What is STILS?
STILS is the first ARC Linkage grant of its kind received in the legal assistance sector. The STILS research project is designed to ultimately transform how legal services are delivered to people who have experienced trauma by building a stronger evidence base about trauma-informed lawyering.
The research represents a large-scale, multi-jurisdictional project with six research sites across New South Wales, Victoria and the Northern Territory, encompassing criminal, family and civil law practice areas.
As part of the project, With You training will be implemented across all research sites, along with key elements of the With You Trauma-Informed Organisational Toolkit, including trauma-informed supervision for staff and coaching for managers.
Why it Matters
People's legal needs often intersect with mental distress and trauma. Despite growing awareness of this, there’s still limited empirical research on systemic trauma-informed legal practices. STILS seeks to advance this important evidence-base.
STILS is significant because it is a research project built on a strong partnership model, with research implementation locally led by participating legal aid teams across the three states. This ensures that the research is grounded in the realities of frontline legal practice and tailored to specific contexts. Lived experience is also embedded throughout the project, ensuring that research is shaped by the perspectives of people who access legal assistance services.
Project Goals
The primary objectives of STILS are to:
-
Implement and critically evaluate trauma-informed legal practices across key Legal Aid Commissions in three Australian states and territories, in three practice areas.
-
Assess the effectiveness and benefits of trauma-informed lawyering for both clients and legal staff, with a focus on improving client experiences, outcomes, and staff wellbeing.
-
Identify and disseminate best practices in trauma-informed legal services to inform future policies and legal practice frameworks.
Expected Impact
The project is expected to benefit both clients and legal professionals. In the long term, it could influence the broader adoption of trauma-informed lawyering across Australia and beyond.
In a statement for La Trobe University, researcher, Associate Professor Chris Maylea, has stated that he hopes the work will lead to "enhanced client experiences and improved legal outcomes and set new standards in legal assistance."
"This strategic research alliance promises significant community benefits by developing an evidence-base for trauma-informed practices in the Australian legal system."
Further information can be found on La Trobe's website here: Home - Supporting Trauma Informed Legal Services (STILS)