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Celebrating 10 years of pride: Pro Bono work in the LGBTIQ+ space
Australia | Publication | October 2023
Diversity, equity and inclusion is of critical importance to Norton Rose Fulbright Australia (NRFA). LGBTIQ+ inclusion is a key pillar of the firm’s approach to diversity, equity and inclusion.
The firm has a long history of providing pro bono legal services and considers such an offering to be a vital part of the firm’s cultural make-up.
The firm’s commitment to these two areas – LGBTIQ+ inclusion and pro bono work – has manifested in NRFA undertaking significant pro bono legal work in support of the LGBTIQ+ community over the past ten years.
Pro Bono work
Over the decade, NRFA has assisted various leading LGBTIQ+ organisations on a pro bono basis, including Equality Australia Ltd, LGBTIQ+ Health Australia, the National LGBTIQ+ Bar Association, and Queer Screen Ltd. Our work for our LGBTIQ+ pro bono clients encompasses multiple areas of law, including intellectual property, employment, corporate, tax law and legal research projects. This work has amounted to approximately 2,700 hours of lawyers’ time, to a value of over $1.1 million.
A long-standing pro bono client of the firm is ACON Health Limited (ACON), which is NSW’s leading HIV and LGBTIQ+ health organisation. Many of our lawyers have worked with ACON. Amanda Caldwell, Special Counsel in the Sydney IP & Consumer Markets Team, who has had significant involvement in supporting ACON commented:
ACON provides a wide variety of critical health services to the LGBTIQ+ community, and its branding and IP is an important tool in its service delivery and its connection with the LGBTIQ+ community. I’m happy to be able to assist ACON in securing protection for and managing its IP to assist them in promoting and providing these critical health services.
In collaboration with ACON, NRFA led the development of the 2018 Pride in Diversity publication ‘A Guide to Best Practice for Workplace Policy: LGBTI Domestic & Family Violence’ (Guide). Pride in Diversity is Australia’s national not-for-profit employer support program, established by ACON. Pride in Diversity focuses on LGBTIQ+ workplace inclusion to assist in the reduction of stigma, social isolation, homophobia and discrimination in the workplace, thereby improving the mental health and wellbeing of LGBTIQ+ employees. The Guide was intended to enable employers to understand the full extent and nature of domestic and family violence experienced among diverse communities in Australia, particularly the LGBTIQ+ community. The Guide also empowered employers to create effective workplace domestic and family violence policies.
In another impactful pro bono matter, NRFA has assisted the Human Rights Law Centre (HLRC) with their Birth Certificate Reform Project. Our lawyers provided HLRC with a comprehensive research memorandum regarding policy changes, best practice models and guidelines in international jurisdictions regarding gender recognition in birth certificates and identification documents. Our memorandum assisted HLRC with their submissions to domestic governments in respect of proposed legislative and policy changes.
Going forward, NRFA remains committed to supporting the LGBTIQ+ community through its pro bono practice.
LGBTI Legal Services Inc Fundraiser
In 2023, NRFA’s Brisbane office held a networking event and fundraiser in support of the LGBTI Legal Service Inc. The LGBTI Legal Service Inc provides free and confidential advice to the LGBTIQA+ community in Queensland on a range of legal issues, including family law, domestic violence, discrimination and human rights, employment, gender identity, surrogacy and parenting rights.
The fundraiser was well attended, with the generous support of colleagues, clients, guests and donors enabling the firm to support the important work that the LGBTI Legal Services Inc does in promoting equality and access to justice for the LGBTIQ+ community. Partner Josh Henderson reported that the event was a resounding success, with many guests and clients commenting that it was great to see the firm take the lead on a charitable initiative to support the LGBTI Legal Service Inc.
Michael Greene, Deputy Chief Executive Partner, during the fundraiser, reflected on the importance of this work for the firm:
The work that the LGBTI Legal Service is doing here in Brisbane is incredibly important, and focusses on providing access to justice and legal assistance to all Queenslanders within the LGBTIQA+ community. This resonates with NRFA because as legal professionals, it is our privilege to be able to use our specialist legal skills to make a positive social impact. We have our own pro bono practice which is underpinned by four impact pillars – Environment & sustainability, Mental health & disability, International human rights, and Financial abuse & vulnerable consumers, and the work that the Service does encompasses each of these pillars. We are very proud to support the Service in what they do.
NRFA is incredibly proud of its ongoing commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion, especially LGBTIQ+ inclusion. The past 10 years of pro bono and fundraising support of the LGBTIQ+ community is a testament to such commitment.
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