Legal practitioners working more effectively with Aboriginal clients: promising new cultural competency training by Legal Aid NSW

In 2011 Legal Aid New South Wales (‘LANSW’) identified the need to provide private legal practitioners with training that would assist them in providing services to Aboriginal clients. In mid-2012, LANSW sought expressions of interest from consultants who could provide cultural competency training, with a focus on practical skills to work effectively with Aboriginal clients. Wirraal Wuungganbay ‘Black Duck Working’ (authors Kelly and Barac) won this tender process based on their ability to address key learning outcomes with a combination of theoretical concepts and practical skills in working with Aboriginal clients. This article provides the background to this training. It outlines the issues that arose in designing the training package as well as some of the more challenging points that arose in the four one-day workshops that have been conducted thus far.