About Us

Women's Legal Services (WLS) NSW is funded by the Commonwealth and State governments to provide a free community legal service for women in NSW. From the beginning WLS NSW has pioneered new ways of helping women to access the law.

• Mission
• Recognition
• Board and Management
• Staff and Volunteers

Mission

Women's Legal Services NSW exists to provide a voice for women in NSW and to promote access to justice, through the provision of legal services, law reform and community legal education, particularly for women who are disadvantaged by their social and economic circumstances.

Women's Legal Services NSW will, from a feminist perspective, foster legal and social change to redress the inequalities that women experience.

Recognition

• In 2009–2010, the law reform and policy work of Women's Legal Services NSW was
  acknowledged by others.
    
• Its Sexual Assault Communications Privilege Referral Pilot was Highly Commended in the Pro Bono Partnership Category at the Justice Awards.
    
• Women's Legal Services NSW's human rights work was recognised with a nomination in the legal category of the Australian Human Rights Awards.
    
• Law Reform and Policy Coordinator, Edwina MacDonald, was awarded the Woman Lawyer of the Year in a Community Organisation by the Women’s Lawyers Association of NSW for her work advocating for the rights of women. She was also selected to attend an international training workshop in Nepal on the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women.

Board and Management

Women’s Legal Services NSW is an independent non-profit company limited by guarantee. It has a voluntary board of nine directors. The day-to-day management of the services is delegated to the Executive Officer and Principal Solicitor.

Staff and Volunteers

The services have a total of about 20 staff at any one time, (14 full-time-equivalent positions) including solicitors, law reform and community education co-ordinators, project workers and administrative staff.

We offer volunteer placements to law students  and may also have other volunteers working with us from time to time on particular projects. For more information about how to get involved, see our volunteers and students section.