(Left to Right) Attorney General’s Community Service Law Awards 2023 recipients Lucy Thomas, Paterson Dowding Family Lawyers (Legal Aid Panel Member Category), Gabriel Wong, Tang Law (Legal Firm Category), Maria Lamattina, Lamattina Legal (Individual Category) and Ann-Margaret Walsh, Street Law Centre WA (Not-for-Profit Category).
The awards celebrate and promote pro bono and community law work by the legal fraternity for vulnerable and disadvantaged Western Australians.
Barrister and solicitor Maria Lamattina won the Individual Award for more than 20 years of voluntary work that has included taking leadership roles with human rights groups.
Legal Aid Panel Member Award winner Lucy Thomas is a family law specialist who for decades has acted for children in family conflicts and as a family dispute mediator.
Street Law Centre WA won the Not-for-Profit Award for the legal services it provides to homeless people.
Tang Law received the Law Firm Award for its pro bono work and support for migrants and victims of family violence.
Attorney General John Quigley presented the awards at the Law Society of Western Australia’s 2023 Gala Dinner on 27 October.
“It’s always a pleasure to give out these awards for legal work that’s critical for ensuring equal access to justice,” Mr Quigley said.“We are grateful for the sacrifices these lawyers make, often outside working hours at the expense of family and personal time,” he said.
Department of Justice Director General Dr Adam Tomison congratulated the award winners and thanked all lawyers who are doing pro bono and community work.
“The Department has supported these efforts by launching several new programs in the past year that strengthen legal services for the underprivileged,” Dr Tomison said.
Maria Lamattina has been practising for more than 20 years and runs her own law firm. She has shared her expertise in corporate law and governance in pro bono work for Aboriginal groups, corporations and individual, as well as advocating in human rights matters. Ms Lamattina is registered with pro bono organisation Law Access, is a member of the Lawyers for Refugees network and mentors junior practitioners and law students.
Lucy Thomas has worked in family law for 30 years. She acts as an Independent Children’s lawyer and nationally accredited mediator. Ms Thomas has been a member of the Legal Aid WA Review Committee since 2004, reviewing cases where parties have been refused a grant of legal aid in family law or criminal matters. Her goal is to protect the interests of vulnerable children from family conflicts by helping parents resolve their disputes.
Street Law Centre WA specialises in advising the homeless and people at risk of homelessness who frequently face complex legal issues and interactions with the justice system. The Centre provides outreach services and legal support throughout the Perth metropolitan area and via a state-wide advice line. In the past financial year it saw 553 clients and attended 104 court appearances.
Tang Law regularly accepts referrals from the Law Society’s Law Access program to help vulnerable clients. The firm’s migration team assists victims of family violence referred by the not-for-profit groups Starick and Orana House. It also raises community awareness by regularly hosting or supporting events about issues affecting migrants, in particular family violence.
