LawWorks Pro Bono Awards 2015
Guidance for Nominations
Closing Date: Friday 16th October, midnight
The LawWorks Pro Bono Awards are presented at the inaugural LawWorks Annual Lecture which will be held on 24th November 2015. The awards celebrate the best legal pro bono activities undertaken by organisations and individuals and the positive impact they have had on those helped. We would like to hear from everyone who has made a difference this year – and we know there are lots of you out there!
Please nominate anyone who you think has done great pro bono work in the last year, bearing in mind that a maximum of 2 nominations will be accepted per person.
Nominations are accepted from Monday 14th September until Friday 16th October 2015.
Awards categories
Awards will be given to recognise the quality and impact of pro bono legal work. The Awards judges will consider applications in the following categories:
Most effective pro bono partnership.
This category can include in-house teams and law firms working in partnership with clinics, Not-for-Profit Organisations, advice agencies or others.
Additional weight will be given to partnerships which are innovative and/or creative, including (for example) consultation with potential beneficiaries on identifying need or project design.
Best contribution by a small firm.
For the purposes of this award we have adopted a definition of a small firm as being a firm that is a sole practitioner, or a firm with no more than four partners or owners.
Best contribution by a firm with an English regional head office, outside London.
Best contribution by a firm with a London head office.
Best contribution by an international firm.
For the purposes of this award we have adopted a definition of an international firm as being a firm with a head office outside England and Wales.
Best contribution by an in-house team.
Best contribution by an individual.
This category includes pro bono coordinators and volunteer lawyers, as well as senior partners who have championed pro bono legal work in a firm or an in-house team.
Junior Lawyers Division Pro Bono Award.
The Junior Lawyers Division Pro Bono Award recognises the pro bono work undertaken by a trainee or qualified solicitor with less than 5 years post qualification experience (current students are not eligible for this award as there are separate awards for students through the LawWorks and Attorney General Student Awards).
The LawWorks Cymru Award.
To recognise pro bono legal work being done in Wales by a LawWorks member firm or in-house team.
Criteria for nominations
To be eligible, nominees must meet the following requirements:
Nominees are a member of LawWorks (as of 15th October 2015).
The legal pro bono work was for individuals and/or organisations or communities in England and Wales (please note that this is not restricted to participation in a LawWorks project or programme).
The pro bono activity was carried out in the 12 months up to 1st August 2015.
Nominations should include evidence of benefit and impact(s). This should include:
A description of the pro bono activity undertaken. This could include:
The identified need or the presenting problem(s);
The intended beneficiaries or clients;
The nature or type of legal work or advice given and/or action taken; and
The outcomes or impact(s) achieved.
Evidence demonstrating improvements for individuals or local communities, such as the number of people who have benefited from the pro bono legal work; and
A supporting statement(s) from a beneficiary or a partner/stakeholder.
You can nominate yourself or your own organisation or another individual or organisation.
All nominations will be judged by an independent shortlisting and judging panel, whose decision will be final. The judging panel comprises:
Richard Grimes, Director of Clinical Programmes, York Law School;
Afua Hirsch, barrister and Sky News Social Affairs Editor;
Max Harris, Chair, Junior Lawyers Division;
Theodore Huckle QC, Counsel General, Welsh Government; and
Carol Storer, Director, LAPG.
Shortlisted nominees will be notified in advance of the Awards event held on 24th November.
How to apply
Please complete the Nomination Form on our website [insert link here]. Please note that we might need to contact you for further information or clarification about the Nomination.
Please address any queries in relation to the awards to Michael Eddowes, Head of Business Development, on 020 7092 3943 or michael.eddowes@lawworks.org.uk.
We look forward to receiving your nominations.