Broadcast live, the event was hosted by radio and television presenter and writer Matt Stadlen, and Christina Blacklaws, former President of the Law Society. The Awards featured messages from leaders in the legal profession, including Clive Stafford-Smith, Carol Storer, Leslie Thomas QC, Fiona Woolf, and Law Society Vice president I.Stephanie Boyce.
The Awards recognise and celebrate the pro bono commitment of LawWorks members, their charity and corporate partners, and the work of independent clinics in the LawWorks clinics network. The Awards are kindly sponsored by Lexis Nexis.
Winners were chosen in eleven categories, each representing the breadth and range of pro bono across England and Wales – by individuals, firms, in-house teams, law schools and law students, supported by charities, advice agencies, law centres and many non-legal volunteers.
LawWorks Chair of Trustees, Alasdair Douglas, said:
“Congratulations to the winners and finalists – all deserve recognition and celebration of their work and the difference they make in enabling access to justice, especially over the last difficult year. It was inspiring to see our first ever virtual awards event broadcast live, and my thanks to the production team and everyone involved.”
James Harper, Executive Sponsor, Rule of Law and CSR for LexisNexis UK & Ireland said:
“On behalf of LexisNexis I would like to congratulate the winners, and all those shortlisted and nominated, for their dedication and commitment to enabling access to justice and advancing the Rule of Law. LexisNexis is honoured to have had the chance to express our support for all involved, and to help bring the LawWorks Pro Bono Awards online.”
The winners of the 2020 LawWorks Pro Bono Awards are:
- Best Contribution by a Small or Medium Firm: Altralaw
- Best Contribution by a Large Firm: Reed Smith
- Best Contribution by an In-house Team or an In-house Solicitor: London Borough of Barking and Dagenham In House Legal Team
- Best Contribution by an individual: Sam Cottman – Travers Smith
- Junior Lawyers Division Pro Bono Award: Raphaella Gabrasadig – Travers Smith
- LawWorks Cymru Award: Swansea Law Clinic, Hillary Rodham Clinton School of Law, Swansea University
- Best International Pro Bono Award: Greece Pro Bono Collaborative Project - Allen & Overy, Ashurst, Charles Russell Speechlys, Dentons, Orrick and White & Case, together with European Lawyers in Lesvos (ELIL)
- Best Contribution by a Pro Bono Clinic: The Online Legal Clinic, Brixton Advice Centre
- Best New Pro Bono Activity: The Entrepreneurial Refugee Network (TERN) and Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton
- Best Digital or Virtual Pro Bono Activity: South Westminster Legal Advice Centre
- Most Effective Pro Bono Partnership: Toynbee Hall and Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton
You can find out more about all those shortlisted and the winners in the 2020 LawWorks Pro Bono Awards programme.
The Awards can be viewed from 6pm at LawWorks Pro Bono Awards 2020 - YouTube
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 support them. LawWorks operates as a membership organisation, helping volunteers from 150 law firms and legal teams across England & Wales to undertake pro bono work, and supporting a network of independent clinics. The pro bono work of each organisation makes a difference to their local community and collectively our members play an invaluable role in extending access to justice to those in need of advice. LawWorks is supported by the Law Society of England and Wales. For further information about LawWorks visit: www.lawworks.org.uk
- The shortlist and winners were chosen by a judging panel that comprised: Yasmin Batliwala, Chief Executive, Advocates for International Development; I. Stephanie Boyce, Vice president of the Law Society; Ruth Daniel, Chief Executive, Access to Justice Foundation; Mark Evans, Chair Law Society Wales Committee & Law Society Council member for Cheshire & North Wales; Chris Minnoch, Chief Executive, Legal Aid Practitioners Group; Paul Rogerson, Editor-in-chief, Law Society Gazette; Adam Tear, former Chair of the Solicitors’ Association of Higher Court Advocates; Heidi Sandy, Chair of the Law Society’s Women Lawyers Division; Koser Shaheen, Council Member for the Ethnic Minorities Constituency and Chair of Law Society’s, Ethnic Minority Lawyers Division.
- The Award sponsors, LexisNexis Legal & Professional, are a leading global provider of content and technology solutions that enable professionals in legal, corporate, tax, government, academic and non-for-profit organisations to make informed decisions and achieve better business outcomes. As a digital pioneer, the company was the first to bring legal and business information online. Today, LexisNexis Legal & Professional harnesses leading-edge technology and world-class content to help professionals work in faster, easier and more effective ways. Through close collaboration with its customers, the company ensures organisations can leverage its solutions to reduce risk, improve productivity, increase profitability and grow their business. LexisNexis Legal & Professional, which serves customers in more than 175 countries with 10,000 employees worldwide, is part of RELX Group, a world-leading provider of information and analytics for professional and business customers across industries.
- 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 will be given to pro bono projects that contribute to the achievement of the SDGs. www.a4id.org
- The online production was supported by EvyAgency, https://evy.agency/
Press Contact: James Sandbach t: 0207 092 3943 / 07508327606 email james.sandbach@lawworks.org.uk