Contributing to the community

Our success as a firm is built on the talent and enthusiasm of our people and the values they bring with them from their homes and communities.

We are privileged to have gifted and motivated people who want to make a difference, not only in the law and in business, but also in the wider community. Our charity, pro bono and environment programs are our way of responding to these aspirations. Also, as a firm, we recognise that we have broad responsibilities - to our people, their families and the communities in which they live.

For many years now, our firm has built close relationships with many charities and has supported them through personal engagement, direct financial support and the provision of pro bono legal assistance. Our pro bono work is not limited to the charities with which we have continuing relationships. Through our extensive pro bono practice, we are able to use the talent and experience of our lawyers, not only for organisations and people in need, but also to advance the public interest and to assist in the resolution of important legal issues.

Guided by our Footprint Committee, we strive to minimise our impact on the environment. Our focus on the environment reflects another attribute of our people, a keen eye to the future.

We are proud of our charitable, pro bono and environmental activities and proud of our people who work so energetically in these areas. They work with great passion, energy and commitment and they deserve our thanks.

Michael Rose

You can download the pdf version of our Community Commitment brochure (3MB).

• Charity Committee
• Pro Bono Committee
• Community projects
• Art collection
• Environmental committment

Charity Committee

The Charity Committee, chaired by Jim Dwyer, seeks out and considers proposals for financial support from Australian charitable organisations. The Committee's general approach is to focus its resources on a small number of significant projects.

For details about the projects the firm is currently supporting, see our Charity page.

For more information about the Charity Committee, please contact Amy Dobbin.

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Pro Bono Committee

The Pro Bono Committee, chaired by Phillip Cornwell, coordinates the provision of free legal services to help those who cannot afford legal representation, who are disadvantaged or marginalised, or to help advance a public interest or to correct an injustice.

Pro bono matters are treated in the same way as fee-paying matters, except that the client is not billed for the time or, in most cases, disbursements. All lawyers are encouraged to take on pro bono matters as part of their practice at Allens Arthur Robinson.

For more information, see our Pro Bono committee page.

For more information about the Pro Bono Committee, please contact Nicky Friedman.

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Community projects

Allens Arthur Robinson is also involved in other community projects.

LEAPS! mentoring program

LEAPS! is a Sydney-based mentoring program in which our legal and non-legal staff assist Year 9 students to develop their potential. Staff work with students at regular mentoring lunches, providing them with support and encouragement and assisting with skills such as goal setting and time management. More than 30 Allens Arthur Robinson staff participate in this program each year. The students find the program to be immensely rewarding and their achievements are celebrated with a 'graduation party' at the end of the year.

International Women's Day and UNIFEM Peace Scholarships

This year, the firm supported International Women's Day and provided funds to UNIFEM in support of a major project to assist members of regional networks and non-profit organisations in the Pacific to end violence against women.

We were honoured to have Marina Nawabi, a UNIFEM Peace Scholarship student, join the Sydney Summer Clerk program for six weeks over January-February this year. Marina is a student in the Faculty of Law and Political Science at the University of Kabul in Afghanistan. She is also employed part-time by ActionAid Afghanistan as a Policy Program Officer. The UNIFEM Peace Scholarship Program offers scholarships to students from selected countries around the world who have demonstrated they have the potential to make a contribution to encouraging greater inter-cultural understanding.

Matched funding program

The Pro Bono and Charity Committees recently created a Matched Funding Program to encourage philanthropy among staff. This program is an extension of the Payroll Giving Scheme that has been available to staff for some years. Donations to charities across Australia and abroad can be made out of pre-tax income, and the amount given to each approved organisation is matched by a donation from the firm. The program was so successful in its first year of operation that the budget has been substantially increased this year.

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Art collection

Allens Arthur Robinson supports emerging Australian artists through buying works for our extensive collection.

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Environmental committment

You might also want to read about our involvement in the Australian Building Greenhouse Rating scheme and the Earthcare program. For more information, see the environmental commitment page on our main website.

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