Dear Tania,
I write to you as a colleague of 13 years who has worked alongside you in the very challenging intersection of primary care, mental health, substance use and legal need. Along with our many other fabulous colleagues, it has been quite the journey, one that has helped countless people and, I believe, shifted the landscape of what’s possible in community legal practice.
When you started at First Step, the term Health Justice Partnership barely existed in Australia. If it did, it certainly wasn’t in common usage, even in community legal settings. You and your colleagues at First Step Legal didn’t just adopt a model, you created it. You proved that when legal, clinical and social supports are brought together under one roof, the outcomes for people are profoundly different. You showed that it works, you showed that it matters, and you convinced governments and funders that this approach was not only viable but essential.
To grow a thriving, accredited community legal centre within a health service was a brave and unconventional decision. It changed the conversation, not just at First Step, but across the sector. What started as two lawyers working two days a week has become a full-time practice, recognised as a leader in its field. And that’s thanks to your vision, tenacity, and belief that a compassionate, integrated approach could break cycles that the traditional justice system could not.
I know that vision came from hard-earned experience. Earlier in your career you saw the same faces return to court time and again, their lives shaped by trauma, mental illness and substance use. You recognised that the court system was a blunt instrument, unable to respond to the complexity of human need, and you imagined something better. Building on the foundations laid by Melissa Hardham, you went ahead and built it. Just a few steps from where I write this, a whole team of lawyers now work hand-in-glove with mental health nurses, care coordinators, doctors, psychologists and psychiatrists, advocating, prioritising, and listening with a laser-like focus on what each client needs most. It’s a virtuosic thing to witness, and a legacy you should be immensely proud of.
Like all great achievements, this has not been without challenge. There have been moments of doubt, and no doubt some very hard days. But what has always sustained you, and what so many have remarked upon, is your compassion. Time and again, when we’ve heard our long-term clients share their stories, your name comes up. They talk about being seen, heard, and treated with dignity, about how First Step Legal, under your leadership, became a place where they mattered. Even for those we’ve sadly lost to substance use, I hope you take great comfort knowing that they had, in their final years, a place of safety and belonging, and people they trusted.
Your contribution to First Step, to our clients, and to the broader community legal sector cannot be overstated. You’ve built something that will outlast all of us - a model of practice that is compassionate, collaborative, and profoundly human. It’s been a privilege to work alongside you, to learn from your example, and to see the difference your leadership has made in so many lives.
So, I celebrate you, Tania - your achievements, your courage, and your generosity of spirit. Thank you for all you’ve given to First Step and to the people we serve. I know your next chapter will be just as impactful, and I can’t wait to see where your energy and brilliance take you next.
Look out world, here comes Tania Wolff!
Warm regards,
| Patrick Lawrence Chief Executive Officer |
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