Over the last few days the legal profession’s volunteering efforts have been celebrated with virtual events across the country to mark Pro Bono Week.

Several lawyers have spoken about the benefits of doing pro bono work and how they initially got involved. One lawyer’s early pro bono efforts even landed her in a book about indigenous art.

While working at a commercial law firm in Australia, Reed Smith associate Elizabeth Mason was asked to assist in a pro bono matter involving indigenous artists and an art dealer relating to payments for indigenous art. ‘The clients ended up including a photo of myself when I was working out in central Australia on the back of one of their indigenous art books,’ she said.

Knowing nothing about indigenous art before working on that case, Mason says she can now walk into an art gallery, look at indigenous art, and tell you where it was painted and whether it was painted by a male or a female.

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