- For immediate release -
Supported by the Attorney General, The Rt Hon. Lord Hermer KC, the awards celebrate the best pro bono activities undertaken by law students and law schools across the UK. The awards were presented at a ceremony held in the House of Lords on Tuesday 28 April.
We are grateful to Mark Evans, President of the Law Society, for hosting the awards, and to the Advocate General for Scotland, Baroness Smith of Cluny for speaking at the ceremony.
Although unable to attend, the Attorney General, The Rt Hon. Lord Hermer KC, shared the following message:
“Pro bono is some of the most interesting work you can get involved in as a young lawyer. It is not a substitute for legal aid, but it embodies the very best of what it means to be a lawyer: a belief that the law should serve everyone, no matter who they are.
And while you can’t say yes to every case, the experiences you will gain through pro bono won’t happen in your usual nine-to-five. They will challenge you. They will surprise you. They will connect you with people whose lives will stay with you long after. And on the hard days, they will remind you of why you wanted to be a lawyer in the first place.
So, to the students recognised today, congratulations! And thank you for your service so far, your achievements matter not only to those you help, but to the future of the law itself. I hope you carry this commitment forward, and see it not as a box to be ticked, but as a defining part of your career.”
Lord Goldsmith KC, Chair of LawWorks said:
"This afternoon has been genuinely inspiring. To see a new generation of lawyers already showing such commitment, care and determination in their pro bono work is remarkable. It speaks not only to what you have achieved so far, but to the kind of profession you are helping to shape, one that takes seriously its responsibility to ensure access to justice for all.
Thank you to everyone who submitted nominations, and congratulations to those shortlisted. The strength of applications this year has been clear, but more than that, it is the consistency of effort behind them that stands out. This is work carried out alongside studies, often quietly, but with very real impact for those receiving support.
What you are doing matters, not only for the individuals and communities you are supporting now, but for the kind of profession you are helping to shape.”
Josh Giddens, Director of Practical Guidance at LexisNexis UK said:
“This year marks eighteen years of LexisNexis sponsoring these awards. Eighteen years of students choosing, before their careers have even properly begun, to put their skills in service of others.
Reading through the nominations, all of the judges were in left in awe at how, with many of you at the very start of what I am sure will be incredibly successful legal careers, you have made such massive commitments and sacrifices. And not in the name of self-promotion or advancement, but to genuinely make a difference to the world around us. That you care enough to do that, often without thanks or acknowledgement, is incredible and inspiring and fills us with optimism for the future.
So, whether or not you won today, you’re only in this room because you are exceptionally special – and I include in that all of the lecturers, supervisors and others who have given up their time to provide the environment to make this work possible.”
Best New Pro Bono Activity: Fresh Claims Project, Cardiff University
The Fresh Claims Project comprises Cardiff University and Welsh asylum charity Asylum Justice collaborating to provide end-to-end casework on ‘Fresh Claims’ for destitute Appeal Rights Exhausted asylum seekers who have no recourse to public funds. The project supports clients from all over the world, including Sudan, Palestine (Lebanon), Namibia, Ghana, Syria, Somalia and Iraq.
Funded by the Welsh Government, it offers advice on a first come first serve basis to all clients ensuring no case is turned away due to merits. Supported by 28 students, the project has taken on 14 end to end cases since Nov 2024, most of which are highly complex. Students assist with reviewing previous documents, identifying the legal issues in the case, undertaking objective research, sourcing and commissioning expert reports, and drafting documents before a submission is made. The project boasts a 100% success rate so far, and provides valuable skills to the students, many of whom go on to work in immigration law.
University of Leicester Legal Advice Clinic Immigration Service was also Highly Commended by the judges.
Best Contribution by an Individual: Brenda McNally, Ulster University
Over nearly two years with the Ulster University Law Clinic, Brenda has shown sustained commitment to pro bono work at three levels: direct client service, leadership within clinical legal education, and wider public interest advocacy. Balancing part time study and caring responsibilities for two children with special educational needs. She has provided high quality legal assistance in employment and welfare matters, preparing tribunal cases and supporting vulnerable individuals through complex appeals. Her work is marked by rigorous legal analysis, meticulous preparation, and client-centred approach. One client noted, “I wouldn’t have been able to do this myself.”
As the clinics’ first Student Clinician Supervisor, Brenda has mentored undergraduate students in interviewing, case strategy and professional standards. Introduced a new triaging process, refining how it responds to enquiries. This has enabled the clinic to expand, allowing participation from a wider range of students, increasing the clinic’s long term capacity and sustainability.<
Brenda’s work extends to systemic advocacy. Her research on the rights of children with special educational needs received recognition from the Equality Commission. This led to her involvement in policy discussions on restraint and seclusion in schools. Brenda’s contribution stands out for its depth, impact and lasting legacy.
Pardis Pasdar, King's College London and Tom Bird, Keele University Legal Advice Clinic were Highly Commended by the panel of judges.
Best Contribution by a Law School: Sheffield Hallam University
Over the past academic year, students at Sheffield Hallam University (SHU) contributed more than 30,000 hours of supervised pro bono legal work, providing assistance in family law, Criminal Injuries Compensation, criminal appeals, prisoners’ rights, civil disputes, and immigration matters. Delivered through the Hallam Legal Advice Centre and Justice Hubs, this work delivers measurable social impact while preparing practice-ready graduates with a strong understanding of ethical responsibility.
Each year, more than 300 students take part in supervised pro bono activity, reflecting a sustainable and embedded approach that positions SHU as a leading contributor to pro bono nationally. The Refugee Rights Hub has supported over 2,700 clients worldwide and achieved a success rate exceeding 90%. Uniquely among university clinics, the Hub conducts its own appeal work, ensuring continuity of representation in complex cases where specialist legal support is limited.
SHU’s model combines scale of student engagement, specialist supervision, and innovation. By embedding pro bono across the entire final-year cohort and investing in supervision and infrastructure, SHU operates not only as a provider of student experience but as a sustained contributor to access to justice.
LawIRL services at The City Law School and LSE Legal Advice Centre were also Highly Commended by the judges.
Best contribution by a Team of Students: Legal Advocacy Support Project, Bristol Law Centre
Legal Advocacy Support Project’ (LASP) provides representation to disabled people seeking to appeal DWP decisions on PIP benefits at First-Tier Tribunal. Students volunteer for at least a year, with the intention to expose volunteers to the stages of managing a case, to provide experience of interacting with the tribunal system and to highlight the importance of client care. One of the key benefits of this project is that it has the potential for capacity building and scaling-up, whilst also providing students with a meaningful and unique opportunity to develop their skills and knowledge in social welfare law.
Many clients attest to being repeatedly disbelieved, to feeling hopeless and experiencing a loss of agency as adverse decisions are made against them. The project focuses on making people feel heard and understood, providing dignity through a protracted and often unfair process and ensuring people who are in need have someone fighting their corner. The project's success rate is consistently over 80%, showing that specialist legal advice can turn people’s lives around.
LSE Legal Advice Clinic Team, LSE Law School and Knife Crime Prevention Policy Law Clinic with the Josh Hanson Trust, Lancaster University, the Open University and the University of Lancashire were Highly Commended by the panel of judges.
The judges for the 2026 Awards were:
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I.Stephanie Boyce(Hon.Causa) CBE FKC, Former President of the Law Society
- Josh Giddens, Director of Practical Guidance, LexisNexis
- Deborah Smith, Executive Director; Senior Counsel, Goldman Sachs
- Marina Faggonato, Joint Chair - Pro Bono & Social Reponsibility Committee, Bar Council
- Mark Evans, President, The Law Society
- Toby Brown, Chair of National Pro Bono Week and Member of the Bar Council Pro Bono and Social Responsibility Committee
Birmingham City University Law School was announced as the winner of the Law School Challenge, an initiative aimed at raising funds for LawWorks and Advocate. Congratulations also to Durham University and the University of Plymouth, who were our runners up.
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 LexisNexis for their sponsorship of the Awards.
Further information on the Student Pro Bono Awards is available through our awards programme, or visit: lawworks.org.uk/student-awards.