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Legal Aid Lawyer of the Year awards 2013 winners
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This year’s ceremony was a chance to celebrate not just the ten Legal Aid Lawyer of the Year (LALY) award winners, but also the granting of an OBE to Carol Storer, director of the Legal Aid Practitioners Group (LAPG), which has organised the LALYs on a not for profit basis for the past 11 years. Fiona Bawdon, a freelance journalist and LALY co-organiser, describes the night.
Opening proceedings at the central London ceremony, Jenny Beck, LAPG’s co-chairperson, said that the LALYs are all about recognising the unsung heroes of legal aid, ‘so it has always been ironic that one of the people who works hardest for legal aid could never actually receive any of that recognition herself – because she actually organises the awards. We are thrilled that that “wrong” has now been righted and that Carol [Storer] has received the recognition she so richly deserves’.
Jenny Beck added that it was ironic that the government has acknowledged Carol Storer’s contribution to legal aid, just at the time when it appears determined to dismantle the scheme. ‘Who said Chris Grayling doesn’t have a sense of humour!’
Welcoming the 300 guests, Carol Storer stressed the importance of legal aid to social justice: ‘The clients may be exhausted and some are exhausting. They are sometimes deemed to be unpopular. However, in a democratic country the rule of law applies to everyone. It is outrageous that a few cases involving unpopular people can lead to government proposals to wipe out legal aid for important legal challenges.’
And the winners are …
The judging panel this year was chaired by Appeal Court judge Lord Justice McFarlane, a former childcare barrister and long-time supporter of the LALYs. He said that he regarded the LALYs as ‘one of the key events in the legal calendar’. It was all the more important that we ‘trumpet the work that you do for clients and demonstrate to the public at large just what goes on all over the country in the offices of the firms that you all represent’.
Legal aid newcomer: barrister LALY winner
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John Howard, LALYs compère (left) and Lord Justice McFarlane, presenter (right)
Leonie usually acts for children, or people with severe mental health problems or physical disabilities. In the last year, her work has led to a redefinition of the approach to assessing capacity. One solicitor recalls Leonie’s ‘complete annihilation’ of an opponent who was called to the Bar probably before she was born, and who had ‘clearly underestimated her entirely’.
Legal aid newcomer: lawyer LALY winner
Nadia is a Young Legal Aid Lawyers committee member. One client, whose partner refused to return her children, wrote that she found the court hearing bewildering: ‘I know how to say I love my son and that I want him to be with me, but I didn’t know how to answer all the judge’s questions. Nadia knew what arguments to make and I got my residence order really quickly because of her.’
Family legal aid lawyer LALY winner
Colin’s nomination for care proceedings work is supported by umpteen judges, barristers and other professionals. One client said: ‘I have never met such a lovely solicitor, who not only puts you at ease but goes way beyond your needs.’ A father, whose children were returned to him, said: ‘He helped me stay strong when I thought all hope of having all my kids back in my arms was a losing battle.’
Social and welfare lawyer LALY winner
Russell is senior partner at Oliver Fisher, and is described by one housing charity as ‘an exceptional lawyer who uses his vast experience to help thousands of clients’. A client with severe learning difficulties wrote: ‘Russell has ensured my welfare and my place in society. If it was not for him, I do not know how I would have coped or whether I would still be here to make this nomination.’
Mental health lawyer LALY winner
Richard has developed his department into one of the most respected teams in the country. He often acts for detained patients, and has represented some of the most difficult and damaged clients imaginable. His preparation is meticulous and he has made it his vocation to safeguard the rights of people with severe mental health problems.
Immigration lawyer LALY winner
Hilton manages the Law Centre’s immigration department, and has worked on 2,500 cases since joining the centre four years ago. There are now just two organisations doing legal aid immigration and asylum work in Hackney, and if it were not for Hilton much of the provision in the borough would simply grind to a halt.
See back cover of this issue for the sponsors of individual LALY awards. Photographs: Robert Aberman
Legal aid barrister LALY winner
Jane was co-founder of 1 Pump Court Chambers way back in 1978. She specialises in public and private family law, and is known for taking on cases that others would not touch – fighting for unpopular clients with ability and tenacity. An instructing solicitor said that she wins vulnerable clients’ trust with a ‘mixture of pugnacious opposition to the onslaughts from the other side, combined with realistic but compassionate advice’.
Legal aid firm/not for profit agency LALY winner
Makin Dixon provides family legal aid from ten locations across West Yorkshire and Lancashire. It is almost 100 per cent legally aided, with a particular focus on care proceedings and domestic abuse cases. The firm is committed to outreach, with its lawyers offering advice at crèches and other community centres, making its services available to vulnerable women who probably would not have the nerve or wherewithal to enter a solicitors’ office.
Criminal defence lawyer LALY winner
Margaret’s nomination was supported by everyone from Michael Mansfield QC to Alfie Meadows, the student acquitted of violent disorder after suffering a serious head injury at an anti-fees protest. Alfie said of Margaret: ‘She spent hours and hours going through statements and prosecution evidence. I found this very difficult to do because of the anxiety I associated with the day, but she helped me feel comfortable.’
Outstanding achievement LALY winner
Equipped only with a legal aid certificate, Raju’s firm has brought successful cases against some of the biggest and best-resourced organs of state, including the police, the security services and the Ministry of Defence, and ensured accountability and justice where otherwise there would be none. He has spent his professional life fighting for justice for bereaved families, and is particularly known for his deaths-in-custody cases.