A year of building legal capability across Victoria

From research and education to grant-making and policy engagement, VLF continued to build legal capability and improve access to justice for all Victorians. We entered an exciting phase of renewal and external engagement this year, with a focus on building legal capability in all that we do.

“A great deal of work has been done to ensure VLF is positioned to deliver on our statutory commitment to ‘improve knowledge and information about the Victorian justice system.’” – Chair Justice Greg Garde AO RFD

We published the third and final volume of the Public Understanding of Law Survey (PULS), now informing national legal assistance reform. The Measure for Measure project analysed initiatives across the state to identify what works in legal service delivery. Research publication downloads increased by over 60%, demonstrating growing sector engagement with our work and insights.

“We’ve used our research strength to provide a powerful empirical contribution to public debate on democracy, the rule of law and civic health.” – Lynne Haultain, Executive Director

Our education programs reached over 1,200 students and were supported by more than 4,000 downloads of our education resources. Victorian Law Week brought together 112 organisations to deliver 138 events across the state.

Through our new Major Grants round, we awarded $550,000 across six projects focused on data, research, and legal education. Fifteen Everyday Legal Grants supported practical initiatives to access legal help and navigate the justice system.

Our partnerships continued to drive practical change. We supported Mortgage Stress Victoria to deliver a community event offering financial, legal, and welfare advice to those facing rising living costs. We worked with Victoria Legal Aid to refine PULS data on family law, which will lead to more targeted legal information. We explored the outcomes of Tenants Victoria’s grant funded research project to improve services for single-parent renters, while Justice Connect commenced an evaluation of their large library of self-help tools with support from VLF.

“We are positioned to connect more dots and give us an even more sophisticated understanding of how to deliver access to justice.” – Lynne Haultain

Internally, VLF undertook a major organisational review, resulting in the creation of a new Strategy and Engagement function and expanded staffing. This positions VLF to better integrate across research, education and grants to better deliver targeted, evidence-based insights and resources.

We invite you to explore the full report and discover how VLF continues to shape a more capable and inclusive justice system.

Pictured: Vincent Shin, Program Manager, Children and Young People’s Rights Program, Westjustice at our 2025 Legal Laneway Breakfast