Inner Melbourne Community Legal

19/03/2026

We have multiple positions vacant to work in our tenancy and housing law team. Apply by 31 March. https://imcl.org.au/news/organisation-updates/senior-lawyer/lawyer

18/03/2026

When you demolish public housing, you do more than knock down buildings: you demolish the communities that have grown around them.

A support group which has helped refugees access jobs, legal advice, schools and housing for 35 years could itself become homeless at the end of this week.

17/03/2026

Victim survivors like Jay need comprehensive legal services to help them navigate the complex systems to apply for financial assistance.

Jay was referred to the Victims Legal Service from one of IMCL's health justice partner after being the victim of a sexual assault.

Jay's lawyer assisted in liaising with police and treating practitioners, as well as further information requests from the Financial Assistance Scheme.

This meant Jay wasn't re-traumatised by unscheduled contact.

The same lawyer was also able to represent Jay in having a criminal charge against them withdrawn.

Urgent ongoing funding is needed to continue the Victims Legal Service – read more here: https://www.legalaid.vic.gov.au/demand-doubles-victorias-dedicated-legal-service-victims-crime

Victoria Legal Aid Federation of Community Legal Centres Victoria

17/03/2026

Social workers are absolutely fundamental for the success of our health justice partnerships including at The Royal Women's Hospital by identifying legal problems for patients and referring them to our lawyers for further advice and support.

As a Senior Social Worker covering weekends, Tara helps ensure patients at the Women’s can access the social support they need, any day of the week.

For Tara, the role is all about connection.

“I enjoy interacting with staff and patients across the hospital and providing a consistent service,” she says.

No two weekends are ever the same, and the work often shifts quickly in response to need.

“It can involve anything from responding to bereaved families to providing practical assistance such as clothing and personal items for a patient who has come to Emergency. And everything in between,” she explains.

The theme for World Social Work Day 2026, “Co-building hope and harmony: A Harambee call to unite a divided society”, highlights the importance of working together as the only sustainable way forward. It is inspired by the African philosophy of Harambee: a call for unity, mutual support and shared responsibility.

Tara sees this principle reflected in her work every day.

“Social workers play a key role in bringing people together, which helps to build hope,” she says.

16/03/2026

IMCL's Board and CEO spent an energising session together yesterday reflecting on our progress and forward planning. Our Board bring a wealth of experience, insight and commitment and we thank them for volunteering their time.

Thanks also to Herbert Smith Freehills for generously hosting and providing such a welcoming space for the day.

Read more about our board here: https://imcl.org.au/about-us/our-board

16/03/2026

The Victims Legal Service (VLS) has helped more than 12,000 victim survivors since it began in 2023, but funding for this critical support is about to expire. And there’s been no commitment to secure and sustainable funding for the VLS.

The VLS helps people who have experienced crime navigate the justice system and exercise their rights to financial assistance or compensation so they can rebuild and recover.

Even with the funding it already has, the VLS has had to turn away several hundred people. The uncertainty about its future funding will only make this worse.

We join the Federation of Community Legal Centres Victoria, Victoria Legal Aid, Djirra, Victorian Aboriginal Legal Service - VALS and Womens Legal Service Victoria to call on the state government to guarantee ongoing secure and sustainable funding for the Victims Legal Service.

The VLS has provided more than 12,000 services to Victorian victims of crime since it was established in March 2023. It is the first and only statewide service of its kind and is delivered in partnership by the Victorian Aboriginal Legal Service, Djirra, Women’s Legal Service Victoria, Victoria Le...

12/03/2026

It was wonderful to have Attorney-General Sonya Kilkenny MP and the MLC for North Metro Region Sheena Watt MP visit our North Melbourne office today.

This gave us an opportunity to talk about the breadth of our work and the positive impact of our integrated justice partnerships with hospitals, schools, community outreach and family support services.

We thank the A-G for acknowledging the work commitment of our staff to helping our clients overcome systemic injustices – this is hard work, and it makes a difference.

Photo 1: Sheena Watt and Sony Kilkenny meet with IMCL staff.
Photo 2: from left - Sonya Kilkenny, IMCL chair Michelle Bissett, IMCL CEO Nadia Morales, Sheena Watt.

11/03/2026

A big thank you to Caroline Ratcliffe-Jones and Georgia Sheed from Victoria Legal Aid’s Therapeutic Courts program at Victoria Legal Aid for coming into IMCL to share their experiences of the Drug and Alcohol Treatment Order system.

It was a great chance to hear about the opportunities available for our clients and for our committed lawyers to connect in person with sector colleagues doing this important work.

09/03/2026

Marlene Dixon has joined IMCL as our new Director of Legal Practice. An accomplished lawyer leader in the legal sector and LIV Criminal Law Specialist, she is an experienced court advocate. Her career spans Aboriginal legal services, community legal centres and Victoria Legal Aid, bringing deep expertise in complex litigation, leadership, supervision and client-focused representation across jurisdictions.

07/03/2026

On , we celebrate the progress that has been made towards gender equality but also recognise there is more to be done to remove barriers that stand in the way of women having equal access to justice.

This year’s theme is ‘Balance the Scales’ – a call to action for every woman and girl to be safe, heard and free to shape their future. This means transforming our justice systems and amplifying marginalised voices to ensure equality is not the exception, but the rule.

Women make up almost 80% of Victoria’s community legal sector workforce and also account for almost two-thirds of CLC clients. This latter statistic shows that persistent social and financial inequalities continue to exist in the community.

So today, make sure to celebrate the women in your life but also commit to doing what you can to .

06/03/2026

Welcome aboard to our new Legal Practice Co-ordinator, Kim Leong.

Kim joins us with significant experience working as a paralegal in government, and previously at the Administrative Appeals Tribunal and the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal.

She brings with her a strong understanding of court processes and will be a great asset for all areas of our practice, including our intake team.

05/03/2026

A Designated Area has been declared in part of the Melbourne CBD between 9am and 11pm this Saturday, 7 March. This means police or PSOs can stop and search anyone without any suspicion of wrongdoing.

Have you been searched by police recently? Tell us what happened: https://bit.ly/designated-area-watch