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Legal Panel Administration

Legal Panel Administration manages the whole of Victorian government legal services panel.

If you require legal advice we recommend that you contact any of the following:

• Victoria Legal Aid on 03 9269 0234 or 1800 677 402 for regional callers
• Your local Community Legal Centre
• The Law Institute of Victoria on 03 9607 9311

The Legal Panel Administration team (formerly Government Legal Services) within the Strategic Policy and Legislation division of the Department of Justice is responsible for

• managing the whole of government panel arrangements for the delivery of legal services to the Victorian government
• assisting the Attorney General as the First Law Officer of Victoria.

The legal services to government panel arrangements determine the way that departments (mandatory) and statutory bodies that elect to join the arrangements, can obtain legal services. The Panel has been operating since July 2002 and has been refreshed commencing 1 July 2009. The panel arrangements are covered by a State Purchase Contract (Deed of Standing Offer) therefore use is mandatory for Departments and it is open for Statutory Bodies to opt into the arrangements.

Twenty law firms have been appointed to the Legal Services Panel entitling them to provide legal services to departments and participating statutory bodies.

The engagement of legal services under the panel arrangements must be made through the Legal Panel Gateway (LPG). Access to the LPG is organised by the Agency Contract Manager (ACM) or your informed purchaser within your branch or business unit.

Panel law firms or the Victorian Government Solicitor’s Office must be used for the provision of legal services to government except for:

• legal services that the Victorian Government Solicitor’s Office is required to provide on an exclusive basis
• when the Executive Contract Manager has approved a request for an exemption from a client agency to engage a non panel law firm.

The panel arrangements do not cover the briefing of barristers, either directly or though a law firm or the VGSO. However the engagement of the VGSO and the briefing of barristers must be captured in the LPG for reporting to government.

Further information is available at the Victorian Government Purchasing Board Legal Services Panel.