This article examines the role of Community Legal Centres (CLCs) in Australian society against the background of the adoption by the Commonwealth Government of a New Public Management (NPM) policy agenda. The article discusses and analyses the implications of the NPM policy agenda for the integrity of CLCs and their relationship with government and clients. It also considers the implications for relationships between government and citizenry. Finally, the article discusses how the growth in pro bono work, an integral part of the government's NPM agenda, has affected these relationships.