Law Institute Journal article

In March 2020, in response to increasing need for legal help, we launched a pilot of our online legal clinic Justice Connect Answers. At Justice Connect Answers, eligible help-seekers can post simple legal questions covering a wide range of issues – including employment rights, housing and homelessness – on the platform, and receive tailored and confidential legal advice from lawyers in our pro bono network.

Not all legal matters require ongoing legal assistance. Many people are capable of self-advocacy when provided with the right legal information, advice, and resources. One client, John*, wanted to know his rights as a consumer after purchasing a faulty item online and was denied a refund or any option for exchange from the seller.

As someone relying on the Disability Support Pension, he could not afford advice from a private lawyer. John posted his question on Justice Connect Answers. Soon after he received detailed and accessible advice on his rights and what he could do next from a pro bono lawyer. He has since gained the confidence to assert his rights to resolve the dispute fairly.

John is just one of a growing number of people we have seen from our user data looking for legal information and advice online. In the two years since we launched Justice Connect Answers, we have responded to over 911 questions from 833 help-seekers across Australia.

Justice Connect Answers has proven to be a valuable platform for both the growing number of people seeking legal help and pro bono lawyers who want to do more for the community. In developing a free online platform where people can get information and advice from lawyers for free, we aim to close a critical justice gap for people experiencing financial, geographical, and other barriers to legal assistance – all of which have worsened due to compounding crises.

And unlike traditional legal clinics, Justice Connect Answers provides pro bono lawyers the flexibility to answer questions in their own time, wherever they are, and in areas of law in which they have expertise

Justice Connect Answers allows us to extend our reach by assisting more people to get the legal help they need, when they need it, while simultaneously leveraging the strong interest in the private legal profession to undertake more pro bono work.  

To find out more about Justice Connect Answers, visit answers.justiceconnect.org.au

*Our client’s name has been changed to protect their identity.