Youth Law Australia

About

Youth Law Australia (YLA) is a community legal service that is dedicated to helping children and young people in Australia and their supporters to find a legal solution to their problems.

Previously named the National Children’s and Youth Law Centre and known as Lawstuff, YLA is Australia’s only national, technology-based community legal service. They are dedicated to addressing the human rights abuses of children and young people in Australia. YLA believe in equality and justice for all children and young people, and work to achieve this by connecting and empowering young Australians with free legal information and knowledge. In other words, YLA works to help keep more children in school, out of trouble and free from bullying, harassment or child abuse.

What kind of work?

YLA provides specialist legal services to young people under the age of 25, including in the area of: - Harassment, cyberbullying and stalking - Age of consent - Family and domestic violence - Sexting and image based abuse - Drug matters -Traffic offences - Sexual assualt - Education

Type of work done by employees: - Legal advice - Legal referrals - Child rights monitoring and advocacy - Research - Law reform and policy work - School-based legal education

Location

Sydney

Student Opportunities

YLA offers volunteer opportunities for UNSW law students only. Students must be in their penultimate or final year of their degree and commit to one day per week.

Volunteers are involved in legal research for projects, submissions, and legal advice; drafting legal correspondence to clients; administrative tasks; submission writing; and updating legal factsheets.

Applicants must demonstrate experience, or understanding and interest in child's rights and law and technology.

You can find more information here: https://drive.google.com/file/ d/0Bw6SESgFLzITSHJFbkR2NU54bTg/view

Graduate Opportunities

Graduates can volunteer at YLA as part of UNSW Law's Practical Legal Training (PLT) program. You can find more information here: https://www.law.unsw.edu.au/study/unsw-practicallegal-training

Fun Fact / Recent Project

Child's rights monitoring YLA monitors and advocates for the rights and best interests of young people in Australia. YLA is a member of the Child Rights Taskforce, which is Australia’s peak children’s rights body made up of over 100 organisations. Through their role on the Taskforce, YLA assist in drafting and reviewing reports made to the UN on the state of children’s rights observance in Australia. In 2017, YLA prepared the “Children’s Rights” section of the Shadow Report for the 6th periodic report of the ICCPR.