The "ProBo YoFo" Network
In late 2018, I caught up with a small group of pro bono lawyers over coffee. We were all relatively new to the pro bono sector and joked that we could call ourselves the “ProBo YoFos” (“Pro Bono Young Folk”). Being at similar stages of our careers, we agreed that it was helpful to debrief and share ideas with each other and decided to schedule regular catch ups. The ProBo YoFo Network was born!
We’ve been meeting several times a year ever since. Initially, we would catch up over drinks after work. With the pandemic, we moved our meetings online and in doing so we could expand our network to include colleagues in other states. What’s remained constant is the informal nature and supportive atmosphere of our catch ups.
Ella Alxeander is the Pro Bono Senior Associate at Makinso D’Apice Lawyers. Her first legal role was as a Summer clerk in the pro bono team at Clayton Utz where she went on to work for several years in commercial litigation. In 2017 she moved to Curwoods Lawyers to establish a new pro bono program. She then joined Makinson d’Apice Lawyers in 2018 to foramlise their pro bono practice. In 2019 Ella won the Lawyers Weekly 30 Under 30 Pro Bono award and was recognisedas a Rising Star finalist in the Australian Law Awards.
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