As the EDO-NQ has limited funding, we rely on volunteers to assist us with our work. EDON-NQ’s volunteer program also provides volunteers with opportunities to gain experience in the area of public interest environmental law and to improve their skills.

Our volunteers are highly valued and assist with the following:

• Volunteers who are admitted to practice as solicitors and who are available to work during office hours, can register to provide legal advice and assistance, under the supervision of the EDO-NQ Principal Solicitor.  Volunteers admitted to practice may also wish to provide research assistance to solicitors to assist with staff development, responses to law reform proposals or to assist with community education projects.
• Other volunteers holding law or science degrees can assist with research, either during or outside office hours. This research will usually be directed towards assisting solicitors with providing advice to clients, developing law or policy reform proposals, or developing and updating community legal education materials.
• Student volunteers are also welcome at the EDO-NQ.  Law and science students may be able to provide research assistance, including assistance with developing community education materials.  Volunteers are needed to answer the phones and undertake other administrative tasks.  Currently, most of our volunteers are law students from the James Cook University of North Queensland (Cairns campus).  Law students assist in undertaking research to assist with our advice and casework.  They also gain invaluable experience about what it is like to work in a legal office, which experience helps them in advancing their careers.

If you would like to volunteer with EDO-NQ and think that you have some skills that could help us out then please contact us to organise a time to come in and speak to our staff.

Thank you to our volunteers!

Thank you to our volunteers over the past few years:

• Melanie Grant - who assisted in particular with the East Point case.
• Tanya Ramm - who in particular assisted in compiling fact sheets for our web site.
• Jasminder Higgins - a dedicated and regular past volunteer
• Skye Growden
• John Seccull
• Alan Griffiths
• Alicia Wenderlich
• Purdie Bowden from South Australia who volunteered during her uni break.
• Tracey White – who was employed as our Project Officer/Solicitor for some time before taking a position as an employed Solicitor with local firm, P&E Law
• David Turton – our most recent regular volunteer.