About legal assistance

The Bar Association offers  legal assistance to people in need of help.  Our schemes reflect the strongly held view of the bar that a person's rights and access to justice should not be diminished because they have little or no money.

Legal Assistance Referral Scheme (LARS)

The Bar Association's  Legal Assistance Referral Scheme (LARS) tries to match your request for legal assistance with a barrister or mediator who may be able to give advice, appear for you or settle your legal issue.

We consider your application carefully before deciding whether or not we can give you any legal assistance.

Duty Barrister Scheme

The Duty Barrister Scheme is an initiative of the New South Wales Bar Association. It was introduced to particular local courts to help people who cannot afford a lawyer, who do not qualify for legal aid and who have a matter before the court on the day. If you need legal advice and want a lawyer to argue your case in court, then a duty barrister can help you.

Law Access NSW

New South Wales has a free 'one stop shop' to legal services and assistance called LawAccess NSW. The Bar Association is one of the founding partners in the initiative, together with the NSW Attorney General's Department, the NSW Legal Aid Commission and the Law Society of NSW.

It helps customers to find the information and services that are best able to assist with legal problems and questions. LawAccess NSW is available to all NSW residents but is particularly aimed at people who have difficulty accessing traditional community and government legal services such as people in regional and isolated areas and people with disabilities.