Celebrating 10 years of FCSRS

We are thrilled to celebrate a significant milestone - the 10th anniversary of our Federal Court Self Representation Service. The FCSRS started operations in 2014 funded by a Commonwealth Government grant. In the past decade, the Service has hired six lawyers: Kate Denton, Claire Benn, Angela Hastings, Joshua Schultz, Ngoc-Han Ha, and Cassandra Altmann. During the past 10 years the Service has opened files for 1,603 people in a range of areas of law in the general jurisdiction of the Federal Courts, but primarily in the areas of Fair Work, bankruptcy, anti-discrimination and migration. This is a remarkable achievement given that the Service has never been open full-time. The success of the Service has been dependent on the generosity and willingness of the Adelaide legal profession to donate their time and provide appointments to clients on a pro bono basis.

Thank you to everyone who has been involved in this remarkable journey; there are currently 12 law firms in Adelaide whose staff regularly donate their time and expertise to provide advice and task assistance to the clients of the FCSRS - thank you - you are a vital part of our community: MinterEllison, Sparke Helmore, Finlaysons, Dentons, Cowell Clarke, Hall & Wilcox (Perth), HWL Ebsworth, Barry Nilsson, DMAW Lawyers, O’Toole Lawyers, Piper Alderman, Clayton Utz (Sydney).

We are delighted to acknowledge JusticeNet’s current staff - Angela Hastings and Cassandra Altmann - who have been with the FCSRS from its inception. Their unwavering commitment, expertise, and compassion have been instrumental in shaping the success of our program - thank you for your hard work, we are incredibly grateful to have you as part of our team.

The value of the Service shines through in the feedback received from a client who said “I can only provide the highest commendation for the service. Consistent communication, empathy when needed, and clear guidance when necessary. Without this service to self-represented litigants available to me, I would have found navigating the federal system impossible and I would have no doubt created more problems in terms of legal process than the legal issues I brought with me. Thank you.”

Published on 24-Jun-2024