Since their establishment they have assisted 20 clients in a range of family law matters, and hope that Wallumatta Legal becomes a reference point for similar initiatives around the country.

Interim Dean of Macquarie Law School Associate Professor Lise Barry, and Associate Professor Daniel Ghezelbash tell us about this impressive partnership below.

Pictured above: Interim Dean of Macquarie Law School Associate Professor Lise Barry, and Associate Professor Daniel Ghezelbash at the Wallumatta Legal launch event on Monday 2 May.

About the project

What is the aim?
Wallumatta Legal leverages cutting edge technology and automation to provide accessible advice at a low cost to the ‘missing middle’ – those who are not eligible for legal aid or other free services, but who cannot afford the fees charged by most private lawyers. It also provides valuable practical hands-on experience in family law and legal technology for Macquarie Law students.

Partnership origins

Who are the key people involved?
The Wallumatta Legal team includes CEO Cameron Thomson, Principal Solicitor Vivian Galanis and solicitor Angelique Thomas as well as six law students volunteering as part of their practical learning activity. On the Macquarie side, the main people involved are Interim Dean Associate Professor Lise Barry, Associate Professor Daniel Ghezelbash, Dr Henry Kha, Dr Francesco Dominello, and Project Manager Alex McCrostie. The DLA Piper team includes Head of Responsible Business Nicolas Patrick, Pro Bono Senior Consultant Annette Bain, Partner Gerry Bean and Senior Legal Assistant Ciara Kenny.

How did this partnership come about?
The lack of access of justice for a large part of the community has long been a concern within the legal assistance ecosystem, without any easy or clear solutions being available. The Wallumatta Legal model was inspired by the Affordable Law Firm created in 2015 by DLA Piper Partner Sheldon Krantz with Georgetown University in Washington DC. Nicolas Patrick asked Annette Bain, a specialist in access to justice, to develop the model in Australia with Cameron Thomson, who previously led operations at DLA Piper. Daniel Ghezelbash supported the development of the model as the Macquarie-lead.

The collaboration was seeded about three years ago. Macquarie Law School’s existing strengths in innovative clinical education and legal technology allowed Macquarie to make a strong pitch to attract DLA Piper to Macquarie University. Both Nicolas Patrick and Annette Bain are Macquarie Law School alumni.

The key ingredients to building this partnership are establishing a strong track record in the space, speaking with industry and building connections, as well as being patient and understanding partnerships take many years to nurture and come to fruition.

Who else at Macquarie made this happen?
We received tremendous support from across the Faculty of Arts and the University. In particular, Executive Dean Professor Martina Möllering, Faculty Executive Director, Dr Neil Durrant, and project management support from Felicity Hopkinson and Alex McCrostie. The Office of General Council was also deeply involved, and Janna Zeglig who played a key role in assisting us to navigate the legal aspects of the collaboration.

The initiative has also received research support from the Interdisciplinary Research Steering Group. It leverages the strong research track record we have in Family Law and impact measurement and evaluation.

The result

What have you been able to achieve together since launch?
Wallumatta Legal has already assisted 20 clients in a variety family law matters and received over 50 inquiries for assistance. We have also had 17 Macquarie Law students undertake a placement with the firm.  We have also had offers of support from alumni who are practicing family lawyers and strong support for the initiative from the legal sector in general.

How is the work split between DLA Piper and Macquarie University?
Both organisations have provided logistical, technical and other support to establishing the firm and supporting it during its pilot phase. In addition to providing the physical space and equipment for the firm, one of the key contributions from Macquarie University has been providing students to assist with the firm’s work. Our students benefit enormously from the opportunity to have hands-on experience working in the legal sector under the supervision of Wallumatta Legal lawyers.

How does this partnership enhance student experience/employability?
This project is the one of the first of its kind in Australia. It stands at the forefront of academic innovation, providing our students with work experience in legal services right on campus. The new clinic fast-tracks students’ ability to make real-world, positive changes to their communities with valuable insights into the practical application of family law.

The practical skills they gain boost their employability. There is a national shortage of family lawyers, and we provide students with the skills and experience to fill that gap. Skills in using legal technology are in extremely high demand, and the hands-on experience students get with such technology significantly boosts their employability.

What’s next?
Our hope is that Wallumatta Legal will be a model that can be emulated, not just for family law practice, but in all areas of law across the country. This not-for-profit, fixed cost, low-bono model, where you can create a self-sustaining business with modest fees, has potential to add significant capacity in terms of available legal services, and particularly for the ‘missing middle’ we target. The goal is for Wallumatta Legal to become a national point of reference for facilitating and setting up similar initiatives around the country.

Working with industry

Do you have any advice for staff who are thinking about partnering with industry?
Be patient and understand developing strong partnerships takes time and requires trust. Partnerships may develop organically as you develop expertise in a particular area, but they will only happen if you invite stakeholders to engage with you. You need to actively explore the interests of your potential partners and identify how you can add value to what they are doing.  “What can we do for you?”, rather than “What can you do for us?”

Wallumatta Legal will help address an important societal issue by providing legal services to the ‘missing middle’– those who are not eligible for legal aid or other free services but who cannot readily afford the fees charged by most commercial lawyers. Its initial focus will be on family law, dealing with such issues as divorce, parenting and property matters.

Chair of Wallumatta Legal, Gerry Bean says this is a new day for legal services in Australia.

“Wallumatta Legal will provide the ‘missing middle’ with access to justice, which has been denied for too long. Our innovative not-for-profit model was designed to meet-the-market, but also be scalable for growth.”

Located in Macquarie University’s new Arts Precinct, the Wallumatta Legal team includes Annette Bain, Cameron Thomson (CEO), Vivian Galanis (Principal Solicitor), and six university law students volunteering as part of their practical learning activity. The initiative is also supported by partners Lexis Nexus, Lander & Rogers, Ashurst and KWM.

“Macquarie Law School is proud to be bridging the gap and support this pioneering initiative to provide sorely needed legal services. We are teaching our students that through studying law they can help transform society and make real-world positive changes to their community,” says Associate Professor Lise Barry, Interim Dean of Macquarie Law School (pictured above).

“This project is the one of the first of its kind in Australia. It stands at the forefront of academic innovation, providing our students with work experience in legal services right on campus.”

Wallumatta Legal leverages cutting-edge legal technology and automation to provide accessible legal advice at a low cost. An online triage questionnaire collates information prior to the initial consultation, enabling the lawyer to focus on providing the client with advice and representation rather than collecting information. To maximise its client-centred approach, Wallumatta Legal will combine traditional and technological tools in its service delivery.

Due to the current COVID-19 restrictions, the Wallumatta Legal team is working remotely offering phone and online consultations. For more information, visit the Wallumatta Legal website.

Officially launched earlier this month, the announcement has already received coverage in the Australian Financial Review, and has been featured in The Lighthouse.

The Reform Lab’s first project will progress research on Indigenous constitutional recognition through a First Nations constitutional voice. This marks the next phase after a decade of work by Dr Morris in this field, and demonstrates a growing cohort of multicultural Australians advocating alongside Indigenous people to achieve the aspirations of the Uluru Statement from the Heart.

1. Something you’d like staff to know about
With generous support from Foundation Donors, Henry and Marcia Pinskier, and in partnership with Indigenous policy organisation, Cape York Institute, I am starting up a Radical Centre Reform Lab at Macquarie Law School next year. This will involve an Indigenous Masters Scholarship and some exciting internship opportunities  – please share this with your students and networks.

2. Something you have recently accomplished
I was recently commissioned to write a report for International IDEA (Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance) on international examples of mechanisms for Indigenous participation, consultation and representation in constitutional systems. This has just been published and is intended support the Indigenous delegates in the current Chilean constitutional design process.

I’ve also been writing about the government’s proposed anonymity reforms, in The Conversation and the SMH. I’m concerned this is rushed, back-to-front policy-making. More needs to be done to protect free speech and account for power imbalances between citizens and the state.

3. What you need to do your best work?
Many, many cups of English Breakfast tea and – if it’s cold – a heat pack on my legs!

4. The most impressive piece of equipment you use in your work
See aforementioned heat pack…(kidding!)

5. Something you’ve read recently that has had an impact on you
Stephanie Kelton’s The Deficit Myth. This book transformed my perspective on the economy and unemployment, by challenging conventional wisdom regarding budget deficits and responsible management of the economy. It made me realise that unemployment is a policy choice. It is unconscionable that we keep a ‘buffer stock’ of Australians unemployed, so the rest of us can enjoy stable prices. Our thinking needs to change. We need to realise we can achieve full employment in this country, and make it happen.

6. Your definition of success
I feel very proud after crafting a strong piece of writing. Whether it’s a legal journal article or an opinion piece.

7. What you like about where you live
I live in West Pennant Hills. It’s full of trees and birds: rosellas, cockies, galahs… it’s a beautiful, leafy area.

8. A personal quality you value in others
Open-mindedness to new ideas and different contributions, and willingness to collaborate. The ability to engage across political, ideological and cultural divides is becoming very rare in our increasingly tribal society. But to achieve substantive reform, we need to bridge divides. That’s when you find exciting ‘radical centre’ solutions.

9. Something you’re trying to do differently in 2021
Being new to Sydney, and given lockdown is finally over (hopefully) it would be great to go out more and explore the local areas, and meet new people – including Macquarie colleagues. It’s a challenge with an eight-month-old baby, but I need to get out more!

10. A moment you felt proud
When my latest book (my phD thesis from 2017) came out in 2020. It makes the case for A First Nations voice in the Australian Constitution, and was the product of around seven years of work on this topic with Cape York Institute.

With the international borders reopening this week, Surya – internationally recognised for his work in business and human rights – can look forward to soon joining us on the Macquarie campus.

1. Something you’d like staff to know about
I research about the interface of business and human rights. Adopting a rightsholders’ perspective, I explore how to minimise negative impacts of corporations in society and maximise their positive contributions in the service of both people and the planet.

2. Something people ask you when they find out what you do for a living
“Business and human rights? Really, is this not an oxymoron?”

3. Something you have recently accomplished
It is satisfying to see that the Business and Human Rights Journal – a Cambridge journal that I co-founded in 2015 –  is ranked 14th in terms of citations in Google Scholar’s 2021 ranking of international law journals.

4. A favourite photo from your camera roll
I took this picture of the Taranto steel plant in October, during a country visit to Italy in my capacity as Chairperson of the UN Working Group on Business and Human Rights. The smoke from the plant chimney shows an ongoing challenge in striking a balance between development and the environment. I often wonder whether we would ever realise sustainable development in practice.

5. A moment you felt proud
Having my parents in Geneva to see me presenting a report to the UN Human Rights Council.

6. What you need to do your best work
Walking, jogging, travelling and lots of water to drink.

7. Something you’ve read recently that has had an impact on you
William Dalrymple’s powerful historical account, The Anarchy: The East India Company, Corporate Violence, and the Pillage of an Empire, shows how corporations have been abusing power and exploiting people for centuries. This raises serious questions about the very form and purpose of corporations in society.

8. What you like about where you live
I joined Macquarie in September, but I’m still working remotely from Hong Kong, one of the most efficient and safest cities in the world. I am looking forward to returning to Sydney soon and living in a more multicultural environment with beautiful beaches!

9. A personal quality you value in others
Honesty – and related elements of integrity and willingness to speak truth to power.

10. Your definition of success
Making a positive social contribution in some way – be it offering help or giving advice to someone in need, or contributing to problem solving.

Christoph’s research is focused on intellectual property law, environmental law and human rights in Asia, but also with law and society in the region more broadly. He coordinates several international collaborative projects and holds appointments at prestigious institutions including the German Development Institute – one of the leading think tanks for development policy worldwide.

1. Something you’d like staff to know about
I am project lead on two ARC Discovery projects. One looks at the development of the Indonesian intellectual property system over the last 40 years and its economic, social and cultural impacts. The other project looks at food security and the way local agricultural knowledge is governed in India and Indonesia. 

2. A recent accomplishment 
Together with my ARC project colleagues from the University of Indonesia, I finalised a book chapter and a journal article based on our fieldwork with farming communities. The publications analyse challenges for farmers involved in plant breeding after important changes to the legislative framework for their activities were introduced in 2019.

3. Something people ask you when they find out what you do for a living
I used to get funny comments and questions when I said I was working on intellectual property in Asia, because of the poor reputation of Asian countries in this respect. But this is changing, with a more diverse intellectual property landscape in Asia and a more nuanced understanding here about the different impacts of these rights in different contexts and the challenges of introducing them.

4. What you need to do your best work
A peaceful mind and a pleasant environment.

5. Something you’ve read recently that has had an impact on you
James C. Scott’s book Seeing like a state: how certain schemes to improve the human condition have failed. It explores the tunnel vision that can sometimes be observed in state-led standardisation and development programs. Also, Eric R. Wolf’s Europe and the People Without History, on, in his own words, “the active histories of ‘primitives’, peasantries, laborers, immigrants, and besieged minorities”, who are too often overlooked in history books.

6. What you like about where you live
I’ve only recently joined Macquarie from the University of Newcastle, so I’, still staying in the Lower Hunter region until later in the year, when moving closer to Sydney will hopefully become easier again. I love the coastal and bush walks in this part of New South Wales and my long term goal is to do the Great North Walk in stages.

7. A favourite photo from your camera roll

This picture was taken at a farmers’ meeting in West Java, Indonesia, during fieldwork for our ARC project. It shows local knowledge in action ­– farmers exchanging information on rainfall patterns and suitable rice varieties under conditions of climate change.

8. A personal quality you value in others
Empathy – the ability to put yourself in the shoes of another person.

9. Something you’re trying to do differently in 2021
COVID-19 means that fieldwork plans had to be postponed for this year. I am planning to hold focus group discussions, webinars and online discussions instead.

10. You definition of success
Continuing to develop in what one is thinking and trying to do; not standing still.

The podcast Women and Children First, which reached #18 on Apple’s Australian Documentary Podcast Chart in its first week of release, features prominent jurists, whistleblowers, human rights defenders, and political representatives, who unpack Australia’s offshore detention policy.

“The podcast is about my search for answers in relation to Australia’s offshore detention policy,” Alex says.

“I hope that we can inform Australians, that people will listen with an open mind, and that by dispelling some of the misinformation we might influence a call for change. We need to create a policy that reflects our values, treats people with fairness, and honours our international legal obligations.”

Guests include the likes of Geoffrey Robertson QC, Michael Kirby AC, Julian Burnside AO QC and Dr Nick Martin, a former Lieutenant Commander and Surgeon with the British Royal Navy who worked as a senior medico on the ground in Nauru.

“Episode 4, which features Dr Nick Martin really resonated with me. Part of the challenge in getting any change to this policy is that people think you are a ‘bleeding heart’ if you speak out,” explains Alex.

“Dr Nick Martin has seen some terrible things in war zones during his career from Afghanistan to the Balkans. He himself says he is not a ‘bleeding heart liberal’ and yet he was compelled to speak out about what he witnessed first-hand on Nauru.”

The podcast is a passion project created by Alex who while studying at Macquarie undertook an advocacy unit under Professor George Newhouse and Associate Professor Daniel Ghezelbash.

“The unit talked about how to advance issues using means other than the law. It was a fantastic unit. Professor Newhouse was clearly very passionate about advocating for vulnerable persons and he founded the National Justice Project to do just that,” Alex says.

“I knew very little about the refugee policy in Australia and so when it came time to do a PACE unit, I volunteered at the National Justice Project. It was there that I discovered the impact of Australia’s offshore detention policies first-hand. I could not believe how we were treating innocent, vulnerable people who were simply seeking safety. I felt compelled to do something.”

The podcast can be heard on the Women and Children First website, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Amazon Music.

“Picture me rolling around on a helideck with a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament – not a pretty sight!” she laughs.

Thankfully the incident is a brief blip in an otherwise highly impressive career as someone who has straddled law and earth science to become a foremost authority on petroleum, energy and natural resources law.

1. Something people always ask you when they find out what you do for living
When I tell people that I am a professor of petroleum, energy and natural resources law, it is usually met by dead silence. Often there is no coming back from that. I am never sure whether it is the area of specialisation, or the fact that no one would even imagine I could be a professor. Either way, I am not offended!

2. A moment you felt proud
When I was appointed a Professor of Earth Sciences at Tomsk State University’s Biological Institute in 2019. The Russians rarely bestow such an honour on a Westerner, so it was a real privilege to be awarded this position.

3. Something you’d like staff to know about
I am the Director of a research consortium (CRENAME) that comprises primarily of Russian universities and Russian researchers. I am the only law academic on the team, which comprises scientists and engineers. It’s a truly multidisciplinary team that also includes people from Macquarie.

4. Something you or your team have recently accomplished
Wearing my other hat as an Earth science academic, I have recently published two papers that have nothing to do with law. As part of the CRENAME Consortium, we have published a paper on cleaning oil from aquatic sediments in Russian Oil fields, and another on microplastics in a Siberian River.

5. A person you admire at Macquarie, and why
Professor Vladimir Strezov in Earth Sciences – we work together in the fields of microplastics and oil contaminants, and also hold a mutual interest in hydrogen and lithium. It is excellent how we can work together in a multi-disciplinary manner on projects which include other Macquarie researchers and partners from Russia.

6. The first person you go to for advice
Professor Ross Buckley at UNSW. I was his Research Assistant 2003-4, and assumed he thought little of me. About 10 years ago, he would randomly send career advice, which I followed to the letter, and it worked. If I need academic advice, I go to him. He is currently my mentor for my Future Fellowship application, and he has promised to be brutal!

7. Something you’ve read recently that has had an impact on you 
Elizabeth Macarthur life at the edge of the world by Michelle Scott Tucker – absolutely brilliant. I am a huge lover of Australian history and fascinated by women in the early colony. Elizabeth Macarthur fulfils both of these interests.

8. A website or app you can’t live without
Google Keep! It is brilliant for keeping all of those tiny titbits of crucial information.

9. A personal quality you value in others
Honour.

10. What you need to do your best work
Opportunity. The more opportunity I have, the more creative I can be!

Today, Dr Barry is the Deputy Dean at Macquarie Law School, where she teaches Legal Ethics and Dispute Resolution courses in the Juris Doctor. Her research focuses on elder law as well as how lawyers interact with people who have cognitive impairment.

1) In a nutshell, my job is to…
Provide leadership in the Law School relating to all things Learning and Teaching.

2)  The question I hear most often in my work is…
What’s the policy on …….? I work with lawyers – they like to know what the rules are!

3) The thing I find most rewarding in my role is…
Helping students achieve their goals and potential. I really love time in the classroom where I teach our Juris Doctor cohort and working with research students one-on-one is a joy.

4) This year I want to…
Spend more time offline, camping and exploring in beautiful places.

5) The bravest thing I’ve done is…
Sailing through rough seas in a huge timber ketch. Think ‘spartan training vessel’ rather than ‘luxury yacht’. The captain was 80 years old, the crew were a group of young homeless people from the refuge where I worked and I thought I was going to die. The kids thought it was hilarious though.

6) A place that’s special to me is…
Tonga. I lived there for a year with my husband and children. It is a beautiful country with a completely different pace to life. We have a lot to learn from our Pacific Island neighbours.

7) My guilty pleasure is…
Musk Sticks – an essential aid to marking assessments.

8) My hidden talent is…
Surf sports. I’m passionate about surf life-saving and compete in board, surf ski and iron-woman events. This year I won my first individual medal at the Australian Titles on the Gold Coast.

9) Something I’ve never done but wanted to try is…
The banjo. But my family may never forgive me for the year I spent trying to learn the violin. I don’t think I’ll press my luck.

10) A moment I’ll always remember is…
Winning a gold medal in the surf ski relay at the World Titles in France in 2016. We did a Steven Bradbury and came from behind to get a very unexpected gold. Sharing that with close friends was very special

When the Federal Government sought to take mobile phones away from asylum seekers in onshore detention centres, law students at Macquarie University helped mount a successful legal challenge against the ban.

And in November, as refugees refused to leave the decommissioned Manus Island detention centre and faced a showdown with PNG police, the students were working to keep ill refugees close to medical treatment in Port Moresby as authorities tried to send them back to the remote Manus province.

It’s all been part of a year’s work with asylum-seeker clients for 24 legal students at the Social Justice Clinic, a pilot project set up by law school senior lecturer Dr Daniel Ghezelbash.

In its first year, the clinic has partnered with the National Justice Project and the Refugee Advice and Casework Service (RACS) to help with their pro bono caseloads, giving students real-life work experience under the clinical supervision of the not-for-profit organisations.

As testament to its success, the clinic is to become permanent, with its ultimate home to be in the Michael Kirby law building that the university plans to begin building in 2020.

Ghezelbash, who spent 18 months in the US observing how universities there ran their clinical programs before returning to establish Macquarie’s, couldn’t be prouder.

More refugees get legal help

“People who otherwise would not have got legal representation are getting it because of the students,” says Ghezelbash. “The students do real legal work that makes a substantial contribution to the work of these organisations, and has allowed both organisations to take on more clients than they would have otherwise.

“We’re adding real capacity to the sector at a time when the sector is in crisis because the funding has been cut … there was a time not too long ago when all asylum seekers would have access to government-paid legal advice and that was abolished.”

The students, who are in the third year and above of their law studies and beat more than 100 applicants to secure places at the clinic, have worked with “all permutations” of refugees, says Ghezelbash, as well as on coronial inquests into Aboriginal deaths in custody and deaths of asylum-seekers in offshore detention.

“Unfortunately, there are no happy endings on Nauru and Manus Island; largely it’s really depressing work,” says Ghezelbash.  While communication with clients on Nauru and Manus has been primarily on WhatsApp and in relation to securing them medical treatment, students have consulted in-person with refugees living in Australia who are on bridging visas and need legal help to secure three or five year temporary visas – refugees who, because they arrived by boat, will never secure permanent residency under current law.

Through the RACS partnership, the students have assisted asylum-seekers who came by plane and are eligible for permanent visas.  Although there are no outcomes yet for any of the clients, the clinic “made a substantial contribution to their chances of success,” says Ghezelbash.

Drop-in services planned for new law school

In the coming years, the clinic will be progressively expanded to include 40 students a semester across five partner organisations. Negotiations are underway with not-for-profit legal practices helping clients in areas such as tenancy and social security. The pro bono arms of commercial law firms are also in Ghezelbash’s sights.

“The plan was always to take a very broad approach to social justice lawyering so we definitely plan to move beyond the refugee space,” says Ghezelbash. “The new law school, in particular, will be very useful for us, in that I really want to ramp up the live client interaction, and part of the design of the new school is for us to have a dedicated interview room, which will allow me to bring in partners that run drop-in services.”

Offices were refitted and walls knocked down in the current law school to house the clinic, which has been a game changer for many students, says Ghezelbash.

“It’s almost unanimously touted as the best learning experience that they’ve had at university,” he says. “They really love it. It’s so much work for them, much more than expected in any unit that they take, but they really enjoy it, and we’ve had quite a number of students say it’s basically changed their career path and what they want to do with their life.”

More than 6o students from five North Shore high schools gathered last Wednesday 22 November to present their scientifically-savvy initiatives, developed in collaboration with our Macquarie experts, which they hope will lead the charge in creating positive local climate solutions in their local areas.

The Bright Sparks Program is one of many inspiring projects led by the Macquarie University Law School in partnership with Ku-ring-gai Council, which aims to empower students to have their voice heard on issues of climate change and sustainability.

“Bright Sparks aims to ignite learning and teaching across secondary and tertiary education, with its purpose being to promote a transformative learning experience, and empower young people by listening to their views about future pathways,” said Project Coordinator Dr Kirsten Davies, from Macquarie Law School.

The well-attended event saw the five schools pitch different and creative initiatives, each aligned to a global sustainable development goal including the use of solar panels in schools, smart housing and development, and better use of community green spaces.

NSW Minister for Education, and Macquarie Law School Alumni, The Hon Rob Stokes, was in attendance at the event and was impressed with the approach taken by the students.

“All of these sustainable development goals need to be understood collectively, and one of the real focuses of Macquarie University is that this entire university is predicated on the idea of a multidisciplinary approach; of looking at solving problems using a wide range of disciplines.”

The event was the culmination of a year-long project, made possible by a 2017 Learning and Teaching grant. Pro Vice-Chancellor Learning and Teaching, Professor Sherman Young is a keen supporter of the initiative and emceed last week’s event.

“Bright Sparks is the perfect intersection of the three core activities of our University; research and discovery, learning and teaching and serving our community,” said Professor Young.

“It has been a pleasure to see everyone work together as a connected learning community during this exciting initiative – addressing the local challenges of one of our biggest global issues, and linking today’s Macquarie academics with tomorrow’s potential thought leaders.”