The core focus of our Foundation is to promote and protect the rights of women, children and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

Nothing motivates lawyers more than the ability to make an impact – on the law, legal systems and people’s lives. Making an impact is at the very core of why we do what we do. We have the ability to help disenfranchised and disadvantaged people in our community.

The Colin Biggers & Paisley Foundation brings together our entire community offering and is comprised of three streams - pro bono legal services, volunteering and charitable contributions.

To ensure maximum impact, the core strategy of our Foundation is to promote and protect the rights of women and children in Australia and abroad.

We use our skills and our expertise to help address unmet legal need and to provide resources and opportunities for the benefit of communities. We work with individuals and not for profit organisations that work on behalf of low income or disadvantaged members of the community.

To find out more about the Colin Biggers & Paisley Foundation please click here.
 

Pro Bono Legal Services

“Time and time again I hear from lawyers about how helping people through pro bono legal advice is so rewarding.” Nick Crennan, Managing Partner
 
In our pro bono work, our core focus is to promote and protect the rights of women, children and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
 
We're a busy commercial legal practice, but our lawyers are also committed to making a tangible difference to the lives of the people they meet through the program, as well as to the broader community. For example, we host weekly legal clinics and have pro bono partnerships with Arts Law of Australia, a number of community legal centres, Women's Legal Services, UNSW's Aspire program and Career Trackers.
 
Pro bono work is a core component of what it takes to be a lawyer in our practice. More than 75% of our partners actively participate in pro bono work and, more broadly, we give our fee earners 50 hours of fee relief to encourage them to connect with the program and inspire greater participation. That’s reflected in our overall performance, which far exceeds the national target of 35 hours per lawyer.


Volunteering

The Colin Biggers & Paisley Foundation believes in strong and active participation in the communities in which we operate, both as individuals and as a legal practice.

We strive to involve all our people in community programs and initiatives that make a substantial and positive difference. We undertake professional and community volunteering that underlies innovation and social change, responds to community need and community challenges, and brings together the strengths of our partners and staff.

Volunteers make meaningful use of their time and skills, contributing to social and community outcomes. Volunteer programs provide an opportunity to be involved in activities reflecting employee interests and using their skills. Meaningful volunteering promotes a sense of belonging and general wellbeing, develops abilities and provides a way to contribute existing skills for the common good.

Our volunteering strategy sees us divide our programs into professional volunteering and community volunteering.

If you would like to discuss how the Colin Biggers & Paisley Foundation can assist your organisation through volunteering, please contact Responsible Business Manager Daisy Johnson.


Charitable Contributions 

We have built a culture of workplace giving and we encourage our employees to get involved in community programs and initiatives that will make a positive difference.

Through a range of in-kind support such as office facilities, word processing, photocopying and catering, we can extend our resources to organisations to build their capacity and bolster their existing services. We undertake fundraising initiatives that provide our charity partners with financial support. We also provide internships and mentoring to community members, raise awareness about issues that matter, and encourage all of our staff to use their two days of volunteer leave to make an impact.

Additionally, our structured workplace giving program allows our staff to support causes and communities aligned with the Colin Biggers & Paisley Foundation’s overall strategy. Workplace giving is a simple and effective way for our staff to donate regularly to charitable organisations. Those charitable contributions, together with funding from the Colin Biggers & Paisley Foundation, are directed to our charity partners.

Our Foundation does not consider applications for grants or general philanthropic donations.