Industry partnerships at Macquarie are about building and nurturing long-term connections, and then working together to create impact and change. Macquarie Law School and global law firm DLA Piper have recently joined forces to launch Wallumatta Legal, a not-for-profit law firm providing affordable, low-fee legal services.

Since their establishment they have assisted 20 clients in a range of family law matters, and hope that Wallumatta Legal becomes a reference point for similar initiatives around the country.

Interim Dean of Macquarie Law School Associate Professor Lise Barry, and Associate Professor Daniel Ghezelbash tell us about this impressive partnership below.

Pictured above: Interim Dean of Macquarie Law School Associate Professor Lise Barry, and Associate Professor Daniel Ghezelbash at the Wallumatta Legal launch event on Monday 2 May.

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About the project

What is the aim?
Wallumatta Legal leverages cutting edge technology and automation to provide accessible advice at a low cost to the ‘missing middle’ – those who are not eligible for legal aid or other free services, but who cannot afford the fees charged by most private lawyers. It also provides valuable practical hands-on experience in family law and legal technology for Macquarie Law students.

Partnership origins

Who are the key people involved?
The Wallumatta Legal team includes CEO Cameron Thomson, Principal Solicitor Vivian Galanis and solicitor Angelique Thomas as well as six law students volunteering as part of their practical learning activity. On the Macquarie side, the main people involved are Interim Dean Associate Professor Lise Barry, Associate Professor Daniel Ghezelbash, Dr Henry Kha, Dr Francesco Dominello, and Project Manager Alex McCrostie. The DLA Piper team includes Head of Responsible Business Nicolas Patrick, Pro Bono Senior Consultant Annette Bain, Partner Gerry Bean and Senior Legal Assistant Ciara Kenny.

How did this partnership come about?
The lack of access of justice for a large part of the community has long been a concern within the legal assistance ecosystem, without any easy or clear solutions being available. The Wallumatta Legal model was inspired by the Affordable Law Firm created in 2015 by DLA Piper Partner Sheldon Krantz with Georgetown University in Washington DC. Nicolas Patrick asked Annette Bain, a specialist in access to justice, to develop the model in Australia with Cameron Thomson, who previously led operations at DLA Piper. Daniel Ghezelbash supported the development of the model as the Macquarie-lead.

The collaboration was seeded about three years ago. Macquarie Law School’s existing strengths in innovative clinical education and legal technology allowed Macquarie to make a strong pitch to attract DLA Piper to Macquarie University. Both Nicolas Patrick and Annette Bain are Macquarie Law School alumni.

The key ingredients to building this partnership are establishing a strong track record in the space, speaking with industry and building connections, as well as being patient and understanding partnerships take many years to nurture and come to fruition.

Who else at Macquarie made this happen?
We received tremendous support from across the Faculty of Arts and the University. In particular, Executive Dean Professor Martina Möllering, Faculty Executive Director, Dr Neil Durrant, and project management support from Felicity Hopkinson and Alex McCrostie. The Office of General Council was also deeply involved, and Janna Zeglig who played a key role in assisting us to navigate the legal aspects of the collaboration.

The initiative has also received research support from the Interdisciplinary Research Steering Group. It leverages the strong research track record we have in Family Law and impact measurement and evaluation.

The result

What have you been able to achieve together since launch?
Wallumatta Legal has already assisted 20 clients in a variety family law matters and received over 50 inquiries for assistance. We have also had 17 Macquarie Law students undertake a placement with the firm.  We have also had offers of support from alumni who are practicing family lawyers and strong support for the initiative from the legal sector in general.

How is the work split between DLA Piper and Macquarie University?
Both organisations have provided logistical, technical and other support to establishing the firm and supporting it during its pilot phase. In addition to providing the physical space and equipment for the firm, one of the key contributions from Macquarie University has been providing students to assist with the firm’s work. Our students benefit enormously from the opportunity to have hands-on experience working in the legal sector under the supervision of Wallumatta Legal lawyers.

How does this partnership enhance student experience/employability?
This project is the one of the first of its kind in Australia. It stands at the forefront of academic innovation, providing our students with work experience in legal services right on campus. The new clinic fast-tracks students’ ability to make real-world, positive changes to their communities with valuable insights into the practical application of family law.

The practical skills they gain boost their employability. There is a national shortage of family lawyers, and we provide students with the skills and experience to fill that gap. Skills in using legal technology are in extremely high demand, and the hands-on experience students get with such technology significantly boosts their employability.

What’s next?
Our hope is that Wallumatta Legal will be a model that can be emulated, not just for family law practice, but in all areas of law across the country. This not-for-profit, fixed cost, low-bono model, where you can create a self-sustaining business with modest fees, has potential to add significant capacity in terms of available legal services, and particularly for the ‘missing middle’ we target. The goal is for Wallumatta Legal to become a national point of reference for facilitating and setting up similar initiatives around the country.

Working with industry

Do you have any advice for staff who are thinking about partnering with industry?
Be patient and understand developing strong partnerships takes time and requires trust. Partnerships may develop organically as you develop expertise in a particular area, but they will only happen if you invite stakeholders to engage with you. You need to actively explore the interests of your potential partners and identify how you can add value to what they are doing.  “What can we do for you?”, rather than “What can you do for us?”