Student stars of pro bono impress yet again

I was honoured to be asked to join the judging panel for the annual LawWorks and Attorney General  Student Pro Bono Awards again, an experience which every time leaves me both humbled by the capacity of those nominated to do such excellent extracurricular work and secretly a bit ashamed that my own university years were notably absent of any such altruism!

As in previous years, all the nominated schemes, law schools and individuals, although unique in many ways, were united by one clear aim; addressing a range of very real societal problems that aren’t being met by more traditional legal means. And now, more than ever, there are gaping holes in the system, with ever more people unable to access legal help and support. Grayling and his destructive legal aid cuts have much to answer for – thank goodness then that excellent pro bono schemes such as those honoured at the awards exist, but should they be relied on to plug the gaps left by a government policy which seeks to erode a legal aid system that was once something to be proud of?

Politics aside, a common theme that came through when reading the 40 or so impressive submissions was the personal growth experienced by those taking part in the varied schemes detailed therein. That’s the thing about pro bono; it is there to address a very real unmet need, but it also serves to make its proponents better in a multitude of ways – better students, better lawyers and better individuals.

And so it was that the awards were handed out on Wednesday 25 March in the House of Commons. Attorney General Jeremy Wright QC MP noted in his welcome speech: “All the students nominated across the four categories have demonstrated a tremendous amount of skill, initiative and selflessness of spirit which I hope will keep pro bono a force for good in the future of the legal profession in the United Kingdom.”

The nominees and the winners were a diverse bunch, in terms of geography, background and approach. Winning ‘Best contribution by a law school’, the University of Strathclyde’s law clinic has been providing “an ever-expanding range of quality services to the community since 2003”. The University of Huddersfield’s new Legal Advice Clinic was triumphant in the ‘Best contribution by a team of students’ category, with the students firmly in charge of initiating and running the clinic. Back in London, and the University of Greenwich scooped the award for ‘Best new student pro bono activity’ for its community-saving legal aid clinic, while BPP’s Helen Ingram won ‘Best contribution by an individual’ for her dedicated involvement in and leadership of several initiatives.

Overall, the schemes we assessed are just a small drop in the ever-expanding pro bono ocean, which leaves no excuse for you not to get involved. Well done to all those nominated; you are an inspiration, not just to your fellow students, and those yet to come, but to a panel of jaded judges!

For a full list of the nominees and winners, visit LawWorks’ website.