Swaab Attorneys

Our firm has a long history of doing legal pro bono work, both informally and through the Public Interest Law Clearing House (PILCH).

Our lawyers have served on boards and steering committees, given pro bono commercial and intellectual property advice, acted in matters referred to us by PILCH, assisted charities with corporate governance and served as pro bono general counsel for not-for-profit organisations.

Our firm regularly assembles a team of lawyers and support staff to participate in the Walk for Justice, an event which celebrates the pro bono ethic of the legal profession, as well as its commitment to the practice of law in the public interest.

We are proud that our lawyers have assisted many organisations working for the public good, including:

• Arts Law Centre of Australia
• Melanoma Foundation
• Cystic Fibrosis Australia
• Make A Wish Foundation
• Camp Breakaway
• Starlight Foundation
• Carers NSW
• Bondi Icebergs
• Hannah’s Foundation
• Humane Society International
• Humane Research Australia
• NSW Parents Council

When it comes to raising money for charity, Swaab has very deep pockets. We believe that our combined staff efforts can make a big difference. It is part of our firm's culture that all of our staff take on fundraising challenges with energy and enthusiasm.

Each year we support a number of charities by participating in team events, seeking sponsors and holding shared lunches with a collection of donations from staff. The partners of the firm match donations received from staff on a dollar for dollar basis.

We have supported a wide range of charities including:

• Australia's Biggest Morning Tea (Cancer Council)
• Jeans for Genes Day (Children's Medical Research)
• Red Nose Day (SIDS and Kids)
• Pink Ribbon Day (Cancer Council)
• Sydney to the Gong Bike Ride (Multiple Sclerosis Society)
• Movember (Prostate Cancer Foundation and Beyondblue National Depression Initiative)
• World's Greatest Shave (Leukaemia Foundation)
• City Mile Dash (Cancer Council)
• Queensland Flood Appeal
• St Vincent de Paul Society
• Red Cross Bushfire Appeal

Promoting sustainability through the Australian Legal Sector Alliance (AusLSA)

Swaab Attorneys is a founding member of the Australian Legal Sector Alliance, an industry-led association with a mission to work collaboratively to promote sustainable practices across the legal sector. We were proud that in 2011 we were one of the eight firms nationwide to publish information about our carbon footprint. See The Environmental Consumption of AusLSA Members, Report 2009/2010.

Data was compiled using AusLSA's Environmental Consumption Calculator (ECC), the only benchmarked environmental reporting system for law firms in Australia. Using the ECC as a common tool within the group of eight firms produced a snapshot which is far more objective and informative than the usual internal sustainability reporting, in which individual firms typically create their own reporting framework based on different sets of assumptions.

By measuring and reporting on our environmental consumption, Swaab and the other founding members of AusLSA are making a public commitment to reduce our impact on the environment. We hope that other law firms will be inspired by our example and do the same.

Through sharing resources and experience across the profession, we believe that we will be able to create efficiencies, learn from one another's successes and achieve more than we could as individual firms.