The Tim McCoy Memorial Trust was established to commemorate the life and legacy of Tim McCoy, a young community lawyer, activist, student radical, and early leader in the community legal sector movement who passed away tragically in 1987 from an asthma attack. He was just 31 years old.
So significant was Tim’s impact that his family, friends and colleagues established an annual dinner and prize to recognise notable work in community law.
Now hosted by the Federation, the Tim McCoy Memorial Dinner continues to bring together the contemporary legal assistance sector with generations of people who have been involved with the movement over the past half century. It is a time to tell stories, celebrate the achievements of the community legal movement and enjoy speeches from inspiring keynote speakers in the company of friends, old and new. A highlight of the evening is the announcement of the winner of the year’s Tim McCoy Memorial Prize.
The Tim McCoy Memorial Prize
the Tim McCoy Memorial Prize is awarded to individuals, organisations or projects that have made an incredible contribution to legal service delivery, advocacy, community legal education or law reform in Victoria. The $2,000 prize recognises achievements in the legal assistance sector that support human rights and justice for socially and economically disadvantaged people. Winners reflect the ideal of social justice that Tim dedicated his life’s work to – plus a good dose of Tim’s personal political activism and larrikin spirit. Nominations for the 2026 Tim McCoy Memorial Prize open in October 2026.
Previous prize winners
| 1991 Flemington Kensington Legal Service | 2002 PILCH (The Homeless Persons Clinic) | 2013 AED Legal Centre |
| 1992 Refugee Advice & Casework Service | 2003 Springvale Legal Service (Corrections Group) | 2014 Flemington Kensington Legal Centre |
| 1993 Essendon Legal Service | 2004 Refugee and Immigration Legal Centre | 2015 Anna Brown (Human Rights Law Centre) |
| 1994 Women’s Legal Resources Group | 2005 Julian Gardner | 2016 "Denise Gardner (Flemington-Kensington Legal Centre) and Meghan Fitzgerald (Fitzroy Legal Service)" |
| 1995 Fitzroy Legal Service and Western Suburbs Legal Service | 2006 Flemington Kensington Legal Service | 2017 Kids out of Barwon (Human Rights Law Centre) |
| 1996 Federation of Community Legal Centres | 2007 Vicki Roach and Charandev Singh | 2018 Consumer Action Law Centre and Nyadol Nyuon |
| 1997 Western Suburbs Legal Service | 2008 Loddon Campaspe Community Legal Centre | 2019 Children of Tanya Day (Human Rights Law Centre) |
| 1998 Alt L Journal / Coburg Legal Service | 2009 Jan Pentland (Consumer Action Law Centre) | 2022 Tiffany Overall (Youthlaw) |
| 1999 Amanda George (Brimbank Community Legal Centre) | 2010 Dennis Nelthorpe | 2023 Robo Debt Case and Alaine Prime (Victoria Legal Aid) |
| 2000 S 11 Defence Team (Fitzroy Legal Service) | 2011 "Refugee & Immigration Legal Centre (M61/M70 Asylum Seeker Defence Team)" | 2024 Refugee Women Action for Visa Equality (WAVE) |
| 2001 PILCH (MV Tampa Defence Team) | 2012 ‘Occupy Melbourne’ Legal Defence Team | 2025 Northern Community Legal Centre |
Previous speakers at the Tim McCoy Memorial Dinner
| 1989 Barney Coone | 2001 Ian Gray | 2012 Stephen Mayne |
| 1990 Jim Muirhead | 2002 Gay Alcorn | 2013 Jennifer Coate |
| 1991 Tim Anderson | 2003 Julian Burnside | 2014 Deborah Glass |
| 1992 Geoff Eames | 2004 Nicola Roxon | 2015 Peter Gordon |
| 1993 Duncan Kerr | 2005 Richard Meeran | 2016 Van Badham |
| 1994 Sharon Firebrace | 2006 Julian Gardner | 2017 Kristen Hilton |
| 1995 Joan Kirner | 2007 Stephen Keim | 2018 Lex Lasry |
| 1996 Noel Pearson | 2008 Julia Gillard | 2019 Greg Barns |
| 1997 Tim Costello | 2009 Virginia Bell | 2022 Mark Dreyfus |
| 1998 Jennie George | 2009 Virginia Bell | 2023 Antoinette Braybrook |
| 1999 Rod Quantock | 2010 Rob Stary | 2024 Hugh de Kretser |
| 2000 Rob Hulls | 2011 Nick Xenophon | 2025 Sonya Kilkenny |
