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Homeless Connect Event

ATSILS was proud to take part in Brisbane City Council’s Homeless Connect event last week.

Homeless Connect is a fantastic initiative that brings together a wide range of community services to support people who are experiencing, or at risk of, homelessness. From health care, housing assistance and clothing to food, haircuts and legal advice — the event offers a safe space where people can access practical support and feel connected to their community.

Pree Sharma represented the ATSILS team and provided legal advice and referrals throughout the day. Many community members doing it tough stopped by our stall to ask for help, and we were glad to assist with their legal needs and connect them with other services where appropriate.

A big thank you to Brisbane City Council for coordinating this important event and to all the organisations who came together to make a real difference.

Southern Cross University Law Students Association Careers Fair on the Gold Coast
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Southern Cross University Law Students Association Careers Fair on the Gold Coast

Yesterday, members of our Southport team had a fantastic day at the Southern Cross University Law Students Association Careers Fair on the Gold Coast! 🎓

The team enjoyed connecting with the next generation of legal professionals and providing insight into the diverse career paths available at ATSILS. It was a great opportunity to highlight our family, civil, and criminal law roles, as well as the critical support roles that work alongside our legal practitioners. ⚖️

We’re proud to offer a supportive and collaborative environment where you can truly make a meaningful difference. Join us and you’ll find great benefits like:
✅ Salary packaging
✅ Encouraged career growth with supported learning and professional development opportunities
✅ A strong statewide peer and mentor network of experienced lawyers and barristers to guide you on your justice journey.

Thanks to Arelene and all the team who attended, and to SCU Law Student Society for hosting this great event. 👏

If you’re interested in what careers are available at ATSILS view:
Our Townsville Office is Moving- (18th and 19th September)
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Our Townsville Office is Moving- (18th and 19th September)

ATSILS Townsville Move🚛📢 Our Townsville Office is Moving! 📢 🚛

We’re excited to announce our ATSILS Townsville office is relocating to a new and improved space just up the road!

The new address is: 12-20 Wills Street, Townsville QLD 4810.

This location brings us closer to the Courts and will help us better serve our community.

Key Dates to Remember:
– Thursday, 18 September & Friday, 19 September 2025: Our Townsville office will be closed as we move.

– We will operate from our new location starting Monday, September 22, 2025.

Urgent client needs: Our dedicated statewide team will be taking urgent calls to our Townville office during the move to ensure you get the help you need. For urgent criminal law matters, you can always call 1800 012 255 (24/7).

We’re so excited for this next chapter and can’t wait to welcome you to our new office!

Mt Isa Yarn Up event!
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Mt Isa Yarn Up event!

Last month, members of our Community Legal Education (CLE) Team (Kate Greenwood and Paige Ryan) participated in the highly successful Mt Isa Yarn Up (Licensing Muster) from July 22-24. Hosted by the First Nations Justice Office (FNJO), the event was the largest to date, attracting a record 418 community members who sought assistance from a wide range of essential services over the three days.
A major highlight was a visit from Queensland Attorney-General, Deb Frecklington MP. The AG attended the Yarn Up Event and also took the time to stop by our Mt Isa office to discuss key local justice issues with the team.
On a celebratory note, the team also had the pleasure of marking our own Kate Greenwood’s birthday with a well-deserved cake during the event.
The Yarn Up event was a powerful demonstration of inter-agency collaboration, allowing us to strengthen partnerships while engaging and enhancing access to services for the Mt Isa community. Other services in attendance, in addition to ATSILS included:
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AIDRWA
Australian Electoral Commission (AEC)
Blue Card Services
BUSY At Work – The Apprenticeship Community
Commonwealth Bank
Electoral Commission of Queensland (ECQ)
Indigenous Driver Licencing Unit (TMR)
Indigenous Support & Care
Mithangkaya Nguli – Young People Ahead Youth and Community Services Indigenous Corporation
Office of Fair Trading
Qld Screening
Qld Youth Services
QSuper
Red Door Community Services
Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages
Selectability
Services Australia
State Penalties Enforcement Registry (SPER)
Mt Isa Yarn Up Muster
Director of Civil Law Visits Wide Bay-Burnett Region
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Director of Civil Law Visits Wide Bay-Burnett Region

ATSILS Civil Law Team As part of our Workforce Development Plan and emerging leaders’ program, Simon Burgess, Director of Civil Law, recently visited our regional offices in Hervey Bay and Bundaberg.

In Hervey Bay, Simon engaged with the local team, including Civil and Family Lawyer Murray Nielsen, to discuss the unique challenges and complexities surrounding Wills, Estates, and EPOAs within the Wide Bay-Burnett communities.

The tour continued in Bundaberg, which marked a welcome return for Simon, who served as the office’s Regional Manager around 2004. He was delighted to reconnect with long-serving colleagues, including Court Support Officer Natasha Thomson, lawyers Ian Kendrick and Jennie Waldron, and Administrative Officer Cheryl Nuggin. The visit also provided an opportunity to meet with local Magistrate Mr. John McInnes, fostering crucial dialogue on community-based civil law issues.

These regional visits are vital for strengthening collaboration, connection and ensuring our services are responsive to the needs of every community we serve.

Community Event – Mt Isa – Legal Rights
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Community Event – Mt Isa – Legal Rights

Hey, Mount Isa! Come and enjoy a free Kup Murri at the Mount Is Recovery Services Centre (MIRS) and learn more about your legal rights.

Lawyers from ATSILS, Legal Aid Qld and the Central Queensland Community Legal Centre will be present to provide information to the community. This event is warmly supported by MIRS, Jimaylya Topsy Harry Centre and Centacare Mount Isa.

Community Services Yarn Up Day – Cherbourg
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Community Services Yarn Up Day – Cherbourg

Our CLE Team recently participated in the Community Services Yarn Up Day at Les Stewart Snr Sporting Complex in Cherbourg, on beautiful Wakka Wakka Country. The event was an initiative of the Cherbourg Aboriginal Shire Council in partnership with the First Nations Justice Office.

Pree Sharma, Legal Practitioner, Law Reform and Community Legal Education, represented ATSILS, providing free legal advice and/or referrals for community members who stopped by for assistance.

ATSILS joined other officers from the Indigenous Driver Licensing Unit at the Department of Transport and Main Roads, BlueCard Services, SPER, Births, Deaths and Marriages, Services Australia, QSuper, South Burnett CTC, Link Up, Murgon Aboriginal Family Legal Services Qld, Barambah Local Justice Group, Queensland Advocacy for Inclusion, and many others to provide essential services all in the one place for the community. It was a wonderful community event with much engagement, and we look forward to participating in the next one.

Our CLE Team in NQ participate in the ‘Everyday Legal Training for Frontline Workers’ event
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Our CLE Team in NQ participate in the ‘Everyday Legal Training for Frontline Workers’ event

ATSILS CLE Our Community Legal Education staff in North Queensland participated in the ‘Everyday Legal Training for Frontline Workers’ CLE event in May, coordinated by LawRight and hosted by James Cook University in Cairns.

This full-day event saw presentations from LawRight, ATSILS, North Queensland Women’s Legal Service, Cairns Community Legal Centre and Basic Rights Qld. Kimberly Thornley and Paige Ryan of ATSILS presented sessions to the group of 70 frontline support workers on the topics of ‘Rights and Respect in the Workplace’ and ‘Supporting families with child protection matters’. Other sessions included legal options for victim-survivors of violence, debt solutions for people in financial hardship, effectively interacting with Centrelink and legal protections for people who buy a lemon car.

The purpose of this CLE event was to provide a series of in-person presentations and smaller workshops designed to provide specialist, practical training to help frontline workers navigate the complex legal systems impacting the people they support. Attendees on the day included staff from local and nearby regional services such as various neighbourhood centres, Anglicare, Relationships Australia, DFV support workers and counsellors, social workers, homelessness support workers and JCU students seeking to broaden their knowledge. This event provided a great opportunity for services to collaborate through CLE delivery and facilitated active audience participation and discussion. The team had a great day and thoroughly enjoyed taking part and sharing knowledge with all in attendance.

ATSILS and QATSICPP partner to deliver Community Legal Education (CLE) Webinar Series
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ATSILS and QATSICPP partner to deliver Community Legal Education (CLE) Webinar Series

ATSILS CLEATSILS and QATSICPP are collaborating to deliver a Community Legal Education (CLE) webinar series to empower community-based staff supporting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families facing the Queensland youth justice system.
ATSILS’ Pree Sharma, Legal Practitioner, Law Reform and Community Legal Education and Rod Morgan, Legal Practitioner, Criminal Law (Youth Crime Specialist) recently delivered a webinar in partnership with the Youth Justice Peak body, QATSICPP, for staff of community-based organisations that support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, young people, and families, particularly those involved with or at risk of becoming involved with the youth justice system with a focus on the rights of children and young people when interacting with police.
ATSILS has a longstanding partnership with QATSICPP in delivering community legal education to its members. This particular webinar is the first in a three-part webinar series that is part of QATSICPP’s Knowledge Bites offering. It is designed to support the professional development of staff within community-controlled and community-based organisations and strengthen advocacy and service delivery in child protection and youth justice. Through these sessions, QATSICPP aims to equip frontline workers with practical, up-to-date knowledge that informs and empowers their critical work.
The first webinar explored several key topics including:
• Knowing Your Rights: Understanding children’s rights when stopped, questioned, or searched by police.
• Children as Victims of Crime: Knowing the steps to take when a child is a victim of a crime.
• Concerns about Police Conduct: Guidance on how to raise concerns or lodge complaints about police conduct.
If you are interested in ATSILS delivering community legal education sessions such as this, in person or online, please reach out to us on info@atsils.org.au.
Tablelands Community Justice Group Meeting
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Tablelands Community Justice Group Meeting

Great to catch up with the Tablelands Community Justice Group again in Atherton, to further discussions around community-led intervention initiatives, partnerships and Closing The Gap justice policy.

Thank you to Julie Go Sam (TCJG) Justice Coordinator and all local Elders in attendance for hosting our CEO – Shane Duffy, Graham White (Director of Sector Engagement & Communication), Kate Greenwood (Closing the Gap Policy Officer) and Paige Ryan (Solicitor – Coronial, Community Legal Education & Public Sector Monitoring).

Addressing justice issues requires respectful, culturally informed local approaches, increased resources for rehabilitation and diversion programs, and systemic changes to reduce reliance on detention for young people.

An example of this has been the great work the Elders have been doing in delivering On Country Camps’ linked below: https://lnkd.in/gyBsxueb