As a lawyer who has somehow survived practising for over 10 years, I have experienced a lot – I’ve worked in boutique firms, a large firm and a not-for-profit. I’ve had some amazing bosses and a few not so good ones. Even with regards to practice areas I feel like I’ve dabbled in it all; commercial litigation, family law, estates and a little bit of crime.
However, after making the switch to working at Northern Suburbs Community Legal Centre (now Encompass Legal and Community Services) in 2025, I finally feel like I have found my niche in this profession. There are many benefits in working in a community legal centre (CLC) that simply cannot be replicated by the private firms. If you are looking for a sea change, hopefully I can convince some of you to make the switch too.
Advance access to justice
Unlike private law firms whose ultimate goal is to make money for its partners/directors, CLCs are not-for-profits and are part of the community. For CLCs, our number one priority is to provide a quality service to our clients. More often than not the clients we see are vulnerable and financially disadvantaged. They often cannot afford private representation or have other barriers that prevent them from accessing legal help.
A CLC offers a rare opportunity for individuals experiencing disadvantage to get access to justice and achieve social justice. If you are the type of lawyer who has a strong sense of social justice or social values, then you’ll likely find better satisfaction working at a CLC.
Diverse and challenging work
When working at private firms, particularly if you’re working at the larger firms, you often can get caught in a rut of working on near identical matters in the same area of law. Some people thrive on mastering that singular area of law, but if you prefer the excitement of some variety then you’ll get that at a CLC, where no two days are the same.
Clients regularly come in with some strange and interesting problems, keeping us on our toes and often forcing us to do some exciting research (trust me it’s more fun that it sounds). Other days we’ll be working alongside financial counsellors or social workers helping the most vulnerable of our communities, or we’ll be doing outreach giving in-person advice to clients in the community.
Even if you prefer to specialise in a particular area of law, that opportunity is there too at a CLC. We also often have the opportunity to engage in meaningful policy work and other law reform initiatives, an opportunity generally not often afforded to lawyers working at private firms or the public sector.
Better work-life balance and workplace culture
Personally, the number one reason why I made the switch in 2025 was because I was seeking a better work-life balance and better workplace culture. I needed more time to myself after work and on weekends and needed less stress in my life.
Since joining a CLC, I have been able to reclaim my weeknight and weekends. It is never expected of me to work late or work weekends, and while I’m always prepared to put in the extra hours when necessary, it has been rare for my workload to require it. Joining a CLC is an immediate cure for burnout.
No billable targets
At a CLC, our priority is to help vulnerable clients who are often at a financial disadvantage and cannot afford a private lawyer. We do not charge clients for the legal work that we provide. No invoices mean no billables, and no billables means no billable targets.
That is not to say we don’t have other targets and KPIs to meet, but an unrealistic 6.5 hour billable target is not one of them.
Office locations
There are a few CLCs based in the CBD, such as Circle Green and Women’s Legal Services. However, most of the centres are based around Perth suburbia and regional WA. While one occasionally misses the hustle and bustle of the CBD, I certainly don’t miss that daily commute.
The occasional downside
Admittedly, not everything in CLC land is all hunky dory. The hardest part of the job is when we have to turn away a vulnerable client because, as a CLC, we may not always have resources to help them.
However, those instances are few and far between, and in my experience the positives of working at a CLC has so far outweighed the negatives.
There is no greater satisfaction than helping a client reach a great outcome who otherwise would not have been able to get the legal assistance they needed.
