Part 4 - Legal Aid Queensland

About us
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Our purpose, vision and values
Our purpose
To provide legal services to financially disadvantaged
people.
Our vision
To be a leader in a fair justice system that responds to the
diverse needs of disadvantaged people.
Our values
Social justice
We protect people’s rights, ensure they receive fair
treatment, and reduce their risk of social exclusion.
Respect
We show respect for the people we assist and those with
whom we work.
Quality
We continue to improve the quality of our work and the
outcomes for our clients.
Effectiveness
We deliver responsive and cost-effective services by
working with our suppliers and the community.
Chief Magistrate Brendan Butler speaking at the 2011 Law Week
Hypothetical as Professor Susan Hayes looks on.
Flood-affected residents at the Booval flood insurance forum.
26 | About us
Legal Aid Queensland Annual Report 2010 - 2011

Who we are and what we do
Legal Aid Queensland provides legal help to financially
disadvantaged Queenslanders. We are an independent
statutory authority that operates under the Legal Aid
Queensland Act 1997.
Legal Aid Queensland receives state government funding
to provide legal services for state law matters, and
federal government funding to provide the legal services
designated in the National Partnership Agreement on Legal
Assistance Services.
Our range of services include community legal education,
information and referral, advice and minor assistance,
lawyer assisted dispute resolution, duty lawyer services,
and litigation services. Our services are provided across
a range of areas of law including crime, family, child
protection, child support, domestic violence, social
security, consumer protection and anti-discrimination law.
Our work contributes to the Queensland Government’s
Toward Q2: Tomorrow’s Queensland ambition Fair
— Supporting safe and caring communities. Many
of our programs, like our child protection program,
domestic violence services and support for the Special
Circumstances Program, Breaking the Cycle of Domestic
and Family Violence Court Pilot Program, drug courts,
and Indigenous Drug and Alcohol Court Diversion
Program, are helping to break the cycle of disadvantage
in Queensland communities.
Legal Aid Queensland celebrates 30 years
Legal Aid Queensland celebrated its 30th anniversary
with a special dinner in October 2010.
Almost 250 people attended the dinner, including
former Attorney-General Cameron Dick, current and
past staff, and members of the magistracy, judiciary
and the legal sector.
Former CEO and now Magistrate John Hodgins
hosted the evening along with former board member
Zoe Rathus, sharing tales of the past about the
organisation’s major changes and achievements.
Barrister Stephen Keim SC delivered the keynote speech
for the evening and current CEO Anthony Reilly gave a
vote of thanks.
During the dinner we farewelled Marg O’Donnell,
outgoing chair of the Legal Aid Queensland Board, and
acknowledged the important contribution Marg has
made to the organisation. The former Attorney-General
also announced the appointment of Rachel Hunter as
the new chair of the board.
The 30th anniversary dinner was a wonderful opportunity
to celebrate the organisation’s achievements and
future directions. The large number of attendees at the
dinner was a testament to the regard in which Legal Aid
Queensland is held.
Legal Aid Queensland's Amber Buckland with Queensland Police
Service's Mark Wheaton and the Department of Justice and
Attorney-General Deputy Director-General Terry Ryan at the
Application Assistance Program launch.
Legal Aid Queensland staff members Laura Reece, Catherine
Morgan and Jakub Lodziak at the 30th anniversary celebrations.
About us | 27
Legal Aid Queensland Annual Report 2010 - 2011

Our head office is in Brisbane. To meet the needs of
Queenslanders living in rural and regional areas, we offer
our full range of legal aid services from 13 regional offices:
Southport, Ipswich, Toowoomba, Woodridge, Inala,
Caboolture, Maroochydore, Bundaberg, Rockhampton,
Mackay, Mount Isa, Townsville and Cairns. Our regional
office staff work with a network of community access
points which act as information outposts and referral
points in communities. We also coordinate regional legal
assistance forums around the state to identify emerging
legal needs and help determine which service is best
placed to meet needs.
We provide free legal information, advice and duty
lawyer services to all Queenslanders, and legal
education to the community.
Marie Breen and Marcia Sullivan from the Western Queensland
Justice Network with Tisara Gunasekera and Jaz Ribar from
Legal Aid's Mt Isa office.
While our advice services are not formally means and
merit tested, we do seek to focus them on people most
at risk of social exclusion.
We purchase litigation and dispute resolution services
from our in-house legal teams and preferred supplier law
firms around the state to maximise legal services available
to disadvantaged Queenslanders. Staff assess individual
legal aid applications by applying a means and merit test
and manage the funding arrangements for cases where aid
is approved.
We also work with the state and federal governments to
advocate for law reform, and policy and system changes
that improve outcomes for our clients and enhance the
justice system’s efficiency.
28 | About us
Legal Aid Queensland Annual Report 2010 - 2011