NDIS and Disability Benefits Clinic (LAWS90189)

The National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) is an innovative new system for providing disability supports in Australia. It will eventually provide funding to approximately 500,000 Australians with permanent and significant disability for supports they need to achieve their goals.

Students in the NDIS and Disability Benefits Clinic will assist people with disabilities, their families and carers to navigate this system and access the supports they are entitled to.

Clinic activities may include: providing advice and legal assistance to individual clients one-on-one or in small groups; conducting legal education sessions for groups of clients; and assisting professional advocates and lawyers at partner organisations with individual and systemic NDIS advocacy work. Examples of matters that may be dealt with by the Clinic include: accessing the NDIS, obtaining adequate supports from the NDIS, challenging decisions made under the NDIS Act and legal issues relating to the disability support pension.

Students will be engaged in all aspects of the Clinic’s operation and will work under the guidance and supervision of our partner organisations to provide information and resolve issues presented by clients.

Students will undertake approximately 12 days of clinical work based at Melbourne Law School. Clinical work will be done predominantly on the timetabled Clinic day. However, some work outside these times may be required depending on the matters and clients.

The Clinic will commence with an intensive orientation, usually held in the week before the start of semester, so students should ensure that they are available to attend.

Much of the substantive subject content will then be covered in the first few weeks of semester, preparing students to commence and focus on Clinic activities, with . further lectures and guest speakers in later weeks as appropriate. Clinic days will also include opportunity for group discussion of the week’s topic/s, practical skills-building exercises, reflection on the law and legal practice as well as legal supervision of clinical work.