The Awards recognise and celebrate outstanding achievement in legal pro bono by organisations and individuals across England and Wales. They highlight the extraordinary commitment of the legal sector to widening access to justice, and the creativity and collaboration that make pro bono work such a vital part of our shared professional culture.
This year’s finalists reflect the breadth and impact of pro bono in action, from law firms and in-house teams supporting national charities and community organisations, to volunteers at pro bono clinics providing free legal advice to those who would otherwise go without. Their work exemplifies how the law can be a force for fairness, opportunity, and social good.
The winners will be announced at an event at the Law Society of England and Wales, Chancery Lane, London, on Wednesday 3 December. Hosted by hosted by the media editor of The Sunday Times, Rosamund Urwin, the evening will bring together practitioners, partners, and supporters from across the profession to celebrate another remarkable year of commitment and collaboration.
On the announcement of this year’s shortlist, Rebecca Wilkinson, Chief Executive of LawWorks, said:
Congratulations to everyone who’s been shortlisted for this year’s Awards. It’s always such a privilege to see the incredible pro bono work taking place across the profession and the difference it makes to people’s lives. Every nomination tells a story of dedication, collaboration and compassion, and together they show how powerful pro bono can be in creating real change.
These Awards are an important moment to recognise that work, to thank the lawyers, firms and organisations who go above and beyond, and to remind ourselves why access to justice matters. Thank you to our judges for the tough job of choosing the shortlist, and to everyone who took the time to nominate. I’m really looking forward to celebrating with you all on December 3rd.
The shortlisted nominees for 2025 are:
Best Contribution by a Small or Medium Firm
- Covington & Burling
- Hodge Jones & Allen
- Milbank
- Pallas Partners
Best Contribution by a Large Firm
- A&O Shearman
- Brabners
- Eversheds Sutherland (International)
- Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer
- Travers Smith
Best Contribution by an In-house Team or an In-house Solicitor
- BPP Social Impact Team, BPP Education Group
- In-house legal team, nGAGE Talent Group
- The University of Law Pro Bono team
- Legal, Ethics and Compliance Team (Europe), Visa
Best Contribution by a Junior Lawyer
- Hleb Buziuk, FairGo CIC
- Caolán Duffy, Covington & Burling
- Catrin Norton, Hogan Lovells International
- Nick O’Neal-Kenny, Linklaters
- Nik Sharma, Dechert
- Jessica Tucker, Pallas Partners
The Stephen Denyer Pro Bono Award (Best Contribution by an Individual
- Naga Kandiah, MTC Solicitors
- Ben Kerawala, Reed Smith
- Emily Lim, Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer
- Hannah O'Malley, Linklaters
- Hannah Owen, Charles Russell Speechlys
Best Pro Bono Contribution in Wales
- Bangor University Legal Advice Clinic
- Cardiff Law School Pro Bono Unit
Best Contribution by a Pro Bono Clinic
- Employment Legal Advice Service, The Growth Company
- Family Law Group
- King's College Legal Clinic
- Legal Advice Centre, University of East London
- Refugee Rights Hub, Sheffield Hallam University
Best International Pro Bono Award - in partnership with A4ID
- Legal Response International and Ashurst
- AsyLex - Rights in Exile Platform and Covington & Burling
- UN Human Rights Committee Rulings on Reproductive Rights, Debevoise & Plimpton
- Pallas Partners
- Travers Smith
Best New Pro Bono Activity
- Ashurst and APPEAL Case Enquiries
- Bangor University Legal Advice Clinic
- eVisa Guide and Support Sessions Project: Greater Manchester Immigration Aid Unit, Clyde & Co, Dechert, Linklaters and Squire Patton Boggs
- Roundhouse Trust and Taylor Wessing
- Sheffield Digital Justice, University of Sheffield
- University of Southampton Legal Clinic
Most Effective Pro Bono Partnership
- Kennedys and Bright Tide
- Cardiff University Law Clinic & Support Through Court Partnership
- School Exclusion Project, Coram Children's Legal Centre and A&O Shearman
- The Chancery Lane Project and Ashurst
- The Windrush Legal Initiative
- The Young People's Life Café and Farrer & Co
Best Contribution to LawWorks Not-For-Profits Programme
- Covington & Burling
- HFW
Best Contribution to LawWorks Secondary Specialisation Programme
- Kirkland & Ellis International LLP
- Pallas Partners
The Pro Bono Connect Award
- Commercial Dispute Resolution Client Team, Charles Russell Speechlys
- HFW
- Mayer Brown
- Morgan, Lewis & Bockius
A special thank you to our panel of judges for their time and expertise in reviewing an exceptional range of nominations. Their thoughtful consideration helps ensure the Awards continue to recognise and celebrate the very best of pro bono across the profession:
- Clare Carter, Chief Executive of The Access to Justice Foundation
- Mark Evans, President of The Law Society of England and Wales
- Josh Giddens, Director of Practical Guidance, LexisNexis UK & Ireland
- 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