Grants to Community Legal Centres

1. Assigning legal aid work to Community Legal Centres

Community Legal Centres (CLCs) listed in the Schedule of Community Legal Centres (below) may be assigned disbursement-only grants of legal aid and Early Resolution Assistance funding for eligible clients in family and civil law matters.

2. The Schedule of Community Legal Centres

Name of Community Legal Centre	Matters in which the CLC can be assigned legal aid work

3. Effect of being on the Schedule

Legal aid work will be assigned to the submitting CLC in accordance with the Grants Allocation Guidelines.

A CLC included on the Schedule may submit legal aid applications on behalf of clients within its approved area(s) of expertise.

Where an application meets the relevant eligibility policies and the grant of aid is assigned to the submitting CLC, the grant will be for disbursements only.

4. Applying for inclusion on the Schedule

CLCs may apply to Legal Aid NSW for inclusion on the Schedule to be able to apply for legal aid on behalf of their clients in civil and family law matters.

When applying for inclusion on the Schedule, Legal Aid NSW will consider whether the CLC can demonstrate that:

it has socially and economically disadvantaged clients who are seeking representation for civil and family law matters that align with the core work of Legal Aid NSW,
it delivers services in areas of unmet legal need, such as operating in matters or a geographic area where there is no Legal Aid NSW office or service and limited available private lawyers, and
it has solicitors that are suitably qualified and supervised and have the relevant expertise to take on the legal aid work.

Applications for inclusion on the Schedule shall be sent in writing to the Client Eligibility Unit (T-CEU@legalaid.nsw.gov.au) for consideration by the Executive Director, Legal Services Division who will make a recommendation to the Chief Executive Officer (CEO).

Legal Aid NSW will notify the CLC of the CEO’s decision within seven days and provide brief reasons if the application is refused.