LawWorks Pro Bono Awards 2023

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.

Find out about our nominees in the awards programme. 

The nominees for the LawWorks Pro Bono Awards 2023 are:

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 - in partnership with A4ID

• 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 LGBTQ+ 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) (see note 1 below)
• 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 2 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

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

Notes:

1. 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.
2. 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.

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: