Tag Archives: probonopractice

Roundtable to discuss pro bono in the North East

A roundtable meeting convened by Designated Civil Judge Jeremy Hudson and Designated Family Judge Rachel Hudson, to share information on the need for and current delivery of pro bono in Newcastle and the wider North East, and to discuss opportunities and challenges.

Arrival from 5.30pm, coffee & networking

6:00pm roundtable meeting

7.15pm networking over light refreshments

Registration: representatives of the advice sector, pro bono projects, legal profession and law schools are welcome to request invitations – please email tobybrown@southsquare.com

Pro Bono from the past, present and future – BPP Law School

BPP Pro Bono Centre presents an exciting panel event “Pro Bono from the past, present and future”.

Speakers include BPP Alumni and Pro Bono Centre staff:

David Hansford, Associate at Charles Russell Speechlys
Stephen Cutter, Solicitor at Release
Hannah Lennox, Solicitor at Hammersmith & Fulham Law Centre
Frances Hall, Trainee Solicitor at BPP Pro Bono Centre

 

 

Tech and Pro bono: Domestic and Global perspectives – LawWorks & A4ID

Technology plays an increasingly important role in pro bono work, and Covid-19 has been a catalyst as more services have pivoted to remote delivery. This session, hosted by LawWorks and A4ID, looks at how technology has progressed pro bono, and the role it is likely to play in the future, including how technology can address organisational issues of pro bono work.

This discussion spans both domestic and global pro bono. Globally there is a huge interest in how technology (lawtech) can facilitate access to legal advice and empower communities to use the law. There are equally concerns that lawtech could deepen the ‘digital divide’ and leave vulnerable groups further excluded from good legal advice or from the courts.

Our panel of experts will discuss the opportunities and challenges associated with technology for lawyers contributing with their time pro bono to ensure equal access to justice for all, in the UK and abroad.

Panel includes:

  • I. Stephanie Boyce, President of the Law Society
  • Claire McGourlay, University of Manchester
  • Jennifer Cheshire, LawWorks
  • Roger Smith, Consultant
  • Ele Enenche, High Court of Nigeria
  • Adam Wyner, University of Swansea
  • Margaret Hagan, Standford Law School

Register at the Eventbrite link below.

In House Counsel and Law Firms Doing Pro Bono Together – In House Pro Bono Group

The In House Pro Bono Group invites you to join us for a webinar with Clifford Chance and Ropes & Gray on how in house lawyers and law firms can partner effectively to do pro bono together. The session will cover developing a partnership with an in house team/law firm, considerations when working on a pro bono project together, challenges and how they can be overcome. We will also hear from a charity, Refugee Action, on what is most useful in terms of pro bono support.

Speakers include:

  • David Boyd, Head of Pro Bono for UK & Ireland, Clifford Chance
  • Felicity Kirk, Head of International Pro Bono, Ropes & Gray
  • Julie Mansfield, Frontline Immigration Advice Project Partnerships Manager at Refugee Action
  • Mia Motiee, Compliance, Bloomberg
  • Sarah Oliver Scemla, Director and Assistant General Counsel, Bank of America

Please register at the Eventbrite link below.

Plugged in Pro Bono: innovation, law tech & Pro Bono in Wales – Legal News Wales, Swansea Law Clinic & Legal Innovation Lab Wales

An online event celebrating Pro Bono Week 2021, to highlight an exciting innovation & LawTech project in Wales that aims to connect local communities with accessible legal advice.

Join Legal News Wales, Swansea Law Clinic, (based in the Hilary Rodham School of Law at Swansea University), the Legal Innovation Lab Wales (LILW) and other speakers to see how the work of a free legal advice clinic in Wales is being used as the basis to measure the use of LawTech and innovation in the legal sector, to enhance and enable access to justice.

In September 2021, the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) announced it had appointed Swansea Law Clinic and the LILW as the Welsh partners for research after the regulator was awarded funding through the UK government’s Regulators Pioneer Fund (RPF).

The award of £167,856 from the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) will be used to create a new network where regulators, expert research institutions and local government can work together to improve legal access within local communities. They aim to do this by supporting, testing and promoting new and emerging legal technology.

Through this project, the researchers aim to better understand how technology can address the challenges encountered by under-represented and vulnerable communities in accessing legal advice – specifically in the Swansea Bay area, a region supported by Swansea Law Clinic.

We’ll be joined by the project leads in Wales, and other speakers (TBA) at this free, online event to provide:

  • Insight on the six-month project: why Pro Bono has taken centre stage in the research
  • The scope of the research: the communities involved, the free legal advice they might receive and the current challenges
  • Current observations & reflections of the project to date
  • Hope for the impact of the project on how LawTech could further support the provision of Pro Bono and accessible legal services in Wales and in England

Speakers

  • Stefano Barazza, Academic Lead at the Legal Innovation Lab Wales 
  • Professor Richard Owen, Hilary Rodham School of Law, Swansea University 
  • Liz Withers, Head of Welsh Affairs, the Solicitors Regulation Authority

Chaired by: Emma Waddingham, Editor, Legal News Wales & member of the Reaching Justice Wales committee.

Late career pro bono – LawWorks

A discussion on how we can better support and encourage experienced, transitioning and retired lawyers who are interested to volunteer, even to develop a second volunteer career in public interest law, pro bono work and supporting the community.

Despite the ongoing access to justice gap for low-income and underserved populations, this skilled, experienced and knowledgeable talent pool can often get overlooked when it comes to pro bono. How can we build pro bono opportunities into a new model of transition from retirement or a stepping back from full-time legal practice.? The session will focus particularly on the needs of the solicitors’ profession.

Discussion points include:

  • What kind of programmes are most suitable?
  • Contribution to skills 
  • The SRA rules which facilitate greater participation of this cohort
  • Other ways to contribute legal expertise and skills, eg Boards, CA Honorary Legal Adviser roles etc

The panel includes:

  • Chair, Robert Bourns
  • Nicholas Pritchard (retired Partner)
  • Tim Cave (East Greenwich Legal Advice Centre)
  • Kate Buchanan (Islington Legal Advice Centre)

Register at the Eventbrite link below.