Back Up Duty Scheme (BUDS)

About BUDS

The Back Up Duty Scheme (BUDS) operates at courts serviced by Legal Aid NSW to supplement in-house Legal Aid NSW solicitors when we are unable to meet the demand for criminal law services at a particular court location. Private practitioners are appointed to the BUDS lists for regions and included courts through an expression of interest process coordinated by the Criminal Law Executive.

Practitioners appointed to BUDS are allocated duty work to appear for Legal Aid clients in first appearances, pleas of guilty, mentions, adjournments, section 32 applications and bail applications subject to Legal Aid NSW policy and guidelines.

BUDS practitioners are also eligible to be allocated urgent case work including defended hearings and other matters requiring expenditure. In some locations this includes District Court and Children's Court matters.

If you are interested in joining BUDS, please read through the BUDS information package (PDF, 326KB) and fill out an expression of interest form:

Send your completed form to backupduty@legalaid.nsw.gov.au. Applications are reviewed at regularly scheduled meetings of the BUDS Selection Committee. Please see below for the application closure dates prior to the scheduled meeting dates for 2026.

Application closure dates

• Sunday 8 March 2026
• Sunday 8 May 2026
• Sunday 12 July 2026
• Sunday 13 September 2026
• Sunday 8 November 2026

In the event your application doesn’t make the application close date, it will be considered at the following meeting scheduled.

For all queries relating to the Back Up Duty Scheme, email backupduty@legalaid.nsw.gov.au.

BUDS Burwood Digital

Our Burwood office has implemented an exciting model of working by establishing a completely paperless practice. This means that the way that BUDS duty days at Burwood Local Court operate are changing to suit this model. Practitioners who do duty work at Burwood Local Court for Legal Aid in future will need to be comfortable working paperless and digital while attending BUDS days at Burwood Local Court.

As a result, we are creating a separate BUDS panel for this court only. Any existing BUDS practitioner who wishes to do BUDS days Burwood Local Court will need to complete the below form to opt in and confirm that they are comfortable with the digital working practices Burwood have implemented.

This special intake is only open to practitioners who are already appointed to the BUDS Central Sydney panel list at this time. This does not effect BUDS duty days at the other courts in this BUDS or any other panel list. This does digital practice model does not extend to attending court remotely, all court appearances at Burwood Local Court remain in person. If you opt in to be part of the BUDS Burwood digital panel list, you can be on this list in addition to any BUDS panels you are already appointed to.

Please express your interest in this initiative by Sunday 15 March 2026.

Duty Solicitor Scheme (DSS)

The Duty Solicitor Scheme (DSS) operates at court locations not serviced by in-house Legal Aid NSW solicitors.

For more information about providing duty services at these locations, email the Duty Solicitor Scheme Coordinator via dutyscheme@legalaid.nsw.gov.au, call (02) 9219 5122, or visit the Duty Solicitor Scheme (DSS) page.

Virtual Bail Court Scheme (VBCS)

With the centralisation of Bail Courts and establishment of virtual courtrooms to hear bail matters by the Local Court of NSW, Legal Aid has established the Virtual Bail Court Scheme (VBCS) for practitioners who wish to continue to appear in first appearance bail matters. The shift to a fully virtual format for first appearance bail matters requires adjustments to the way these services are delivered. ​ Solicitors must have the necessary skills, confidence, and technology to appear in virtual courtrooms.

For more information, including how to apply, visit the Virtual Bail Court Scheme (VBCS) page.

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