Lawyers to walk for justice on 19 May

9 April 2008

Lawyers in Queensland, New South Wales, South Australia and Victoria will “Walk for Justice” at 7am on Monday 19 May 2008 to coincide with a similar walks being held in London and various other locations around the UK.

In the UK last year, the London Legal Support Trust Walk, now in its fourth year, raised more than £200,000. The amount raised by the walk has more than doubled each year.

The inaugural “Walk for Justice” in Australia is a fundraising event for the Public Interest Law Clearing Houses (PILCHs). The PILCHs meet the needs of individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds and community support organisations by facilitating their access to pro bono legal assistance from member law firms, barristers and corporations.

Lawyers who walk will pay a registration fee and obtain sponsorship from their colleagues and members of their community. Corporate sponsors are now being sought.

Amy Kilpatrick, Director of PILCH (NSW), said the walk represents a chance for lawyers to participate in a national and international fundraising event and assist social justice initiatives.

“Forget the half-marathon — this is something all legal professionals can do that will make a real difference to the community,” she said. “I strongly encourage all legal professionals to participate in this grassroots, inaugural event, which will no doubt grow into a landmark event on the legal calendar.”

Cristy Dieckmann, Services Coordinator at QPILCH, explained that “the walk also represents a great opportunity for lawyers to contribute to legal services for disadvantaged clients by a means other than pro bono file work and for the community generally to help facilitate under-funded civil law work for the disadvantaged, such as the homeless and people experiencing extreme debt.”

People in Melbourne may find it harder to get out of bed but they would be rewarded for braving the cold. “It might be a chilly Melbourne morning but there will be a warm cup of coffee for all participants to enjoy at the finish-line before heading into the office”, said Michael McKiterick, lawyer at PILCH (Vic).

Like the walks overseas, the walks will be led by senior lawyers and judges and will pass by some of the significant legal landmarks in Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne.

Chief Justice de Jersey will lead the walk in Queensland, which will start at the quadrangle at the Law Courts complex on George Street and will involve a 5km walk along the Brisbane River.

In Victoria, the walk will commence at Parliament House in Melbourne, and will continue along the Yarra River and back up to the Supreme Court.

In New South Wales, the walk will commence at the War Memorial in Sydney and continue through Hyde Park and the Botanic Gardens before concluding at the Supreme Court of NSW.

Law firms and chambers are encouraged to get walking teams together for the event.

For more information or to register, please contact your local PILCH:

Brisbane: services@qpilch.org.au; (07) 3012 9773
Sydney: akilpatrick@piac.asn.au; (02) 8898 6550
Melbourne: admin@pilch.org.au; (03) 9225 6680

Adelaide: kerry.affede@lawsocietysa.asn.au

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