The Awards recognise and celebrate achievement in legal pro bono work, undertaken by organisations and individuals, and the commitment of the legal sector in enabling access to justice. The finalists represent the breadth and range of pro bono activity undertaken by LawWorks members, pro bono clinics and many others across England and Wales.
The awards are kindly sponsored by LexisNexis and supported by the Law Society of England and Wales and by Salesforce.
The winners will be announced at an event at the Law Society, Chancery Lane, London on 7th December and will also be livestreamed. The guest speaker for the awards is the Rt Hon Harriet Harman MP QC, a solicitor, a former Solicitor General, Deputy Leader of the Labour Party and Leader of the House of Commons, and currently Chair of the Joint Committee on Human Rights.
Commenting on the awards shortlist, Alasdair Douglas, the Chair of LawWorks, said:
“Congratulations to all those shortlisted. We received a high number of inspiring nominations, highlighting the breadth, depth and impact of pro bono. I would like to thank all those who were nominated and also the judges for giving their time and working so hard to choose the shortlist and winners.
These Awards acknowledge and celebrate the commitment of law firms, from their senior management to their trainees and administrative staff, and others who volunteer their time and expertise to improve the lives of others.”
The judging panel for the 2021 Pro Bono awards comprised:
- Manda Banerji, Chair of the Law Society’s Junior Lawyers Division
- Yasmin Batliwala, Chief Executive of Advocates for International Development
- Clare Carter, Joint Chief Executive of the Access to Justice Foundation
- Chris Minnoch, Director of the Legal Aid Practitioners Group
- Paul Rogerson, Editor of the Law Society Gazette
The shortlisted nominees are:
Best Contribution by a Small or Medium Firm
- Emma Williams Family Law
- Kobre & Kim
- Nottingham Law School Legal Advice Centre
Best Contribution by a Large Firm
- Bates Wells
- Dechert
- DLA Piper
- Irwin Mitchell
- Sidley Austin
- Travers Smith
Best Contribution by an Individual
- Simon Bruce, Dads House Family Law Clinic
- Jonathan Gilmour, Travers Smith
- Naga Kandiah, MTC Solicitors
- Rachel Mathieson, Bates Wells
- Louise McCarthy, Sidley Austin
- Emine Mehmet, Duncan Lewis Solicitors
- Charles Wynn-Evans, Dechert
Junior Lawyers Division Pro Bono Award
- Jonathan Andrews, Reed Smith
- Lucy Clifford, Travers Smith
- Hemna Fargi, Duncan Lewis Solicitors
- Natasha Hunter Jones, Baker McKenzie
- Lucy Scaramuzza, Baker McKenzie
- Liljana Shehaj, Duncan Lewis Solicitors
- Lucy Winnington-Ingram, Reed Smith
The LawWorks Cymru Award
- Aberystwyth University Family Law Clinic
- Cardiff Lawyers Care Advice Clinic
- Duncan Lewis Solicitors
- University of South Wales Legal Advice Clinic
Best Contribution by a Pro Bono Clinic
-
Anglia Ruskin University Law Clinic
-
BPP University Legal Advice Clinic
-
Dads House Family Law Clinic
-
The Student Legal Advice Centre, University of Derby
-
University of South Wales Legal Advice Clinic
-
Whitechapel Legal Advice Clinic
Best International Pro Bono Award
- Clifford Chance
- DLA Piper
Best New Pro Bono Activity
- Charity Registration Pilot Project: Bates Wells, Morgan Lewis and Reed Smith
- EU Settlement Scheme (EUSS): Coram Children's Legal Centre and Linklaters
- Housing Advocacy and Access to Legal Advice Project, University of Chester
- Maternity Action Pro Bono Partnership
- “People Like Us - Know Your Rights”: Toynbee Hall’s Free Legal Advice Centre with Allen & Overy, Bank of New York Mellon, Bloomberg, Cleary Gottlieb Steen and Hamilton, Duncan Lewis and Howard Kennedy
- Pro Bono Intellectual Property Service, Nottingham Law School Legal Advice Centre
Most Effective Pro Bono Partnership
- Afghanistan Assistance Programme: Ashurst, Reed Smith and Safe Passage
- Asylum Aid with Akin Gump, Ashurst, Cooley, Dentons, Freshfields, Latham & Watkins, Morrison & Foerster, O'Melveny, Orrick, Reed Smith, Skadden and White & Case
- Bloomberg EMEA Legal and Compliance Department, Ropes & Gray, Simmons & Simmons and Willkie Farr & Gallagher
- Equally Ours and Herbert Smith Freehills
- Pre-action Protocol Project Partnership with DLA Piper, Deighton Pierce Glynn, Care4Calais and Human for Rights Network
- Windrush Compensation Scheme: United Legal Access, Ashurst and Ropes & Gray
- ZEUSS Project: Praxis, Akin Gump, Baker McKenzie, Clyde & Co, DAC Beachcroft, Mishcon de Reya, Orrick, Simmons & Simmons and Skadden
Notes to editors:
- LawWorks (the Solicitors Pro Bono Group) is a charity that promotes, supports and facilitates pro bono legal services that extend access to the law for individuals and communities in need and the organisations that assist them. LawWorks supports a network of over 300 independent pro bono clinics across England and Wales, and facilitates free legal advice for smaller charities and social enterprises through its Not-For-Profits Programme. LawWorks is supported by the Law Society of England and Wales, the independent professional body for solicitors.
- The LawWorks Annual Pro Bono Awards event is being held at the Law Society on 7th December (from 6.30pm) and will also be broadcast online. For more information, please contact Peter at: peter.jackson@lawworks.org.uk
- Nominees for the LawWorks Annual Pro Bono Awards must be, or include, a member of LawWorks or a clinic in the LawWorks Clinics Network. Detail about LawWorks membership is available at: www.lawworks.org.uk/why-pro-bono/lawworks-membership-join-us
- A4ID is a global charity that works in partnership with the world’s leading law firms, providing access to the best legal advice for those engaged in the fight against global poverty, and contribute to the achievement of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). For the new “Best International Pro Bono Award” special attention is given to pro bono projects that contribute to the achievement of the SDGs. www.a4id.org
- Awards sponsor LexisNexis Legal & Professional is a leading global provider of legal, regulatory and business information and analytics that help professional customers make more informed decisions, increase productivity and serve their clients better. As a digital pioneer, the company was the first to bring legal and business information online with its Lexis and Nexis services. Today, LexisNexis Legal & Professional harnesses leading-edge technology and world-class content to help professionals work in faster, easier and more effective ways. Through close collaboration with its customers, the company ensures organizations can leverage its solutions to reduce risk, improve productivity, increase profitability and grow their business. LexisNexis Legal & Professional, which serves customers in more than 175 countries with 10,000 employees worldwide, is part of RELX Group, a global provider of information and analytics for professional and business customers across industries.
Join the conversation about the awards on Twitter using #LawWorksAwards
Contact: Peter Jackson at: peter.jackson@lawworks.org.uk