Making a difference to real people: the community lawyer's perspective

This year Inner Melbourne Community Legal celebrates 40 years. From the organisation's humble beginnings in the Church hall on Melrose Street in 1978 the legal centre has come a long way. It has however remained dedicated to its original purpose of providing access to justice for the areas most disadvantaged people, staffed by a team of expert community lawyers.

Inner Melbourne Community Legal CEO Dan Stubbs has worked in the community legal sector for 9 years and takes pride in the immediate and practical difference the legal service has on someone who has come into contact with the justice system.

“I believe community legal centres make a real difference for people when they have contact with the justice system. Often people’s lives can be negatively impacted from this interaction. Working in the community legal centre allows us to change that, so people end up better off overall. That’s really important for me,” says Mr Stubbs.

“We have a lot of issues that come through our door – different people with different legal problems, allowing us to see the application of the law in the real world.”

The full article can be read on page 6 in the current edition of the North and West Melbourne News.