The Victorian Government Solicitor's Office (VGSO) provides responsive legal advice and services exclusively for the Victorian Government and its statutory authorities. Our services are available to all Victorian Government departments and agencies by way of a fee for service model.
Legal Services Panel
Victorian Government departments and agencies may purchase legal services from the VGSO or from private law firms, by way of the Victorian Government Legal Services Panel (Panel).
The Panel is a State Purchase Contract, which commenced on 1 July 2023 appointing 35 law firms approved to provide Victorian Government Clients legal services within 12 Areas of Law (excluding the VGSO Exclusive Services, details below).
Areas of Law
- Administrative Law
- Employment, Industrial Relations and Equal Opportunity
- Construction, Infrastructure and Major Projects
- Commercial and Contracts
- Intellectual Property and Information Technology
- Property
- Planning and Environment
- General Litigation
- Public Inquiries
- Personal Injuries
- Coronial Inquiries
- Legal Support Services
VGSO and the Legal Services Panel
The VGSO is available to provide legal services to any Victorian government agency, whether or not it is a client of the legal services panel. VGSO also provides services to all clients of the Legal Services Panel, in any of the specified Areas of Law. Clients of the Panel may procure legal services from the VGSO:
- Directly by way of a request for quote for any Area of Law
- As part of a competitive quote process (following the transaction guidelines for the Panel) for any Area of Law
- For any of the Exclusive Services (details below)
The VGSO, as part of the State (an administrative office of the Department of Justice and Community Safety) is not a party to the Panel's Deed of Standing Offer for the Provision of Legal Service (Deed). However, VGSO generally adopts the same approach as set out in the Deed, where relevant and where it is practical to do so.
VGSO Exclusive Services
The VGSO is the exclusive legal services provider in subject matter central to the functioning of the Parliament and executive government, including the Attorney-General’s first law officer responsibilities.
The Exclusive Services include matters relating to Commonwealth, State and local government elections and the interpretation of public sector governance legislation other than of a routine nature.
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