Pro Bono Law Fair: University of Edinburgh Law School FLAC Committee

Pro Bono Week takes place this year from the 7th – 11th of November. There will be events happening throughout this week, but to finish of the week the FLAC Committee will be hosting a Law Fair on Tuesday 8th November in the Moot Court room, Old College.

The Fair will be an opportunity to recognise, learn about and discuss the voluntary contribution of the legal profession in giving free legal help to those in need, as well as a great networking opportunity. With keynote speakers, input from societies, committees and practitioners, it’s a date to save in your calendars!

For more information, contact Rebecca Samaras, Director of Clinical Legal Education and Pro Bono – rebecca.samaras@ed.ac.uk

In person only.

Advocate: Bar Pro Bono Awards 2022 (Invitation only)

The Bar Pro Bono Awards returns for another year and taking place just before Pro Bono Week.

Headline sponsored by LexisNexis, and supported by the Bar Council, these awards are an opportunity to highlight the outstanding commitment to pro bono work by barristers or chambers across England and Wales. This year, there will be nine awards handed out on the night out of the eleven categories.

All nominees, Chambers’ representatives and Chambers Pro Bono Champions are invited to the Awards evening on the 2^nd November.

Contact Amy for queries (ahughes@weareadvocate.org.uk)

Lawyers stepping forward when it matters – An event for young lawyers held in partnership with: LYLG, MTYBA, JLSLA, the YBC and Advocate

Join us, the Middle Temple Young Barristers’ Association (MTYBA), London Young Lawyers Group (LYLG), the Junior London Solicitors Litigation Association (JLSLA), the Young Barristers’ Committee (YBC) and Advocate on Tuesday 08 November between 6.15 – 9pm in The Princes’ Room at Middle Temple for a panel discussion (and hybrid on Zoom), followed by networking and refreshments.

The event will include a keynote address from the Solicitor General, Michael Tomlinson MP. The panel will share their experience of taking on pro bono both internationally and in the UK in response to crises, and explain more broadly how pro bono can be a beneficial part of the practice of junior solicitors and barristers. We hope this event will be an inspiring and informative event for young lawyers across the professions and hope to see you there!

Speakers

Keynote address: The Solicitor General, Michael Tomlinson MP
Chair: Nadya Rouben, Senior Associate, DLA Piper
Panellists:
Michael Polak, barrister at Church Court Chambers; Chair, Young Bar Committee
Marion Edge, Pro Bono Counsel at Dechert LLP
Catherine Meredith, Barrister at Doughty Street Chambers
Olivia Clark, Solicitor, DLA Piper

Registration can be found here (in-person is SOLD OUT! Please register for Zoom tickets)

Arrive: 6:15pm

Hybrid on Zoom: (18:30 to 19:30)

Networking: 19:30-21:00

Venue: Hybrid on Zoom (tickets available) and in person (sold out!): Middle Temple Hall (Princes Room), Middle Temple Lane, London, EC4Y 9BT

Welcoming in Pro Bono Week: Breakfast at No5. Barristers’ Chambers, Birmingham

Organisers: Birmingham Law Society Pro Bono Committee in collaboration with No.5 Barristers’ Chambers

Please join us for breakfast networking with an official welcome from Tony McDaid.

The President of the Birmingham Law Society, the Pro Bono Committee and No5 Barristers’ Chambers warmly invite you to an informal breakfast to launch Pro Bono Week 2022 in Birmingham.

Join incoming President Tony McDaid for a breakfast event to bring together our local legal community for a morning of networking and idea sharing for pro bono in the city. This event will be a celebration of the work done by members of our legal community this year, as well as a chance to reflect on the year and look forward to how we can best contribute to access to justice, here in Birmingham and beyond, as the needs in the city evolve..

Speaker: Tony McDaid; President of Birmingham Law Society and CEO and Director of Clerking at No5 Barristers Chambers

In person networking event

Venue: No5 Barristers’ Chambers, Fountain Court, 5 Steelhouse Lane, Birmingham, B4 6DR. In person

Registration link: https://birminghamlawsociety.co.uk/members/book_event.php?event=503

Pro Bono: Taking it to the next level – Slaughter and May with In House Pro Bono Group

Time: 12:30-1:30pm

The first half will run as a hybrid panel speaker event, followed by the second half being an in-person networking opportunity.

In a session aimed at both in-house and private practice lawyers, key speakers will cover the internal mechanics of developing your pro bono programme post launch for greater impact. The first half of the event will host a panel discussion for a virtual and in-person audience. The second half of the event will comprise an in-person networking opportunity to discuss ideas and internal mechanisms of pro bono programmes with other pro bono practitioners. The event is not intended to cover the basics of launching a pro bono programme, but is aimed at those at an intermediary level where pro bono programmes have been set up and you are looking at how to build to the next level.

Speakers: TBC

Registration Details: Please RSVP via email to probono@slaughterandmay.com

Places will need to be booked in advance and will be limited. A waitlist will run in case of oversubscription.

Venue: Slaughter and May offices, One Bunhill Row, EC1Y 8YY

Great Legal Bake 2022 – Access to Justice Foundation/ London Legal Support Trust

The sweetest fundraiser of the year, the Great Legal Bake, returns from the 7 – 11 November 2022, as part of this years’ Pro Bono Week celebrations.

Funds raised are in aid of the Access to Justice Foundation and the London Legal Support Trust, who fund local frontline free legal advice services.

Calling all star bakers

Could you raise dough to support free frontline services that help some of society’s most vulnerable people? Are sweet treats up your street or does savoury make you rave-ery?

Whether its blondies or brownies, millefeuilles or petits fours, Black Forest gateau or Swiss roll, millionaire’s shortbread or pound cake, taking part is easy as pie. And if sweet stuff doesn’t melt your butter why not make samosas, sausage rolls, or savoury scones?

All you need to do is register via one of the registration links below (depending on your region) below and we’ll send you a bake pack full of useful stuff like posters, labels and stickers. So grab a group of friends or colleagues and organise a bake sale in your office, chambers, court or university and sell your tasty treats.

Are you a crummy baker, but you’d still like to take part? Why not see if a local bakery might donate some cupcakes?

There will a photo competition during the week, judged by Toby Brown – Chair of Pro Bono Week 2022 committee and Barrister at South Square. Prizes will be awarded for:

Best Themed Cake

Tastiest looking Cake

Best Overall Cake

Post your bake photos and tag in the Access to Justice Foundation/ London Legal Support Trust/ Pro Bono Week using the hashtags #GreatLegalBake #WeDoProBono

If you are not able to take part during the official bake week, you are still welcome to sign up to bake on a date of your choice. Just let us know on the sign up form below!

Bakes within London and the South East areas: https://www.tfaforms.com/4945402

Bakes taking place throughout the rest of the UK: THE ACCESS TO JUSTICE FOUNDATION: 2022 Great Legal Bake (enthuse.com)

Lawyers Stepping Up – Focus on Ukraine – Eversheds Sutherland with DLA Piper and Asylum Aid

The Ukraine Advice Project was founded on 28 February 2022 to provide urgent, free and professional legal advice and information about UK resettlement options to people displaced and at risk due to the illegal Russian invasion of Ukraine. We will be discussing the collaborative response to this humanitarian crisis by a group of lawyers, barristers, charity workers and immigration law specialists from across the UK.

The panel discussion will be facilitated by the Principal Pro Bono Lawyer at Eversheds Sutherland, Jane Cotton, who will be joined by:

Olivia Clark, Human rights lawyer and UK Pro Bono Manager at DLA Piper
Jennifer Blair, Barrister at No5 Chambers
Alison Pickup, Director at Asylum Aid
Khrystyna Chelak, Legal Project Manager at Eversheds Sutherland
Kateryna Balaban, Managing Director & Project Leader of UA.SUPPORT

This event will be held online only due to a train strike announced for the 7th November 2022. The details on how to join remotely will be emailed to you after you register.

Online only Event

Registration can be found here

Pro bono connections: The benefits of pro bono collaboration – Pro Bono Connect (Law Works) with Arnold and Porter DATE CHANGED

Owing to strikes on the underground, this event has now moved to Wednesday 30th November, 8:30-10am**

An opportunity to welcome you in person to hear from participating solicitors, barristers and clients about the value of collaborating on pro bono litigation cases, and the positive impact on outcomes by working as a team.

Speakers

Chloe Binding – (Associate at Derbert LLP)
Fatima Bhula – (Pro bono Connect Executive Officer at Law Works)
Eleanor Campbell – (Barrister at One Essex Court)
Jamie Goldsmith KC – (Founder of Pro Bono Connect)
Sahana Jayakumar – (Barrister at Crown Office Chambers)
Jane Wessel – (Partner at Arnold and Porter)
Shyam Popat – (Chief Operating Officer and Director of Casework at Advocate)

Breakfast and Networking: 8.30am

Discussions: 9:00am-10:00am

Registration can be found here

Venue: Arnold and Porter London Office

In person-only event

OFFICIAL LAUNCH Pro Bono Week 2022 – Cost of Living Crisis – Virtual Event

The official launch of the 21st Pro Bono Week, recognising and supporting the voluntary contribution made by lawyers across the UK in giving free legal help to those in need. In this year of unprecedented challenges, for both the voluntary and legal sectors, pro bono legal help has never been more important.

This year, the Launch event will feature presentations to explain the current Cost of Living Crisis, and discussions on how the legal profession and pro bono sector can help respond.

Presentations will be followed by a Q&A.

Speakers:

The Attorney General, Victoria Prentis MP
Toby Brown, Chair, Pro Bono Week organising committee
Joanna Elson CBE, Chief Executive, Money Advice Trust
Yasmin Waljee OBE, International Pro Bono Partner, Hogan Lovells International LLP
James Sandbach, Development Manager, London Citizens Advice

**Owing to rail strikes, The Pro Bono Launch Event will now take place on Zoom**.

Registration link can be found here

We hope you can join us and celebrate the power of pro bono.

18:30-19:30 Presentations (Zoom)

Venue: Online