In FY22, we carried out approximately 2,500 hours of pro-bono work on Indigenous-related matters, representing more than 25% of our pro-bono hours, with an estimated production value of more than $1.5 million.
In addition to that, we carried out approximately the same amount of hours on Indigenous-related matters at significantly reduced fees, or ‘low bono’ rates.
This reflects the philosophy of the firm in collaboration with the firm’s pro-bono clients over many years now: that the nature of the relationship between the firm and its clients is not always linear fee-paying or pro-bono. Some matters with the same Indigenous client may be pro-bono and other matters may be fee-paying.
Native Title & Public Interest Law practice
Giving back to the community has always been and will continue to be a core value at Arnold Bloch Leibler. Today, we represent a diverse group of public interest, charitable and not-for-profit organisations on a pro bono basis, including many organisations and communities progressing their native title and land rights aspirations.
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As Monica Morgan once described it at an ABL retreat, the firm’s public interest law practice is not “poor persons’ law”. We’ve learnt from clients over the years that in some instances a hallmark of success for a client is being able to pay for our services. And so, as a firm in Indigenous-related matters with Indigenous clients, we engage in conversations with those clients at the outset of the matter -on whether the matter is going to be pro-bono or fee-paying. If it’s fee-paying and if there is a civil society aspect to the work, or the client is a not for profit, we will never draw a profit from the matter. Instead, we will work on the matter at a significantly reduced fee or as we call it on a ‘low-bono’ basis.
Having these kinds of conversations with the client is a sign of mutual trust and respect, and gives important agency to our clients.