a project and ad hoc basis, including advice on:
Over the past four years we have acted for 190+ charities in 440+ matters.
Vasili Maroulis, Chief Executive Officer, Marrickville Legal Centre:
Since 2020, JWS has demonstrated an unwavering commitment to supporting MLC through their pro bono practice and has assisted over 1,000 MLC clients with their tenancy matters. JWS assistance extends beyond the critical direct client work - that JWS delivers through its invaluable secondment program and clinics – and also includes supporting MLC with its behind-the-scene operational work in areas covering data security, administrative, commercial and employment law. This work is vital to ensure MLC continues to be efficient and effective in providing access to justice to our community, specifically those already marginalised through socio-economic disadvantage.
MLC has been privileged to work with JWS and is immensely more effective at improving access to justice in New South Wales with the pro bono support it receives from JWS.
We partner on larger strategic projects, including litigation and infrastructure projects, where there is a broad social impact. We have assisted First Nations peoples with matters relating to water and housing rights and individuals in respect of legal issues arising out of stolen generation circumstances.
We recently assisted Inner Melbourne Community Legal (IMCL) with specialist class actions advice in relation to a public housing towers class action settlement.
IMCL 2022-23 Annual Report, page 31:
"We would also like to extend a special thank you to Johnson Winter Slattery for their assistance with the public housing towers class action settlement….Over a three-year period, Johnson Winter Slattery continued to work with us, which culminated in them providing detailed advice on the settlement. We were able to assist 128 clients to understand their options in language because of the law firm’s assistance, and to provide access to practical help including how to complete forms and provide information to the scheme administrator. They also helped IMCL to understand what practical steps we could take with the plaintiff firm to secure extensions of deadlines. Without their persistence and dedication, we would not have been able to provide timely and effective access to legal help for affected residents.”