National Access to Justice and Pro Bono Conference 2025
6 November 2025
(L-RTania Wolff (Law Council President-elect), Hugh de Kretser (President, Australian Human Rights Commission), Cindy Penrose (Non-Executive Director, Westjustice; Former Chief Executive Officer, Yoorrook Justice Commission), Rueben Berg (CEO, First Peoples' Assembly of Victoria), and Travis Lovett (Former Deputy Chair and Commissioner, Yoorrook Justice Commission).
The 2025 National Access to Justice and Pro Bono Conference was held last week in Melbourne. The conference, co-hosted by the Law Council of Australia, the Australian Pro Bono Centre, and the Law Institute of Victoria, brought together thought leaders and legal professionals dedicated to improving access to justice across Australia. This year the conference explored the theme of Transforming Systems, Empowering Communities.
Law Council President-elect, Tania Wolff presented the opening remarks of the conference. In her speech, she highlighted the importance of access to justice as a fundamental aspect of a fair society, comparable to education and healthcare. Ms Wolff stressed that ensuring access to justice is a shared responsibility among legal professionals, institutions, and governments. She also emphasised the need for sustained investment in the access-to-justice workforce.
Ms Wolff particularly noted the contribution of the private profession in delivering more than 70 per cent of all legal aid grants nationwide. This contribution — largely from small and sole practitioners, often women, often in regional and rural areas — is often overlooked.
“It is a workforce that too often labours in silence, underfunded and overextended. Goodwill alone cannot keep the lights on. Without sustained investment, we risk losing the very people who make justice work and accessible.”
Ms Wolff also touched on the role of technology in extending access to justice, with a caution that it should not replace human empathy and connection. She ended her opening remarks calling for cultural change in how justice is communicated and argued that access to justice is a collective civic promise.
Across the two-day conference, attendees had the opportunity to immerse themselves in various sessions, including:
- Keynote Address by the President of the Australian Human Rights Commission, Hugh de Kretser, on the topic ‘Transforming our justice system’;
- Truth Telling for Transformational Justice: The Yoorrook Commission Model;
- Ending Gender-Based Violence: The role of legal assistance;
- Harnessing AI and Legal Technology to Progress Justice Innovation;
- Family Domestic Violence Partnership: Access to justice collaboration; and
- many others.
The Law Council thanks everyone who participated and helped make this event a success and looks forward to the next National Access to Justice and Pro Bono Conference.
Last Updated on 28/11/2025