From Maverick to Mainstream: Forty Years of Community Legal Centres

From their origins on the fringes of the legal community, community legal centres ('CLCs') have grown into a recognised and respected legal sector. This article examines the roots of the sector's longevity, asking how it survived where its precursors proved short-lived. It argues that, aside from the dedication and talent of CLC staff, the key to their success lies in the social and political climate in which CLCs began.