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- Towards 2030: NLA Strategic Plan
  This plan provides an overview of National Legal Aid's strategic plan for the next five years. It identifies the vision, purpose, and goals of our work towards 2030. It answers the questions of who we are, who we support, how we work, what we offer, and our impact.
- Towards 2030: NLA Strategic Operating Plan
  This plan outlines how we will measure success, the benefits of our work and a five year strategic operating plan for the NLA Directorate. This plan will be reported on as a regular agenda item at NLA Directors meetings and will be reviewed annually.
Policy & Advocacy
- ALAF
  The Australian Legal Assistance Forum has been established to enable the members to consider and address Australian legal assistance issues in a co-operative way and to make recommendations on those issues in a co-ordinated fashion.
- Submissions
  Integral to our policy and advocacy role is the constructive advice, guidance and direction we provide to government. This page contains the submissions NLA has made to various Commonwealth Government and Parliamentary inquiries.
- Reports
  Research and reports aimed at enhancing legal aid funding and quantitatively assessing legal needs to improve access and outcomes across Australia.
National Services
- Royal Commission Legal Assistance Service
  National Legal Aid has established a national legal service to support individuals to engage with the Royal Commission on Antisemitism and Social Cohesion.
  Learn more about accessing this service for free legal information, help, and advice, including about voluntary submissions to the Royal Commission.
- Independent Children’s Lawyers (ICL Program)
  The National Independent Children’s Lawyer Program supports ICLs across Australia advocating for children's best interests in family law proceedings.
- amica
  amica helps couples reach amicable agreements about property settlements and parenting arrangements – and it enables them to record those agreements in plain language.
- Bugmy Bar Book
  The Bugmy Bar Book provides free, up-to-date, practical and accessible resources to support decision-makers, lawyers, mental health professionals, and service providers understand the impacts of adverse early life experiences and the impact of trauma, inequality, and systemic barriers.
- Family Advocacy and Support Service
  The Family Advocacy and Support Service (FASS) is an integrated duty lawyer and social worker service for those affected by family violence.
- Family Violence Law Help
  Family Violence Law Help is a national website for people wanting to understand domestic and family violence, the law and where to get help.
- Legal Aid National Child Support
  A National referral directory for Child Support Services across Australian Legal Aids.
National Training
- Understanding Coercive Control Training
  Practical training for lawyers to identify and respond safely when a client is experiencing coercive control, across all practice areas
- With You Training
  With You is a national training program for the legal assistance sector to provide trauma-informed, rights-based legal services.
News

Home
About
- Towards 2030: NLA Strategic Plan
  This plan provides an overview of National Legal Aid's strategic plan for the next five years. It identifies the vision, purpose, and goals of our work towards 2030. It answers the questions of who we are, who we support, how we work, what we offer, and our impact.
- Towards 2030: NLA Strategic Operating Plan
  This plan outlines how we will measure success, the benefits of our work and a five year strategic operating plan for the NLA Directorate. This plan will be reported on as a regular agenda item at NLA Directors meetings and will be reviewed annually.
Policy & Advocacy
- ALAF
  The Australian Legal Assistance Forum has been established to enable the members to consider and address Australian legal assistance issues in a co-operative way and to make recommendations on those issues in a co-ordinated fashion.
- Submissions
  Integral to our policy and advocacy role is the constructive advice, guidance and direction we provide to government. This page contains the submissions NLA has made to various Commonwealth Government and Parliamentary inquiries.
- Reports
  Research and reports aimed at enhancing legal aid funding and quantitatively assessing legal needs to improve access and outcomes across Australia.
National Services
- Royal Commission Legal Assistance Service
  National Legal Aid has established a national legal service to support individuals to engage with the Royal Commission on Antisemitism and Social Cohesion.
  Learn more about accessing this service for free legal information, help, and advice, including about voluntary submissions to the Royal Commission.
- Independent Children’s Lawyers (ICL Program)
  The National Independent Children’s Lawyer Program supports ICLs across Australia advocating for children's best interests in family law proceedings.
- amica
  amica helps couples reach amicable agreements about property settlements and parenting arrangements – and it enables them to record those agreements in plain language.
- Bugmy Bar Book
  The Bugmy Bar Book provides free, up-to-date, practical and accessible resources to support decision-makers, lawyers, mental health professionals, and service providers understand the impacts of adverse early life experiences and the impact of trauma, inequality, and systemic barriers.
- Family Advocacy and Support Service
  The Family Advocacy and Support Service (FASS) is an integrated duty lawyer and social worker service for those affected by family violence.
- Family Violence Law Help
  Family Violence Law Help is a national website for people wanting to understand domestic and family violence, the law and where to get help.
- Legal Aid National Child Support
  A National referral directory for Child Support Services across Australian Legal Aids.
National Training
- Understanding Coercive Control Training
  Practical training for lawyers to identify and respond safely when a client is experiencing coercive control, across all practice areas
- With You Training
  With You is a national training program for the legal assistance sector to provide trauma-informed, rights-based legal services.
News

11 March, 2025

Upcoming NLA Webinar - Bringing International Best Practice Home

With You Victoria Legal Aid Events Research

Churchill Fellowships on trauma-informed and child-centred legal services

Join us on 4 April 2025 for a discussion with two recipients of the prestigious Churchill Fellowship who recently completed their research on trauma-informed and child-centered legal services. Our two panelists will be sharing their international findings relevant to Australian services, as well as sharing application tips.

Jennifer Chen

Jen runs the With You training program on behalf of NLA. She investigated trauma-informed legal services for people experiencing vulnerability.

Elicia Savvas

Elicia is the Associate Director of Child Protection at Victoria Legal Aid. She investigated child-centred legal services in child welfare law.

Agenda:

1:00pm - Introduction by interim NLA ED

1:15pm - Jennifer presents: An investigation of trauma-informed legal services for people experiencing marginalisation

1:40pm - Elicia presents: Child-centred legal services: lessons from the US and UK

2:05pm - Q&A

Register Today! (opens in new window)

Related news articles

23 September, 2026

Media release: Senate Committee report must drive national action to keep children out of detention

In this media release National Legal Aid welcomes the Senate Legal and Constitutional Affairs References Committee’s report on Australia’s Youth Justice and Incarceration System, including Labor Senators' comments that youth justice is an urgent priority.

08 September, 2026

Family Law Second Action Plan Independent Children's Lawyer Program

Safe through Separation: Family law legal help is essential safety infrastructure

In this media release National Legal Aid is calling on the Australian Government to use the Second Action Plan under the National Plan to End Violence Against Women and Children to guarantee timely legal assistance for victim-survivors and children when they need it most.

21 February, 2025

Private Practitioners Events

NLA's Private Practitioners' Census Report Launch

You're invited to the launch of NLA's Private Practitioners' Census Report!

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