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Lawyers for Animals Clinic at the Fitzroy Legal Service

Lawyers for Animals is run entirely by volunteers, has no physical office space and no full-time staff – so we cannot offer articling students, interns or internships. If you are interested in volunteering with Animal Advocates, visit our support page. For all other requests, including other legal recommendations, please send enquiries@lawyersforanimals.org.au an email. Volunteer Contact: Jessica Phillips, Volunteer Coordinator: volunteeringg@lawyersforanimals.org.au The changes to the Code of Conduct introduced “benchmarks” calling for the three Rs: reduction (fewer animals used), replacement (animal-free alternatives) and refinement (ensuring that suffering is minimized). Lawyers for Animals cannot provide legal advice outside of the Animal Law Clinic. Appointments at the Animal Law Clinic can only be booked through Fitzroy Legal Service. For more information, visit our clinical page, including how CLA will work in 2021. There are now COVID safety precautions in place that allow the Animal Rights Clinic (ALC) to resume on January 20, 2021. The LA will resume operations on Wednesday evenings from that date, and legal advice will be provided through telephone consultations with the Animal Law Clinic (“ALC”), which operates in Victoria. Unfortunately, we are unable to provide legal advice by phone or email outside of ALS business hours. “Lawyers for Animals, a voluntary community organization run by lawyers with experience in animal laws, has seen an increasing number of requests for legal advice in areas related to animals, animal husbandry, animal rights and advocacy issues,” said Claudia Fatone, Executive Director of Fitzroy Legal Service. We focus on issues that have a broader element of animal welfare – this means we tend to focus our work on the legal injustices that affect the greatest number of animals and lead to the worst cruelty.

“We are delighted to be working with Fitzroy Legal Service to provide a practical response to an area where legal needs are not being met. If you live outside of Victoria or would like legal advice from a private or royalty-free lawyer, please email Lawyers for Animals: enquiries@lawyersforanimals.org.au. Commitment and reliability, diligence, patience, appreciation of animals. Requests for mutual legal assistance are considered in the order in which they are received. You must make an appointment for a telephone consultation with the Animal Law Clinic. If you live in Victoria and cannot afford a private lawyer and would like to make an appointment, please complete the FLS application form and indicate on the form that you have been referred by LFA. “Fitzroy Legal Service has observed similar trends, particularly with respect to laws surrounding pets, including confusion surrounding restricted dog breed laws. The first Animal Law Clinic (founded in 2008) serves as a comprehensive training ground for students interested in the full range of policies and related work for the benefit of animals through direct client representation. The clinic offers students the opportunity to gain hands-on experience working with clients and develop their professional skills. Are you in South Australia, the Northern Territory or Western Australia? We are a Victoria-based legal centre and we cannot handle puppy breeding cases in these states.

Read the legal handbook to learn more about your legal rights The Fitzroy Legal Service and Lawyers for Animals have collaborated to establish Victoria`s first specialist animal law clinic, offering members and community groups free legal advice in legal areas involving animals. Our lawyers fight for the protection of animals. We do this by launching innovative and strategic prosecutions to challenge animal exploitation and working closely with many respected and leading animal advocates and animal welfare organizations. The ALC is a joint initiative of Lawyers for Animals and Fitzroy Legal Service. ALC provides free legal advice on animal-related matters where the client`s interests are likely to coincide with those of the animal or animals involved. This can include pet crimes, property disputes, animal activism, and many other animal welfare issues. If you need legal advice or assistance, please fill out the form below. You should also read our counselling guidelines to see if we can help you with your case. “We recognize that animal welfare regularly coincides with the well-being of individuals and our community, and we want to ensure that the law reflects the attitude of the community. When the Fitzroy Legal Service opened on 18 December 1972, it became Australia`s first non-Aboriginal legal centre.

In the basement of Fitzroy City Hall, one of Melbourne`s poorest suburbs at the time, this new legal department set itself the goal of doing the unthinkable: providing free legal advice to all arrivals. Lawyers for Animals is a voluntary organization dedicated to improving animal welfare through education and the law. Classified as property, animals have no legal voice: they need lawyers to defend them. Lawyers for Animals` activities include: communicating with politicians and filing laws, regulations, codes of conduct and other laws and guidelines concerning animals; support other animal welfare groups in their work; development of teaching materials; publication of articles; and raising awareness of animal suffering through public lectures and other events (e.g. Victorian Law Week). Are you in Canberra? The Office of the Animal Advocate can offer free legal advice and representation. Unfortunately, they are not able to help with cases of negligence of veterinarians. Please visit their website for more information on how to contact them: www.ado.org.au gather all relevant documents in one package and you must email your documents to FLS before 2pm on the day of your appointment. The e-mail address will be communicated to you when you make your appointment.

Attach any documents that you feel are relevant or important so that the legal counsel assigned to your counsel can see them. “We are very happy to test this service. We think it will help a lot of people in our local community. We have noticed a number of issues regarding community members, and there is a need for specific legal information. “The response from the community has been very positive. The collaboration aims not only to provide practical legal advice to community members, but also to provide municipal legal education and legal reform projects, particularly in areas related to animal cruelty and broader issues such as factory farming. “Students conduct legal research, analyze, write, work on clinical projects to develop the field of animal rights and promote the consideration of animal interests in legal decision-making. Clinical work includes: political, legislative, transactional and administrative work; occasional litigation; Lawyer; Negotiation; Mediation; ethical practice; and strategic planning.