The Awards ceremony, sponsored by Lexis Nexis, will be held on Wednesday 25th April at the House of Commons. The Attorney General, The Rt Hon Jeremy Wright QC MP, will be presenting the Awards and the ceremony will be hosted by His Honour Sir Robin Knowles CBE.
The awards celebrate the best pro bono activities undertaken by law students and law schools.
The awards incorporate the Access to Justice Foundation award for an educational body or student which has made a significant contribution to promoting access to justice.
The winners of the LawWorks and Bar Pro Bono Unit Law School Challenge 2017 – 2018 (which is a fundraising initiative for both charities) will also be presented with an award at the event.
The Attorney General, The Rt Hon Jeremy Wright QC MP said:
“These awards are an opportunity to celebrate the work of students who help increase access to justice in their communities. Early experience of pro bono can instil a passion and commitment that can last a whole career. Pro bono not only has a practical and beneficial impact on people’s lives; it has a positive effect on our legal system as well.”
James Harper, Exec Sponsor for Rule of Law and CSR at LexisNexis said:
“As we mark 200 years since LexisNexis was established – it is with great pleasure that we also celebrate the 10th year of supporting the Student Pro Bono Awards.”
Alasdair Douglas, Chair of LawWorks said:
“The Student Awards recognise the incredible commitment and contribution of the many students and law schools providing pro bono legal advice. As well as making a valuable contribution to local communities, pro bono volunteering can bring many benefits and opportunities for students, including personal development and gaining legal knowledge and skills. Well done all those shortlisted – we look forward to seeing you at the Awards ceremony on 25th April.”
The shortlisted nominees are:
Best Contribution by a Law School
- Birmingham Law School - University of Birmingham
- Helena Kennedy Centre for International Justice - Sheffield Hallam University
- Hillary Rodham Clinton School of Law - Swansea University
- Nottingham Law School - Nottingham Trent University
- Plymouth University Law Clinic - Plymouth University
- Ulster University Law Clinic - Ulster University
- Queen Mary University of London, School of Law
Best Contribution by an Individual Student
- Andrea Garvey - Hillary Rodham Clinton School of Law - Swansea University
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Samantha Maher - Manchester Metropolitan University
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Niki Mehta - BPP Law School
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Maddison Redgwell - University of Westminster
- Catherine Ruta - University of Birmingham
- Rebecca Smith - University of Greenwich
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Georgia Steaton – London South Bank University
Best Contribution by a Team of Students
- Birmingham Free Legal Advice Group Coordinators - University of Birmingham
- Legal Advocacy Support Project Team - Manchester Metropolitan University & Greater Manchester Law Centre
- Student Advice Team – London South Bank University legal advice clinic
- University of Exeter Access to Justice Clinic - University of Exeter Law School
- Employment Team project – The University of Manchester, Legal Advice Centre
Best New Pro Bono Activity
- Autism Law Service - Nottingham Law School Legal Advice Centre, Nottingham Trent University
- BPP Enterprise Legal Advice Clinic - BPP University
- Children's Social Care and SEND Clinic - University of Liverpool Law Clinic
- Liverpool Law Clinic Family Court Project - University of Liverpool
- The BPP Law Ambassadors Programme - BPP Pro Bono Centre
- The Family Justice Project - Northumbria Law School, Northumbria University
- The Miscarriages of Justice Review Centre - The University of Manchester
Access to Justice Foundation Award
- Edinburgh University Free Legal Advice Centre
- Plymouth Law Clinic
The judges for the 2018 Awards are:
- Christina Blacklaws, Vice-president of the Law Society
- Josh Richman, Senior editor, LawCareers.Net
- James Harper, Executive Sponsor, Rule of Law and CSR for LexisNexis UK & Ireland
- Alison Padfield QC, Co-Chair of the Bar Council Pro Bono Panel
- Peter Farr, Trustee of CILEx Pro Bono Trust
LawWorks would like to congratulate all the shortlisted nominees and everyone who submitted nominations. LawWorks would also like to thank the judges for their hard work in drawing up the shortlist from a very impressive list of nominations, and Lexis Nexis for their sponsorship of the Awards
For further information on the Student Pro Bono Awards, please visit: https://www.lawworks.org.uk/solicitors-and-volunteers/get-involved/lawworks-attorney-generals-student-pro-bono-awards-2017
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Notes to editors:
- LawWorks (the Solicitors Pro Bono Group) is a charity working in England and Wales to connect volunteer lawyers and law students with people in need of legal advice, who are not eligible for legal aid and cannot afford to pay, and with the not for profit organisations that support them and their communities. LawWorks supports a network of independent pro bono advice clinics across England and Wales, and facilitates the provision of free legal advice for smaller charities and not-for-profit organisations. For further information about LawWorks visit: https://www.lawworks.org.uk/
- LawWorks is supported by the Law Society of England and Wales, the independent professional body for solicitors.
- LawWorks are extremely grateful for the sponsorship of the awards by LexisNexis Legal & Professional. LexisNexis Legal & Professional is a leading global provider of legal, regulatory and business information and analytics that help customers increase productivity, improve decision-making and 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 with its Lexis® and Nexis® services. LexisNexis Legal & Professional, which serves customers in more than 130 countries with 10,000 employees worldwide, is part of RELX Group, a global provider of information and analytics for professional and business customers across industries.
- For further information about the Awards contact James Sandbach, Director of Policy and External Affairs, james.sandbach@lawworks.org.uk 0207-092-3943
- Join the student pro bono conversation on social media #studentprobonostar #StudentAwards2018