About the Australian Government Legal Service
The AGLS is the overarching, formal professional network which automatically includes all government lawyers, including those working for the Australian Government Solicitor.
The AGLS replaces the Australian Government Legal Network (AGLN) and will build on its work, sharpening the focus of the Commonwealth's legal services.
Establishment of the AGLS was one of 10 recommendations from the Secretary's Review of Commonwealth Legal Services.
The review, conducted between 2015 and 2016 and published in November 2017, considered how Commonwealth legal services could be delivered more effectively and efficiently. It also considered how to ensure government is provided with high-quality and coordinated legal advice.
The review recommended establishing the AGLS to support coherent and consistent legal services across the Commonwealth. It would focus on:
- information sharing
- collaboration
- guidance
- professional standards
- training.
In June 2018, the government agreed to establish the AGLS, with the Office of Legal Services Coordination within the Attorney-General's Department to lead implementation, in collaboration with legal practices in Commonwealth entities.
The AGLS:
- delivers a better framework for Commonwealth legal services
- connects more than 2,000 Commonwealth government lawyers working in over 90 entities across Australia
- drives cultural change towards coordinated delivery of legal services by a cohort of government lawyers with a professional identity that supports their unique role
- provides a professional network for collaboration including on training modules and legal standards.
Learn more about the leadership and governance arrangements for the AGLS on the AGLS Board page.
