Australia
We are an employment partner with Career Trackers – a non-profit organisation that provides employment and support to young indigenous adults across the country. We welcomed our first intern in Sydney in November 2021, who has since joined our paralegal team permanently while they complete their degree, working with a partner mentor and supported by peer group buddies as part of Kennedys junior lawyers career development programme. We hope to offer internships in our other offices as well.
Our employment team provides pro-bono legal advice to individual clients at Kingsford Legal Centre, a community legal service run by the University of NSW Sydney Law & Justice Faculty. Kennedys is also a law firm partner of the Fair Work Commission Pro Bono Workplace Advice Service, advising and representing individuals and small businesses in various Fair Work matters.
We helped #GiveTheWorldAShot by supporting UNICEF's VaccinAid appeal in September 2021. For every staff member in Australia who had their first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, Kennedys donated ten COVID-19 vaccines for health workers, teachers or vulnerable people around the world. UNICEF's mission was to deliver 2bn vaccines, 5.6m tests and 5.5m treatments globally in a year. Kennedys CSR Partner in Australia Emily Schneider launched this initiative to mark the UN’s International Day of Charity because “no one can do everything, but everyone can do something.”
We help children’s literacy charity, the Pyjama Foundation, through book and educational toy donations and fundraising to support the foundation’s mission to give children in foster care the opportunity to change the direction of their lived with learning, life skills and confidence.
Hong Kong
In Hong Kong, our team recently hosted a virtual gathering with the Hong Chi Association (Oi Tung Hostel) to celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival with Hong Chi residents. Despite not being able to visit the residents in person, everyone enjoyed various activities including singing and dancing virtually. The office also invited the farmers of AuLaw Organic Farm to our Hong Kong office. The farmers shared their knowledge of organic and sustainable farming, recommended some healthy recipes and set up a pop-up stall so that our staff could purchase their freshly harvested produce. Our people learnt how organic farming can help the environment by reducing the carbon footprint whilst giving us fresher produce without the use of pesticides or chemicals.