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| Homeless Persons' Legal Clinic |
The Homeless Persons' Legal Clinic provides free legal advice and assistance to people experiencing homelessness or at risk of homelessness, at a number of emergency accommodation centres and welfare agencies across Brisbane.
The Clinic was evaluated in the End of Pilot Report - 10 June 2003, available here:
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| HPLC Success |  |
Since it began in December 2002 the clinic has provided a very targeted and meaningful contribution to the community by:
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 | assisting hundreds of Queenslanders experiencing homelessness; | |
providing $millions worth of free legal services to some of Queensland's most vulnerable people; and | |
contributing thousands of hours of pro bono legal work via casework, community legal education and law reform activities for and on behalf of people experiencing homelessness. |
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| How it works | |
|  | | Painting by a former HPLC client |
Given the complex range of pressures and issues confronting homeless people (including financial, social, psychological, medical, health issues and sometimes multiple legal issues), civil law problems often go unaddressed unless services are appropriately located and delivered. Accordingly HPLC clinics are held at places already frequented by homeless people.
Each law firm participating in the project provides a roster of volunteer lawyers who attend their nominated emergency accommodation or welfare agency and provide free advice to homeless people.
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Volunteers provide advice in most areas of law and may assist clients on an ongoing basis by undertaking research and or casework. Volunteers may also refer matters to other firms, agencies or projects better suited to dealing with a client's particular needs.
In addition to the clinic work, the HPLC seeks to identify gaps in the delivery of legal services to homeless people and examine relevant policy and law reform issues.
All HPLC work is undertaken on a pro bono basis. Without the dedication of our volunteers and the generosity of our members firms the HPLC would not exist.
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| Firms supporting the project | |
The following Brisbane law firms are supporting the Homeless Persons’ Legal Clinic:
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| Allens Arthur Robinson | |
Blake Dawson | |
Clayton Utz | |
Freehills | |
Mallesons Stephen Jaques | |
McCullough Robertson | |
McInnes Wilson | |
Minter Ellison | |
MurphySchmidt | |
DLA Phillips Fox | |
Holding Redlich | |
HWL Ebsworth |
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In addition to the above listed Brisbane firms, there are a number of regional law firms and community legal centres who work collaboratively to operate 1 clinic in Toowoomba and 2 clinics in Townsville.
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| When and where are the Clinics? | |
The Homeless Persons’ Legal Clinics are located at the following agencies and times:
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Brisbane Homelessness Service Centre
62 Peel Street, South Brisbane
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Tuesday |
9:30am
to 11:00am |
New Farm Neighbourhood Centre
967 Brunswick St, New Farm
Phone: 3358 5600 |
Fortnightly Tuesday |
10.00am
to 11.00am |
Anglican Women's Hostel
Phone: 3358 4444 |
Fortnightly Tuesday |
10.00am
to 11.00am |
Salvation Army, Pindari
Homeless Men's Hostel
28 Quarry Street, Spring
Hill |
Tuesday
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9.30am
to 10.30am |
Brisbane Youth Service
14 Church St, Fortitude Valley |
Wednesday |
1.00pm
to 3.00pm |
Salvation Army, Pindari
Homeless Women's Hostel
28 Quarry St, Spring Hill
Phone: 3832 6073
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Wednesday
fortnightly |
12.00pm to 2.00pm |
Mission Australia Café One
256 Wickham Street, Fortitude
Valley
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Thursday |
9.00am
to 11.00am |
4AAA Kurilpa Kiosk
Boundary Street Community
Park, 155A Boundary Street, West End
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Friday |
12.30pm
to 1.30pm |
Pathways to Prevention
Kyabra Phone Clinic
Phone: 3373 9499
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Tuesday |
2.00pm
to 4.00pm |
The Basement, Toowoomba
10 Neil St, Toowoomba
Phone: 4638 2399
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Wednesday |
11.00am
to 12.30pm |
South Townsville Drop In Centre
Corner of Morehead and Morey Sts, South Townsville
Phone: 4772 2339
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Wednesday |
11.00am
to 12.30pm |
The Women's Centre
50-52 Patrick St, Aitkenvale, Townsville
Phone: 4775 7555
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Fortnightly Wednesday |
9.30am
to 11.30am |
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| Training of lawyers | |
Lawyers volunteering in the HPLC program participate in an ongoing continuing legal education program and receive training on a wide variety of topics including:
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| Family Law; | |
Consumer debt and bankruptcy; | |
Fines; | |
Guardianship and the Public Trustee; | |
Police powers and responsibilities; | |
Tenancy and other housing issues; | |
Welfare rights and other social security issues; | |
Homelessness; and | |
Indigenous sensitivity. |
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CLEs are held once a month and are hosted by participating firms on a rotational basis. The host firm either arranges for in-house lawyers to give a presentation or may organise for external speakers from relevant organisations to present.
In the past training has been provided by organisations such as Legal Aid Queensland, the State Penalties Enforcement Registry, the Adult Guardian, Caxton Legal Centre, Tenants Union of Queensland, Welfare Rights Centre, the Department of Housing and the Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Legal Service.
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| Coordination of Clinics | |
The Clinic is currently coordinated by Andrea de Smidt, a solicitor employed by QPILCH with funding kindly provided by the Department of Communities until June 2009. Prior to receiving funding from the Department of Communities, the clinic was coordinated by secondees from member firms (see Secondments for details).
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| HPLC News | |
HPLC publishes a bi-monthly newsletter "Street Law" providing up-to-date information on HPLC's work. To be placed on our electronic mailing list please contact the Clinic Coordinator on hplc@qpilch.org.au.
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| Contact us | |
The Clinic Coordinator can be contacted at QPILCH on (07) 3846 6319 or on the email address below.
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| Other HPLC Clinics in Australia | |
There are now 4 Homeless Persons' Legal Clinics operating in Australia:
1. QLD: QPILCH Homeless Persons' Legal Clinic;
2. NSW: PILCH/PIAC Homeless Persons' Legal Service;
3. VIC: PILCH Homeless Persons' Legal Clinic;
4. SA: Homeless Persons' Legal Clinic
Together, the Homeless Persons' Legal Clinics share information and resources and combine efforts in respect of lobbying for funding and law reform.
For more information about these clinics please visit their web sites or contact the QLD HPLC Coordinator: hplc@qpilch.org.au
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