Student pro bono stars shine at annual LawWorks & AG awards
updated on 26 March 2015
Students from across the United Kingdom gathered on 25 March for the annual LawWorks & Attorney General Student Pro Bono Awards 2015. Held in the House of Commons, and endorsed and presented by Attorney General Jeremy Wright QC MP, the awards recognise the hard work, innovation and dedication of law students around the country. The recent LawWorks Law School Pro Bono and Clinic Report revealed that around 70% of all UK law schools are involved in pro bono projects.
Wright said: "All students nominated across the four categories have demonstrated a tremendous amount of skill, initiative and selflessness of spirit, which I hope will help keep pro bono a force for good in the future of the legal profession in the United Kingdom."
The winners of this year’s awards were as follows:
- Best Contribution by a Law School – University of Strathclyde
- Best Contribution by a Team of Students – University of Huddersfield’s Legal Advice Clinic
- Best New Student Pro Bono Activity – University of Greenwich
- Best Contribution by an Individual Student – Helen Ingram, BPP University (London)
In addition, Kings College London won the 2015 Law School Challenge, having successfully raised funds for LawWorks and the Bar Pro Bono Unit. A further award, the annual Access to Justice Foundation Student Essay Competition Prize, was presented to Dale Timson for his article, “Does the legal profession prioritise access to justice for all?” (to be published in the New Law Journal).
For the seventh year in a row, LexisNexis sponsored the awards. James Harper, head of legal for LexisNexis UK & Ireland, said: "Access to justice for all is a fundamental part of upholding the rule of law in society, a cause which is a central part of LexisNexis’s global corporate objectives. The role that pro bono plays in this cannot be underestimated; and those that give their time to undertake this work should be praised […] LexisNexis congratulates all those nominated and shortlisted, as well as the many that have not been mentioned, and we are honoured to be able to support their tireless and vital work."
