Outstanding achievement in legal pro bono was celebrated on 5th December at the LawWorks Annual Pro Bono Awards.
The annual LawWorks Pro Bono Awards celebrate the best legal pro bono activities undertaken by organisations and individuals and the positive impact they have had on those helped. The LawWorks Annual Pro Bono Awards are kindly sponsored by Lexis Nexis.
The ceremony was hosted broadcaster and journalist Samira Ahmed, and the awards were presented by Richard Atkinson, Vice President of the Law Society of England and Wales.
Winners were chosen in ten categories, each representing the breadth and range of pro bono across England and Wales and internationally – by individuals, firms, in-house teams, law schools and law students, supported by charities, advice agencies, law centres and many non-legal volunteers.
Find out about our winners and nominees 
in the awards programme.
The winners of the 2023 LawWorks Pro Bono Awards are:
- Best Contribution by a Small or Medium Firm: Pallas Partners LLP
- Best Contribution by a Large Firm: Reed Smith LLP
- Best Contribution by an In-house Team or Solicitor: The Financial Conduct Authority Pro Bono Group, Financial Conduct Authority
- Best Contribution by a Junior Lawyer: Alessandro Angelico, Covington & Burling
- Best Contribution by an Individual: Naga Kandiah, MTC Solicitors
- The LawWorks Cymru Award: University of South Wales Legal Advice Clinic, University of South Wales
- Best Contribution by a Pro Bono Clinic: Kent Law Clinic, University of Kent
- Best International Pro Bono Award in partnership with A4ID: Rule 39 Pro Bono Initiative (see notes)
- Best New Pro Bono Activity: Islamophobia Response Unit
- Most Effective Pro Bono Partnership: Green Tech Legal Collaborative (see notes)
LawWorks are incredibly grateful to our judging panel for the 2023 Pro Bono Awards, who are:
- Richard Atkinson, Vice President of The Law Society of England and Wales
- Yasmin Batliwala, Chief Executive of Advocates for International Development
- Julie Bishop, Director of the Law Centres Network
- 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
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Pro Bono Award nominees
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The shortlisted nominees were:
Best Contribution by a Small or Medium Firm
- Crowell & Moring U.K. LLP
- Pallas Partners LLP
Best Contribution by a Large Firm
- Baker McKenzie LLP
- Covington & Burling LLP
- Herbert Smith Freehills LLP
- Reed Smith LLP
- Sidley Austin LLP
- Travers Smith LLP
Best Contribution by an In-house Team or an In-house Solicitor
- Conde Nast Legal Team, Conde Nast
- The Financial Conduct Authority Pro Bono Group, Financial Conduct Authority
- Inmarsat London legal team, Inmarsat
Junior Lawyers Pro Bono Award
- Alessandro Angelico, Covington & Burling
- Frances Beddow, Allen & Overy
- Voirrey Blount. Reed Smith
- Maddie Drabble, Dechert
- Olivia Scalise Gaspar, Covington & Burling
- Arushie Marwah, Herbert Smith Freehills
Best Contribution by an Individual
- Julie Chiu, Herbert Smith Freehills
- Harry Eccles-Williams, Mishcon de Reya
- Josianne El Antoury, Covington & Burling
- Naga Kandiah, MTC Solicitors
- Emine Mehmet, Duncan Lewis Solicitors
- Rachel Metcalf, Linklaters
- Geraldine Palfreman-Pigot, Covington & Burling
The LawWorks Cymru Award
- Ukraine Project Cymru, Asylum Justice
- University of South Wales Legal Advice Clinic, University of South Wales
Best Contribution by a Pro Bono Clinic
- Bath Law Clinic, Bath Spa University
- BPP Legal Advice Clinic, BPP University Pro Bono Centre
- Dads House Family Law Clinic, Dad’s house
- Family and Employment Law Assistance in Legal Advice Deserts, Charles Russell Speechlys LLP; Plymouth Citizens Advice and University House Legal Advice Centre
- Kent Law Clinic, University of Kent
Best International Pro Bono Award
- Covington & Burling
- Crowell & Moring U.K. LLP
- Dechert
- Rule 39 Pro Bono Initiative: CILD and Orrick, Freshfields, DLA Piper, Linklaters, Herbert Smith Freehills, Osborne Clarke, Reed Smith and Eversheds Sutherland
Best New Pro Bono Activity
- Bath Law Clinic
- Bridge to the City
- City Community Legal Advice Centre
- Islamophobia Response Unit
- Micro Rainbow LGBTQI+ Ukraine Scheme
- Protect Environmental Whistleblowing Toolkit, Protect
- UCL iLAC-ESI PIP Form Filling Clinic
Most Effective Pro Bono Partnership
- City Community Legal Advice Centre
- Domestic Abuse Response Alliance (DARA): Travers Smith, Reed Smith, Hogan Lovells International, Latham & Watkins, Slaughter and May, Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher, Debevoise & Plimpton, Eversheds Sutherland (International), DLA Piper UK, Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld
- Employment Law for London Project: BPP University & South West London Law Centres
- Green Tech Legal Collaborative: Bloomberg L.P., Ropes & Gray, Willkie Farr and Gallagher, Ashurst, Mayer Brown, Travers Smith, Shearman and Sterling, Venner Shipley
- Kids in Need of Defense UK (KIND UK) & Partners (see note below)
- Not Beyond Redemption & Akin, Clyde & Co, Latham & Watkins, Morrison Foerster and Sidley Austin
- Queen Mary University London & Mishcon de Reya
- The Small Business Advice Line, The University of Law
- University of Chester & Pregnant Then Screwed Partnership
- DARA partners include: Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld; DLA Piper UK; Debevoise & Plimpton; Eversheds Sutherland (International); Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher; Hogan Lovells International; Latham & Watkins; Reed Smith; Slaughter and May; and Travers Smith.
- KIND UK partners include: Allen & Overy LLP; Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP; Arnold & Porter Kaye Scholer LLP; Bank of America; Baker McKenzie LLP; Clyde & Co LLP; Cooley (UK) LLP; Covington & Burling LLP; Dechert LLP; Dentons UK and Middle East LLP; DLA piper (UK) LLP; Eversheds Sutherland (International) LLP; Fieldfisher LLP; Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson LLP; GSK; Gowling WLG (UK) LLP; Hogan Lovells (International) LLP; K&L Gates LLP; Mayer Brown (International) LLP; Microsoft, Norton Rose Fulbright LLP; Pinsent Masons LLP; PRS for Music and VMware, Reed Smith LLP; Ropes & Gray LLP; Shearman & Sterling LLP; Sidley Austin LLP; Simmons & Simmons LLP;Simpson Thatcher & Bartlett LLP; and Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom (UK) LLP.
- Rule 39 Pro Bono Initiative partners include: CILD and Orrick, Freshfields, DLA Piper, Linklaters, Herbert Smith Freehills, Osborne Clarke, Reed Smith and Eversheds Sutherland
- Green Tech Legal Collaborative partners include: Imperial College London, Bloomberg L.P., Ropes & Gray, Willkie Farr and Gallagher, Ashurst, Mayer Brown, Travers Smith, Shearman and Sterling, Venner Shipley
Need to get in touch?
If you have a question about the awards, nominations, or the process, please email:
- Peter Jackson, Communications Officer
The LawWorks Pro Bono Awards are sponsored by:
