8 LALY Awards LegalAction June 2018

Legal aid’s 2018 hall of fame

Finalists in this year’s Legal Aid Practitioners Group Legal Aid Lawyer of the Year awards have been announced. New for 2018 is the practice management award, to recognise those whose work behind the scenes is vital for keeping legal aid firms afloat.

Children’s rights sponsored by Anthony Gold

Silvia Nicolaou Garcia Alex Rook Simpson Millar Silvia is just five years Alex has acted in some of the most qualified. She is described important disability-related legal aid as a star for her work for cases in recent years. These include the Dan Rosenberg children in community care Nascot Lawn judicial review ([2018] Simpson Millar and public law, and has a EWHC 267 (Admin)), particular interest in acting for which established that Dan is praised for his exceptional young victims of trafficking. respite care provided to ability to get excellent results for Her clients are often highly severely disabled children his clients, often children out of vulnerable, and she has the is a ‘health service’ under education who are homeless or empathy and sensitivity to the NHS Act 2006, thus care-leavers in need of ongoing win their confidence, and the safeguarding vital provision support. He has a knack of ability to explain their rights for many families. He leads persuading local authorities to in simple terms. his firm’s public law and change their decisions, often within human rights team. hours, where other have been trying and failing for weeks.

Criminal defence sponsored by DG Legal Legal aid newcomer sponsored by Friends of LALY18

Aika Stephenson Paris Theodorou Joanna Bennett Catherine Oborne Just for Kids Law Hodge Jones & Allen Hodge Jones & Allen Garden Court Chambers Paris is a Joanna specialises barrister- in claims against Catherine practises turned- the police and in criminal defence who now other public authorities. She is and public law challenges. She defends those just three years qualified and has was called to the bar seven years accused of already been involved in landmark ago, and has shown unwavering serious crime in cases, including the successful determination to uphold the rule of complex cases. Court of Appeal challenge LL law and preserve the presumption of He was instrumental last year in ([2017] EWCA Civ 237), where innocence. She appears in the Court In 2017, under Aika’s exposing failings in CPS disclosure she won damages from the lord of Appeal and advises on references stewardship, Just for Kids Law when he uncovered mobile phone chancellor for a man who had been to the Criminal Cases Review became the first UK charity evidence that fatally undermined sent to prison for contempt by the Commission. to hold a criminal legal aid the prosecution case against his judge during family proceedings. contract and, since then, she client, Samson Makele, who was accused of rape. Lewis Kett has acted for 170 young people Ifeanyi Odogwu caught up in the criminal justice Duncan Lewis Garden Court Chambers system. Her entire career as Lewis works in a defence lawyer has been the public law Ifeanyi has focused on giving holistic team at Duncan forged a reputation as first representation to children and Lewis’s Harrow choice of barrister for inquests young people. office and has been involved in a arising from state custody which Helen White formidable catalogue of high- engage article 2. In the past Howells Solicitors profile cases. He was lead solicitor year, he has achieved seven in a successful challenge to the narrative inquest verdicts where Helen is a chartered Home Office policy of disregarding neglect or significant failures specialising in the most serious offences, including torture by non-state agents when were identified as contributing murder, armed robbery and sexual assault, who also considering whether asylum- to the deaths. He ‘lives the case’ acts for clients charged with public order offences, seekers should be detained. and will ‘fight for the family’s particularly anti-fracking protesters. She is praised for concerns at every turn’. her compassion and unfailing commitment to publicly funded work.

The Legal Aid Lawyer of the Year awards are organised on a not-for-profit basis by the Legal Aid Practitioners Group.

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Legal aid barrister Family including mediation sponsored by Resolution sponsored by The Bar Council Tony McGovern Lesley Monkhouse Creighton & Partners David Gray Solicitors Martha Cover Coram Chambers Lesley represents children and family members in private and During her nearly public law cases. Her cases are 40-year career complex and difficult, and in the Philip Wilkins at the bar, Martha has been past few months have included a Hudgell & Partners involved in many landmark challenge over whether religious family cases, helping to Most of Philip’s clients are belief should be a bar to adoption, ensure public bodies are held Tony has over 20 years of parents involved in care and whether a father had a right to accountable and families are experience in his field and specialises proceedings facing the loss be told that a child he didn’t know not broken up unnecessarily. in cases of the utmost complexity. of their children. He is ‘a about was the subject of court She is honorary lifetime vice- His clients are often troubled and thoroughly decent man and proceedings. president of the Association of damaged, and he works tirelessly superlative public children Lawyers for Children and is a to ensure their voices are heard. lawyer’. Philip acted for one tireless advocate for children’s In 2017, he successfully appealed a learning-disabled mother who rights. She is praised for her circuit court decision, which meant would have lacked capacity ‘hopeful persistence and the mother and her children had the were it not for his ability to forensic skills’. chance to have their article 6 rights communicate with her and win upheld. her trust. Alev Giz 1 GC ❘ Family Law Alev does the full Legal aid firm/not-for-profit agency sponsored by The Law Society range of children work, and is described as having Barking & Dagenham Citizens Ealing Law Centre Greater Law Centre ‘an eye for justice, an eye for Advice fairness, an eye for detail and Ealing Law Centre is just five years Greater Manchester Law Centre knowing a good case when old and is the only not-for-profit offers specialist welfare rights she sees one’. Her case of F practice in this west advice and representation to the ([2015] EWCA Civ 882) is now borough. It was set up with a most disadvantaged people in one of the leading judgments grant of just £5,000, but had big its area and since January 2017 considered by the courts in ambitions right from the outset, has reclaimed over £500,000 relocation matters. She handles in benefits for disabled and cases with great sensitivity, Barking & Dagenham Citizens unemployed claimants. One of and wins praise from judges for Advice is at the heart of the its clients wrote: ‘I think the work her erudite analysis of complex community, and has specialist you do is incredible. I wish the issues. teams advising on housing, world was full of people like you!’ debt and welfare benefits. James Stark Its staff deal with desperate Garden Court North Chambers situations on a daily basis and its which it has more than achieved. nomination was supported by It is described as ‘a model of what James acts mainly in housing and access to justice should look like public law cases. He is described many client testimonials. One wrote: ‘We cannot thank them rather than a poor reflection of as having ‘a legal brain the size of what legal aid still provides’. the moon’ with a social conscience enough for making our living to match. One supporter says environment safe, clean and James’s response to realising the healthy.’ Supreme Court is against him is generally ‘well, they’re obviously wrong’, and usually he will keep Practice management sponsored by Accesspoint appealing until he has proved just that. Adam Makepeace Richard Prust Sally Thompson Tuckers Solicitors Watson Woodhouse Solicitors Luqmani Thompson

m The judges will also be making A qualified accountant, Richard Sally has run this an award for Outstanding joined the firm in 2015 when it small, highly- Achievement (sponsored by had just won crime tenders, only regarded firm for Matrix). to see them overturned, and the nearly 20 years, ensuring it LASPO cuts were continuing to can fulfil its guiding principle m Legal Action is media partner bite. He reversed its strategy of securing access to justice Tuckers has 14 offices and has of the Legal Aid Lawyer of the of contraction and successfully for its clients. She is praised Year awards. grown significantly in recent years, embarked on a programme of for her innovative and robust including by acquiring the criminal law growth based on mixed sources management style, and for departments of other firms. Through of income. He implementing practical systems m The winners will be announced use of innovation and digitisation, by Baroness Doreen Lawrence secured to enable the firm to remain Adam has made it his mission to ensure at a ceremony in central accreditation in commercially viable while London on 17 July 2018. A Tuckers can continue to provide quality record time. delivering the highest-quality limited number of tickets are defence services, despite repeated advice. available on general sale, see: cuts in fees. He is praised for his www.lapg.co.uk/lalys/. ‘entrepreneurial spirit’.

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Housing sponsored by Garden Court Chambers Public law sponsored by Irwin Mitchell

Kate Hignett Miles Richardson Nancy Collins Emma Norton Henry Hyams Solicitors Southend Hodge Jones & Allen Liberty Miles works Emma manages Liberty’s strategic Kate came to law late, but has Nancy qualified tirelessly to litigation and acts in human rights wasted no time in making her at Clifford promote social test cases and interventions. She mark. She is described as most Chance before inclusion and works with bereaved families at at home covering the possession moving to improve the article 2 inquests and is described list as duty solicitor at the County Liberty, and lives of clients as being able ‘to console personal Court at Leeds, where she is has been a through housing tragedy by confronting state failings tireless in trying to keep a roof partner at Hodge Jones & Allen casework and supporting and demanding better for the over the heads of her mainly since 2016. She is nominated for her other advisers. He is a future’. She is representing families poor, vulnerable clients. She is cases under the Human Rights Act role model to colleagues in the Deepcut Barracks inquests. ‘everything a legal aid lawyer 1998 involving vulnerable people because of his expertise, should be’ and more. with learning difficulties who have work ethic and unwavering been neglected or mistreated by dedication to ensuring their carers. Much of her casework access to justice. He is is demanding and emotionally respected by solicitors in gruelling. private practice and held in great affection by his clients.

Giles Peaker Harriet Wistrich Anthony Gold Birnberg Peirce Over the past decade, Giles has worked on cases from the Harriet is a creative and fearless civil litigation lawyer, and has Supreme Court down, on a whole range of housing issues, been behind some of the most ground-breaking cases in recent including homelessness, housing benefit, immigration years, including the challenge to the Parole Board decision in the status and council tax. He is also an active campaigner for Worboys case ([2018] EWHC 694 (Admin)). She has an ‘innate housing law reform and his Nearly Legal blog is described sense of justice’, and ‘will only accept a “no” when it comes from as ‘absolutely indispensable’ to practitioners nationwide. a judge at the European Court of Human Rights’.

Social and welfare sponsored by Tikit Access to justice through IT sponsored by The Legal Education Foundation

Caroline Hurst KIM Switalskis Solicitors CaseRatio The Jeanie Project Tuckers Solicitors Caroline is a chartered Although still at the pilot stage, legal executive specialising this project aims to provide in mental capacity law software developed by Riverview and practises in the Court Law that can be used by civil Julie Cornes of Protection. She has a society organisations to put Simpson Millar particular interest in issues vulnerable people in touch with around capacity to consent Julie specialises in community care lawyers and legal advisers. It will to sexual relationships or This innovative software package and mental capacity cases, and is save referral fatigue, and cut down marriage, and is praised for facilitates collaboration between known for acting for particularly the amount of time both the client ‘steadfastly representing her solicitors’ firms, police station vulnerable clients. She is a solicitor and agencies spend on gathering clients with sensitivity’ and representatives and in advocate and sits as a part-time necessary information. ‘her desire to the magistrates’ and Crown courts. judge in the Asylum Support and place them at It includes an online diary, map Social Security Appeal Tribunals. the heart of the and register of members, and can The parents of a very severely and jp proceedings be used on a standalone basis or multiply-disabled adult son said . in every sense’. to enable closer working. Tuckers Julie offered support when no one the jeanie project makes it available free to other access to justice through active goodwill else was willing to help. firms. DIY Law

Sophie Freeman Law for Good Coram Children’s Legal Centre DIY Law, previously known as Sophie specialises in working with children Help4Lips, provides clear and accurate and young people in asylum and human information in a range of areas, rights cases. She often works with victims including debt, family and consumer of trafficking and abuse and clients who law. It took what was described have severe mental health conditions. She Law for Good’s Jimmy Vestbirk as ‘a poor brochure website’ and is praised for her ‘calm thoughtfulness to transformed it into one that is intended meet the young person’s needs at the level to be ‘responsive, refreshed and they can manage’. optimised’. All the work was donated, so there was no cost to the charity.

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