Children’s Court special intake EOI
We are excited to announce that the Criminal Law Division is establishing specialised Back Up Duty Scheme (BUDS) lists for duty services at select Children’s Courts in the Sydney Metropolitan and Illawarra regions. The courts that will be included in these new regions are Parramatta Children’s Court, Surry Hills Children’s Court, Sutherland Children’s Court, Campbelltown Children’s Court, and Port Kembla Children’s Court.
We are also accepting EOIs from practitioners who would like to be added to the existing Hunter Children’s Court BUDS panel which services Cessnock and East Maitland Children’s Courts.
Interested practitioners who are on our Children’s Criminal Law Panel who wish to receive duty work offers at these Children’s Courts are invited to submit their expressions of interest using the BUDS Children’s Court special intake EOI form (PDF, 247 kb). Please submit your EOI using this form only.
Please note, practitioners already appointed to a BUDS panel who wish to undertake this work will be required to submit an EOI on the form above, addressing the Children’s Court specific selection criteria.
Applications close COB Wednesday 26 November, 2025. All applications will be considered during a meeting of the BUDS Selection Committee in December.
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, 326 kb) and fill out an expression of interest form:
- BUDS general intake EOI form (DOCX, 64 kb)
Applications close: Sunday 16 November, 2025. - BUDS Children’s Court special intake EOI form (PDF, 247 kb)
Applications close: Wednesday 26 November, 2025.
Send your completed form to backupduty@legalaid.nsw.gov.au. Your application will be reviewed at the next scheduled meeting on Tuesday 2 December, 2025.
Meeting dates are subject to slight variations based on the availability of committee members. 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.
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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