Environmental Defenders Office

We are an accredited community legal service and a non-government, not-for-profit organisation that uses the law to protect and defend Australia’s wildlife, people and places. Since 1985, we’ve offered expert legal advice to thousands of ordinary people and community groups, taken bold and groundbreaking environmental cases to court and fought for laws that better protect our land, air and water. Our track record of legal victories spans more than three decades. We work all around the country, with farmers, conservation groups, Traditional Owners, and people from all walks of life and all manner of places – from the heart of the outback to the centres of our biggest cities. We are a united national organisation with eight offices around Australia. Our expert lawyers run powerful legal cases on behalf of clients that build stronger environmental laws, as well as helping everyday Australians protect the places they love by offering free, or low-cost, legal advice about community environmental matters. Many of our services are targeted at rural and regional communities where the threats of climate change and environmental mismanagement are most keenly felt. The work we do includes- Taking landmark environmental cases to the courts on behalf of clients- Holding government and industry to account over matters like development, pollution and environmental mismanagement- Representing community groups in public interest litigation- Designing and advocating for stronger state and federal environmental laws- Offering expert legal and scientific advice to people and communities- Providing workshops, factsheets, handbooks, and other legal tools to help all Australians understand the law and participate in legal processes- Training the next generation of environmental lawyers to protect people and our most precious places.