For immediate release
The annual LawWorks Pro Bono Awards recognise and celebrate achievement in legal pro bono work, undertaken by organisations and individuals, and the commitment of the legal sector in enabling access to justice. Our finalists represent the breadth and range of pro bono activity undertaken by LawWorks members, pro bono clinics and many others across England and Wales.
The awards are kindly sponsored by LexisNexis and supported by the Law Society of England and Wales.
Commenting on the awards shortlist, Rebecca Wilkinson, the Chief Executive of LawWorks, said:
"A huge congratulations to those shortlisted and everyone who was nominated – these awards acknowledge and celebrate the commitment of law firms, in-house teams and the many individuals who volunteer their time and share their legal expertise to improve the lives of others.
Seeing the impact pro bono work makes on people’s lives reaffirms our commitment to developing and supporting solicitors pro bono work within the access to justice community.
We would like to thank the judges for their work, they had no easy task, and look forward to meeting the finalists and our supporters at the awards event on December 4th."
James Harper, Director, Global Legal LexisNexis, said:
"This is now the 10th year that LexisNexis has proudly supported the LawWorks Awards as part of our commitment to advancing the Rule of Law.
This is a commitment that sits at the very heart of our business and is embedded in everything we do – whether that is providing content to help lawyers make better decisions, developing AI responsibly, or producing software which streamlines workflow, it all helps to advance the Rule of Law. And we go beyond that, in our volunteering work, our projects, and the partnerships we develop with incredible institutions like LawWorks.
We are privileged to support the LawWorks Awards, which recognise the tireless efforts and inspiring dedication of those on the front lines of access to justice. The nominees exemplify extraordinary commitment to ensuring that no one is left behind in the legal system. We are honoured to stand with them and highlight their invaluable work.
Congratulations to all those shortlisted—your achievements are commendable, and we look forward to celebrating with you in December."
The Stephen Denyer Pro Bono Award
Following the passing earlier this year of Stephen Denyer, and in recognition of his ability to bring people and organisations together from different parts of the profession, we are pleased to announce that our Best Pro Bono Contribution by an Individual award is being dedicated in his memory and from here on will be called The Stephen Denyer Pro Bono Award.
Stephen was a true advocate for pro bono work and believed in the power of solicitors to come together and make the world a better place. In his memory, his family asked for donations to LawWorks in lieu of flowers and we are grateful to continue his legacy through our work and our celebration of pro bono. If you would like to support us in Stephen’s name, you can through his memorial site.
The shortlisted nominees for the 2024 awards are:
Best Contribution by a Small or Medium Firm - Sponsored by LEAP
- Crowell & Moring U.K. LLP
- Hodge Jones & Allen
- MTC Solicitors
- Ropes & Gray
Best Contribution by a Large Firm
- Addleshaw Goddard
- Baker McKenzie
- Dechert
- Kirkland & Ellis International
- Milbank
- Travers Smith
Best Contribution by an In-house Team or an In-house Solicitor
- In-House team, The University of Law
- Omar Madhloom, University of Southampton
- Visa Legal, Ethics and Compliance Team
Best Contribution by a Junior Lawyer
- Lauren Beattie, Milbank
- Abigail Curry, Baker McKenzie
- Shereen Goh, Herbert Smith Freehills
- Sarah Hill-Smith, Clyde & Co
- Richard Rowlands, Covington
- Tom Wyer, Herbert Smith Freehills
The Stephen Denyer Pro Bono Award (Best Individual Contribution)
- Sarah Clover, South Westminster Legal Advice Centre and Clyde & Co
- Daniel Denton, Hodge Jones & Allen
- Thomas Jennings, Herbert Smith Freehills
- Jake Savile-Tucker, Herbert Smith Freehills
- Ruth Scoles Mitchell, Covington
Best Pro Bono Contribution in Wales
- LGBTQ+ Law Clinic CIC
- Veterans Legal Link, Aberystwyth University
Best Contribution by a Pro Bono Clinic
- Dads House Family Law Clinic
- Employment Tribunal Support Service, University of Law
- Legal Advice Centre, University of East London
- University of Southampton Global Legal Clinic
Best International Pro Bono Award - in partnership with A4ID
- Face Equality International in partnership with Reed Smith LLP, Bank of America and Amazon
- Herbert Smith Freehills, Human Dignity Trust and Blackstone Chamber
- MPF Afghan BAP Project
Best New Pro Bono Activity
- Crowell & Moring U.K. LLP
- Ethnicity Business Growth Programme, Addleshaw Goddard
- McKenzie Friend Service, BPP University
- Toynbee Hall & Herbert Smith Freehills Housing Clinic
- UCL iLAC Form Filling Initiative
Most Effective Pro Bono Partnership Award
- City Community Legal Advice Centre
- Connect Legal Advice Clinic, Centrepoint, Goldman Sachs & Herbert Smith Freehills
- Employment Legal Advice Service, The Growth Company
- Hertfordshire Law School & Shelter Court Runner Scheme
- Reach out to Survivors, University of Chester
- Working Families' Legal Advice Service
Best Contribution to LawWorks Not-For-Profits Programme
- Covington
- Crowell & Moring U.K. LLP
- Proskauer Rose (UK) LLP
Best Contribution to LawWorks Secondary Specialisation Programme
- Baker McKenzie
- Pallas Partners
The Pro Bono Connect Award
- Brabners
- Dechert, Maitland Chambers, Astraea Group
- Morgan Lewis & Bockius
- Morrison Foerster and Cloisters Chambers
LawWorks are incredibly grateful to our judging panel for our awards this year, they are:
- Mark Evans, Vice President of The Law Society of England and Wales
- James Harper, Executive Sponsor, Rule of Law and CSR for LexisNexis UK & Ireland
- Chris Minnoch, Director of the Legal Aid Practitioners Group
- Professor Richard Owen, Chair of the Law Society’s Access to Justice Committee
- Paul Rogerson, Editor of the Law Society Gazette
- Rebecca Wilkie, Chief Executive of Advocate
The winners of the awards will be announced at an event at the Law Society of England and Wales, Chancery Lane, London on 4th December. Hosted by political commentator, Tamara Cohen, the evening will be a magical night celebrating the legal pro bono work undertaking by solicitors and LawWorks. The award presentations will be followed by an informal drinks and canapes reception.
Join the awards celebration across social media using #LawWorksAwards
Contact: Peter Jackson: peter.jackson@lawworks.org.uk
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Notes to editors:
- LawWorks (the Solicitors Pro Bono Group) is a charity that promotes, supports and facilitates pro bono legal services that extend access to the law for individuals and communities in need and the organisations that assist them. LawWorks supports a network of over 300 independent pro bono clinics across England and Wales, and facilitates free legal advice for smaller charities and social enterprises through its Not-For-Profits Programme. LawWorks is supported by the Law Society of England and Wales, the independent professional body for solicitors.
- The LawWorks Annual Pro Bono Awards event is being held at the Law Society on 4th December (from 6.30pm). For more information, please contact Peter at: peter.jackson@lawworks.org.uk
- Nominees for the LawWorks Annual Pro Bono Awards must be or include a member of LawWorks or a clinic in the LawWorks Clinics Network. Detail about LawWorks membership is available at: www.lawworks.org.uk/why-pro-bono/lawworks-membership-join-us
- A4ID is a global charity that works in partnership with the world’s leading law firms, providing access to the best legal advice for those engaged in the fight against global poverty, and contribute to the achievement of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). For the new “Best International Pro Bono Award” special attention is given to pro bono projects that contribute to the achievement of the SDGs. www.a4id.org
- LawWorks are extremely grateful for the sponsorship of the awards by LexisNexis Legal & Professional. LexisNexis Legal & Professional® provides legal, regulatory, and business information and analytics that help customers increase their productivity, improve decision-making, achieve better outcomes, and advance the rule of law around the world. As a digital pioneer, the company was the first to bring legal and business information online and now, with the introduction of Lexis+, is leading the future of legal research. LexisNexis Legal & Professional serves customers in more than 150 countries with 11,300 employees worldwide and is part of RELX, a global provider of information-based analytics and decision tools for professional and business customers.
- LEAP occupies a unique position in the legal software market as its powerful features expand beyond traditional practice management software and leverages the power of AI; enhancing efficiency, productivity and modernisation within law firms. LEAP is a true cloud solution that revolutionises how you run your practice, organise and manage documents, handle legal accounting and optimise your workflow to make more money. Built with clients in mind, LEAP is suited across all common areas of law and includes powerful tools to help future-proof law firms.