Role Title: Legal Intern 2, Perth Legal Assistance Clinic
Organisation: Perth Legal Assistance Clinic
Internship Period: Winter (June - July)
Location: Perth CBD
Perth Legal Assistance Clinic (PLAC) connects practitioners engaged in Legal Aid, and
criminal and community legal centre work, with like-minded paralegals and law students
that want real-world access to justice issues as well as practical experience working in
criminal law. Located at Francis Burt Chambers, the intern will delve into real case files and attend court with practitioners to see first-hand what it takes to stand up and defend.
Under the direction of the PLAC Clinic Supervisor, the intern will undertake paralegal
work for the barristers at Francis Burt Chambers with a focus on tasks such as legal
administration, research, and writing.
Western Australia has the highest rate of Aboriginal incarceration in the nation, with an
Indigenous person 16 times more likely to be imprisoned than a non-Indigenous person. It is well established that WA has the highest rate of Aboriginal over-representation in the
country with an Aboriginal population of ~4% but a prison population of 40%+.
In this context, it is foreseeable that due to such a significant number of Aboriginal people
who are incarcerated, and the clamour for already limited resources, that there may be a
number of individuals who should have access to appeal opportunities but do not realise
this prospect.
The Perth Legal Assistance Clinic connects law students and graduates with solicitors
and Barristers pursuing criminal appeals, and other legal aid defence cases.
Perth Legal Assistance Clinic is an association of lawyers committed to collegiality and justice. It runs professional development programs for lawyers, including a graduate training course, with a focus on ethics and collegiality.
Proceeds from these programs are directed to access to justice, namely through financial contributions to community legal centres.