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.
Director of Civil Law Visits Wide Bay-Burnett Region
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
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
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
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
Mabo Day 2025
National Sorry Day – Still Bringing them Home
Congratulations, Tim Hishon on your SCLA Life Membership Award 2025!
The SCLA Life Member Award is a testament to significant contributions made by a member, not just to the SCLA, but to the broader local legal and non-legal communities. This highly exclusive award is presented to only one individual each year.
What makes Tim’s achievement even more remarkable is that he is only the 10th person in the SCLA’s history to receive this esteemed recognition. Furthermore, he is the first recipient not from private practice, breaking new ground for the award. His nomination garnered widespread support, with endorsements from ATSILS staff, LAQ staff, and colleagues across the private sector – a true reflection of his impact.
The entire ATSILS team is incredibly proud of Tim and extends our warmest congratulations on this truly well-deserved honour!
Need help to make a Will?
ATSILS has a statewide civil law team that can assist clients in making a valid Will.
Check out the video below to understand why having a Will in place is important.
To contact an ATSILS office close to you please visit: www.atsils.org.au/contact/
#ATSILS
#legalhelp
Tablelands Community Justice Group Meeting
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