The HIV/AIDS Legal Centre (HALC) and Health+Law have launched the BBV Responsive Lawyer and Migration Agent Awards – a new national Award recognising lawyers and migration agents whose practice reflects what people living with blood-borne viruses (BBVs) say matters most.
For people living with HIV, hepatitis B or hepatitis C, finding legal or migration support is about more than technical expertise. It is also about feeling safe, being treated with respect and receiving the right advice.
Health+Law's national Legal Needs Study found that while trusted networks of lawyers and migration agents exist, not everyone has access to them. Without BBV-aware and responsive practitioners, people living with BBVs may delay seeking help, hesitate to disclose sensitive information, or receive inaccurate or incomplete advice.
The BBV Responsive Lawyer and Migration Agent Awards aim to address these challenges by making trusted practitioners more visible and accessible, while helping establish BBV-responsive practice as an industry standard.
Recognising BBV-responsive practice
Co-designed by HALC lawyers, Health+Law researchers and community advocates, the Awards draw on decades of frontline experience, research and, most importantly, the lived experience of people living with and affected by BBVs.
Through community nomination and peer review, the Awards will recognise practitioners who demonstrate the qualities that matter most: expertise, awareness, respect and accessibility.
Nominations for the 2027 Awards are now open. If you know a lawyer or migration agent who provides informed, respectful and stigma-sensitive support to people living with HIV, hepatitis B or hepatitis C, we encourage you to submit a nomination
Building knowledge and skills
Alongside the Awards, HALC and Health+Law have developed a free online learning program, Supporting Clients with Blood-Borne Viruses.
Developed with UNSW Edge, the continuing legal education arm of the Faculty of Law & Justice at UNSW, this interactive course provides practical information, resources and guidance for lawyers and migration agents seeking to strengthen their legal-health literacy, build stronger client relationships and deliver stigma-sensitive, trauma-informed and BBV-responsive practice.
The course is available now and attracts 1.25 CPD points.
Enrol in the free online course
Help spread the word
The Awards and training program are an opportunity to recognise good practice, strengthen professional knowledge and improve access to trusted legal and migration support for people living with BBVs.
You can support the initiative by:
Nominating a practitioner: Recognise a lawyer or migration agent whose work makes a difference.
Building knowledge and skills: Enrol in the free online course or share it with colleagues and professional networks.
Raising awareness: Share news of the Awards with your networks and help spread the word.
Find out more about the BBV Responsive Lawyer and Migration Agent Awards, including the background, nomination process and assessment criteria.
Thank you for helping us build a more responsive and inclusive legal community.