The Victorian Bar Pro Bono Trophy, for outstanding individual achievement in pro bono advocacy over a long period was awarded to Fiona McLeod AO SC for leading teams of various sizes and devoting much of her time over many years to pro bono matters relating to climate change, environmental issues, human trafficking, modern slavery and First Nations People.
McLeod’s win was announced at the 2025 Victorian Bar Pro Bono Awards. The accolade recognised her advocacy of pro bono initiatives addressing issues of climate change, human trafficking, modern slavery and justice for First Nations communities.
“Justice is so important, yet so unavailable to many of us in this country. You don’t walk away from this work untouched. It is the greatest privilege of my life to have appeared for some of these clients”, McLeod said in a speech stating that she was accepting the award on behalf of those she had represented as well as those she could not.
She also described the Victorian Bar as “extraordinary across Australia and across the world for the work we do”.
“I am privileged enough to do some international work where they talk with envy about the pro bono culture in Australia”, McLeod said.