Legal assistance
Legal assistance referral scheme (lARS)
The Bar Association's Legal Assistance Referral Scheme (LARS) tries to match your request for legal assistance with a barrister or mediator who may be able to give advice, appear for you or settle your legal issue. We consider your application carefully before deciding whether or not we can give you any legal assistance.
Duty Barrister SchemeS
The Duty Barrister Schemes are an initiative of the New South Wales Bar Association. It was introduced to particular local courts to help people who cannot afford a lawyer, who do not qualify for legal aid and who have a matter before the court on the day. If you need legal advice and want a lawyer to argue your case in court, then a duty barrister can help you.
Law Access NSW
New South Wales has a free 'one stop shop' to legal services and assistance called LawAccess NSW. The Bar Association is one of the founding partners in the initiative, together with the NSW Attorney General's Department, the NSW Legal Aid Commission and the Law Society of NSW. It helps customers to find the information and services that are best able to assist with legal problems and questions. LawAccess NSW is available to all NSW residents but is particularly aimed at people who have difficulty accessing traditional community and government legal services such as people in regional and isolated areas and people with disabilities.
Court pro bono schemes
A number of courts provide court-appointed legal assistance schemes, which operate on the basis that referrals are made by the court if to do so is in the interests of the administration of justice. The NSW Bar Association is not involved in these referrals but provides to these courts a list of barristers who have offered to assist.
Federal Court
The Federal Court Rules set out the procedures governing court appointed referrals for legal assistance. The central aspects of the scheme are embodied in Order 80 of the Federal Court Rules.
Federal Circuit Court
Part 12 of the Federal Magistrates Court Rules establishes a scheme to facilitate the provision of legal assistance to parties who are otherwise unable to obtain assistance where the court determines it is in the best interests of the administration of justice to do so.
Supreme Court of New South Wales
The Supreme Court of New South Wales operates a scheme to facilitate the provision of legal assistance in appropriate cases where the court determines it is in the administration of justice to do so. The central aspects of the scheme are embodied in Part 7, Division 9 of the Uniform Civil Procedure Rules 2005.
District Court of New South Wales
The District Court of New South Wales operates a scheme to facilitate the provision of legal assistance in appropriate cases where the court determines it is the administration of justice to do so. The central aspects of the scheme are embodied in Part 7, Division 9 of the Uniform Civil Procedure Rules 2005.