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National law firm Clayton Utz has awarded its Access to Justice Award to Victorian community legal centre Youthlaw.
Established in 2001, Youthlaw is a community legal service that provides free and confidential legal advice, information, and referrals to children and young people under 25.
The Access to Justice Award provides support to legal organisations working to improve outcomes and access to justice services for vulnerable Australians.
Established by the Clayton Utz Foundation, which has contributed over $16 million in donations to more than 320 charities since it was founded in 2003, the inaugural award was given to Inner Melbourne Community Legal (IMCL), which received $100,000 to help fund IMCL’s Resolving Barriers to Recovery program.
Now in its second year, the BigLaw firm’s foundation has increased the grant to $150,000 and will assist Youthlaw in establishing its “Young Care Leavers Legal Service” – a first-of-its-kind service for young people transitioning from out-of-home care in Victoria.
Clayton Utz Foundation chair Angie Freeman said Youthlaw’s advocacy for young people and its innovative approach to addressing legal needs at a critical life transition made it a standout recipient.
“Young people leaving out-of-home care often face significant legal and practical challenges at a pivotal point in their lives,” Freeman said.
“Youthlaw’s proposal combines legal expertise with a clear vision for creating lasting impact, helping vulnerable young people access the support they need to build stable and successful futures.
“The applications submitted for this year’s award demonstrate a deep commitment to supporting access to justice by organisations right across the country.”
By securing the Access to Justice Award, the “Young Care Leavers Legal Service” will appoint a specialist full-time solicitor to offer comprehensive, trauma-informed assistance during the pivotal transition as individuals leave the care system at 18.
Youthlaw CEO Lee Carnie said too many young people leaving care have to navigate serious legal challenges without dedicated support.
“This grant will mean young care leavers can access specialist legal help to resolve their legal problems and move forward with their lives after childhood experiences of violence, abuse and neglect,” Carnie said.
“It will allow us to open doors for young care leavers to access free, confidential and trauma-informed legal services – built from the ground up for young care leavers, with the time and expertise to address complex legal problems before they take hold.”
The “Young Care Leavers Legal Service” will combine direct legal assistance, coordinated pro bono support, and partnerships with care, housing and health services to prevent legal problems escalating into homelessness, debt, and criminalisation.
“Beyond the valuable support this will give young people in our community, the 12-month pilot will also help us inform systemic advocacy and reform,” Carnie said.
