Public Purposes Trust Fund

Public Purposes Trust Fund

The Law Society’s Public Purposes Trust Fund (the Trust) was established in 1985. A copy of the deed establishing the Trust is available here. The Law Society of Western Australia (Inc.) is the trustee of the Law Society Public Purposes Trust Fund. In its role as Trustee, the Law Society sets policies with regard to the investment of the Trust’s assets and provides administration services to the Trust. The Trust receives its income from two sources, being income from the Trust’s investments and a portion of the interest paid by banks on Solicitors Trust Accounts in Western Australia.

The Trust Fund allocates funds towards annual grants for applications from organisations that meet the objectives of the Trust Fund, these being:

  • To advance the education of the community, and any section of it, with respect to the law
  • To advance the collection, assessment and dissemination to the community, and any section of it, of information relating to the law
  • To improve the access of the community, and any section of it, to legal services

Funding may be granted to activities that:

  • Advance the education with respect to the law of persons desiring to study law, law students, law graduates, legal practitioners, and persons having responsibility for legal education and for the administration of the law and the legal system
  • Establish and advance law libraries and legal information services, including computerised legal information retrieval services
  • Advance the examination of the law, the legal system, the legal profession, legal education, legal services and the effect of any of them on the community, or any section of it

The Law Society does not decide which applications receive funding. Applications are assessed through an independent three stage process by an Allocations Committee and the Attorney General.

Persons, organisations or institutions can apply for funding for activities that fall within the above objects of the Trust Fund. Applications are received in advance for activities occurring in the following financial year 1 July to 30 June. Submissions via an online application form are accepted during the period from 1 July to no later than 4pm 29 July of the previous year. No late applications will be considered. Applications details for activities taking place during the 2024-25 year are yet to be released.

For information on the application and assessment process, read our Information for Applicants.

Interested in becoming a member?

Area
Telephone Number
Law Society of Western Australia Reception
(08) 9324 8600
Law Mutual
(08) 9481 3111
Continuing Professional Development
(08) 9324 8640
Membership Services
(08) 9324 8692
Professional Standards Scheme
(08) 9324 8653
Old Court House Law Museum
(08) 9324 8688
Francis Burt Law Education Programme
(08) 9324 8686
Media Enquiries
(08) 9324 8650