The school lawyer pilot program is helping students and their families deal with issues ranging from employment law and transport fines to family violence and arranged marriages.
School lawyer Vinnie Shin has talked through the legalities of "sexting" with students at The Grange P-12 College in Melbourne's outer south-western suburbs.
Vinnie Shin is from the Western Community Legal Centre.
His two-year placement at the state school is being funded by donations from philanthropic organisations, and a $10,000 grant from law firm Slater and Gordon.
Sexting is just one of the complex legal issues he's helping students to navigate.
"Young people and children are more involved with the legal system, more so than 20 years ago and it's really important that there is this lawyer here who is accessible who they can walk 100 metres to come and see. "
The school is in Hoppers Crossing, in Melbourne's rapidly expanding south western suburbs.
Many of the students are from disadvantaged backgrounds.
School Principal David Smillie says he is increasingly being approached for help in areas that are completely unrelated to the curriculum.
"What I find myself doing is listening to issues that confront people on a daily basis and a lot of those issues actually centre around family break-up, issues with relationships. Sometimes, it's around violence, in the home. I work with a lot of refugee families who are interested in applying for ongoing status."
David Smillie says helping parents to navigate legal problems can lead to a more stable home, and in turn, better attendance and retention rates.
"If you've got a young person who has significant issues at home or is unsure about their future, it's pretty destabilising. If you're a young person who is traumatised or doesn't know whether they're going to be in the same house this time next week, that has huge impacts on learning."
Social Worker Renee Dowling is one of the brains behind the school lawyer project.
She previously worked for the Department of Public Prosecutions and saw where young people could end up without early intervention.
She says there has been the occasional student involved in a criminal case where Vinnie's assistance has prevented more serious outcomes.
But she say it's help with other areas of law that is most commonly needed.
"Part of my concern initially was people would assume that because we've got a lawyer we've got a high criminal history rate here which is not necessarily the case. The sorts of issues we see families accessing our lawyers for are the same as anyone else, such as mortgage distress, financial hardship, not being able to pay the bills."
The school population is extremely ethnically diverse, with more than 58 nationalities represented.
David Smillie says changes to the school demographic have brought different challenges.
"In the last two to three years we've had lots of Horn of Africa families move in. They're becoming more engaged in our school and I think with any new group coming into the school, it's very difficult to adjust to how our community operates and often the law is a very significant part of that. The law is all around us. So people do need some guide to work towards those areas."
Renee Dowling says some of the issues have been unexpected.
"We've got other things which I guess previously we never have even thought about, such as arranged marriages and those sorts of things where, it's a first for us and it's a first obviously for the school lawyer as well."
She says employment law is another area that can have a massive impact on students from migrant backgrounds.
"We've got certain families are here on certain visas, their families aren't eligible for payments or Centrelink so their children are often strongly encouraged to go and work and because there is that pressure there, they'll accept conditions that perhaps less vulnerable children would stand up and say, 'hey that's not ok'. So that's been a real eye-opener."
Part of the success of the school lawyer program has been Vinnie Shin's accessibility.
The lawyer is into boxing, rides a motorbike to school and doesn't wear a suit.
"I'm getting a lot of students coming to seem me for things that traditionally they just wouldn't go to see a lawyer. They have this presumption that lawyers, you have to pay, they're expensive, they're not approachable. It's an us and them mentality sometimes and we're hoping to break that stereotype."
Vinnie Shin says another part of his appeal is that his legal advice is confidential.
"We're talking about sensitive stuff, if it's homelessness, family violence, these things are not things that they want to talk to people about, they keep to themselves, a lot of them don't even tell their friends. They also know that there's mandatory reporting for schools and teachers, so they're very hesitant to tell teachers, counsellors, anything because they know that DHS will be notified, whereas lawyers, we don't have that obligation."
Inspired by the success of the school lawyer program, Principal David Smillie says there are now plans to put a GP and dentist on staff.
"Schools don't stand alone. We might have a school fence, but I think the most powerful schools that are successful are those schools that really work with their communities and acknowledge the issues and provide support. And I think that really provides good trust with parents and if we can build that relationship it really assists kids learning too."
Vinnie Shin says he had problems at home when he was growing up, and knows what it's like to come from a disadvantaged background.
He hopes his own life will help the students to see things differently.
"I got 24.5 out of a possible 99 for my end of Year Twelve score, which is appalling, obviously and I still made it. It wasn't an easy road, I did a lot of things, it took me a long time to finally get there but, it's very unconventional the way I became a lawyer and I share that story with the kids to inspire them hopefully."
Share
