Corporate Legal Department Membership
What pro bono work can your corporate legal department do with PILCH?
Special Clinics
Homeless Persons' Legal Clinic
Your legal department may wish to become involved in the PILCH Homeless Persons' Legal Clinic, an outreach service through which volunteer lawyers from PILCH law firms and corporate legal departments deliver legal services to people experiencing homelessness. This unique outreach model has been an excellent opportunity for PILCH members to expand their pro bono programs.
Older Persons' Legal Clinic
Your legal department may wish to become involved in the Seniors Rights Victoria Older Persons' Legal Clinic, an outreach service through which volunteer lawyers from PILCH law firms and corporate legal departments deliver legal services to older people in the community. This is a new program of PILCH which will provide an excellent opportunity for PILCH members to expand their pro bono programs.
Training
Your legal department may want to assist with training which PILCH offers to pro bono and community lawyers, or with the training program coordinated by PilchConnect, our specialist legal service for not-for-profit and community organisations.
Law reform and policy
Opportunities also exist for your legal department to be involved in PILCH's law reform and public policy advocacy.
Fundraising
e.g. morning teas
Other in-kind support
We also offer opportunities for non-legal staff. In the past PILCH has benefited from great assistance from HR departments, graphic design assistance, library and resources, and general administrative assistance.
What are the benefits of PILCH membership?
Membership of PILCH offers many diverse benefits to corporate legal departments, including sourcing of excellent pro bono opportunities, a demonstration of ethics and values of your corporation, assistance with developing pro bono policies and procedures for your legal department and establishing priority areas of practice, opportunities for staff secondments to PILCH, excellent professional development opportunities for lawyers, improved recruitment possibilities as well as increased staff satisfaction and retention. Members also receive regular publications and invitations to PILCH seminars and events.
What does your corporate legal department need to do to become a member of PILCH?
Complete an application form
If your law firm would like to take up membership of PILCH, you can download our application form, complete and return it to the PILCH Executive Director. All applications for membership need to be approved by the PILCH Board.
Pay the annual membership fee
Annual membership fees for law firms are calculated on according to the number of lawyers in the department’s Victorian office. Once the Board has approved a law firm’s application for PILCH membership, the law firm is invoiced for membership fees.
To find out more about PILCH membership please download our membership pack. Alternatively, you can contact the PILCH Executive Director on 8636 4400 or at [email protected].