A sincere thank you goes out to Simmons & Simmons, for their generous hospitality in hosting the event. We would also like to thank all the speakers1 for sharing their expertise and insights, and a special thank you to Sarah Sackman KC MP, Minister of State for Courts and Legal Services, for opening the conference, her speech setting out a powerful vision for the future of access to justice:
“Access to justice in this country exists if you’re incredibly deprived or incredibly rich. We need to think about what the cost of justice is in this country, and the potential for technology to bear down that cost and truly democratise the right to access to justice. This is about fundamentally improving the rights and lives of working people.”
This vision captured the spirit of this year’s theme; innovation and delivery. The panels and sessions that followed brought this vision to life, together exploring how LegalTech and AI can transform the way we deliver legal support, how to manage risk, build specialisms, and safeguard staff and volunteer wellbeing, all with the aim to strengthen pro bono services and ensure that every client can access the legal help they deserve.
This work has never been more important. In 2024, clinics on the LawWorks Clinics Network supported over 61,000 people, but demand is growing, and clients’ problems are becoming ever more complex due to the cost-of-living crisis, policy changes, and increasing pressures faced by vulnerable communities. By coming together, sharing ideas, building partnerships and inspiring new approaches, conferences like this help us to meet these challenges head on, and, in the words of Sarah Sackman:
“actually realise the promise of access to justice.”
LawWorks is proud to run the LawWorks Pro Bono Conference annually to bring the sector together, showing what is possible when we collaborate. If you are interested, please consider joining our network of 313 clinics, think about becoming a member, or help us by making a donation. Every contribution is a step closer to achieving access to justice.
If you have any suggestions for what you would like to see explored at next year's conference, please get in touch.
1Speakers: Sophia Adams Bhatti, Martha de la Roche, Catriona Filmer, Josh Giddens, Peter Lee, Eleanor Scarlett, Mary Marvel, Zahra Vasanji, Fatima Bhula, Judith Donnelly, Marion Edge, Alison Klarfeld, Catherine Hudson, Sam Cottman, Michell Elcombe, Emma Rehal-Wilde, Ellen West, Anna Buttimore, Dr Emma Jones, Suzy McGarrity, Rebecca Norris, Rebecca Howell, Max Finney, Amanda Kwagala, Eliza Platts-Mills, Yasmin Waljee, Rebecca Wilkinson.