Alasdair brings considerable experience to the role of Chair of LawWorks; a former senior partner of a leading firm, he has for five years chaired the City of London Law Society, and will be stepping down from the role when his successor has been appointed.
Alasdair Douglas said: ‘I am delighted to have the privilege to Chair LawWorks at what is an important and exciting time for the charity and pro bono. Pro bono makes an important contribution towards enabling access to justice and LawWorks has a crucial role in supporting and facilitating its development across the solicitor’s profession. I am looking forward to working with the Trustees, the Chief Executive Martin Barnes, and the experienced and talented staff team, and also working with LawWorks members and the many firms and in-house teams who volunteer their time and expertise for pro bono.’
Outgoing Chair, Paul Newdick CBE QC (Hons) said: ‘It has been a great privilege to lead the Board of Trustees of LawWorks over the last 15 years, to have worked with such talented and dedicated Chief Executives and their staff who have grown the charity to what it is today. I am very proud of the enormous difference the charity has made, through the commitment of volunteer lawyers across the country, in delivering access to justice to many thousands of people who would otherwise have received no legal help. I know that Alasdair brings considerable qualities, experience and expertise to continue to take LawWorks and the pro bono movement forward’.
Chief Executive of LawWorks, Martin Barnes, said: ‘I am pleased the Board has appointed Alasdair Douglas as new Chair of Trustees and very much look forward to working with him to further strengthen LawWorks and our support for the profession and pro bono. Alasdair brings invaluable experience and insight to LawWorks and our important work in promoting and supporting the profession’s commitment to pro bono.’
LawWorks is a charity committed to enabling access to justice through free legal advice across England and Wales. It believes in the power of pro bono legal advice to help improve the lives of people in need. The charity supports a network of over 200 local and independent pro bono advice clinics, and works with firms and in-house teams to establish new clinics and pro bono projects. LawWorks also connects volunteer lawyers with smaller charities and not-for-profit organisation in need of legal advice, enabling them to better support individuals and local communities.
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Notes to Editors
LawWorks
LawWorks is the operating name of the Solicitors Pro Bono Group. Established in 1997, the charity promotes, facilitates and supports legal pro bono activity across England and Wales. LawWorks has over 100 members, including international and City-based firms, regional and high street practices, in-house legal teams and law schools.
LawWorks supports a growing network of over 200 local and independent legal advice clinics, supported by solicitors, barristers, legal executives and law schools and law students. The LawWorks Clinic Network responded to over 43,000 individual enquiries in the year to March 2015 – over 4.500 individuals volunteered across the network during the year.
The LawWorks Not-For-Profits Programme provides free legal advice and support for smaller charities in local communities across England and Wales. Last year over 140 not-for-profit organisations’ cases were placed with volunteer lawyers from among the LawWorks membership.
Alasdair Douglas
For the last five years, Alasdair has been Chair of the City of London Law Society, the representative body for the 60 City-based, commercial firms and the 17,000 solicitors working in those firms – Alasdair will be stepping down as Chair of the City of London Law Society when his successor is appointed. He has worked as a solicitor in private practice for 35 years, including 25 years at Travers Smith where he was senior partner for 5 years and managing partner for 6 years. Alasdair began his successful legal career after graduating from Edinburgh University. More recently, he chaired Aviate Global LLP, an institutional stockbroking group. As a former Chair of the Tree Council (2008 to 2014), he gained extensive experience in charity governance and running trustee board meetings.
Paul Newdick CBE QC (Hons)
Paul Newdick was a partner at Clyde & Co for 25 years and since May 2013 is a consultant. He has specialised in labour and employment law matters since 1982. Paul is a founding trustee and the previous chair of LawWorks. His involvement in pro bono started when he set up a student clinic at Leeds in the 1970s. Since then he has volunteered at NCCL (now Liberty), North Kensington Law Centre, Tottenham Law Centre, Peckham CAB and the Royal Courts of Justice CAB. Prior to helping to set up the Solicitors Pro Bono Group (now LawWorks), Paul founded the Cablinx initiative with Citizens Advice and sat on the Management Committee at Tottenham Law Centre
LawWorks Board of Trustees
The biographies of LawWorks trustees are on the LawWorks website at: https://www.lawworks.org.uk/about-us/governance.
LawWorks is supported by the Law Society of England and Wales (www.lawsociety.org.uk), the independent professional body for solicitors.
Press Contact: Valerie Hudson t: 0207 092 3952 e: valerie.hudson@lawworks.org.uk.