The shortlist for this year’s LALYs has been announced featuring the Belfast firm representing families of the 21 Birmingham pub bombings victims and the solicitor who successfully challenged the government over the detention of unaccompanied refugee children.
The winners of this year’s LALYs, launched to celebrate the work of legal aid lawyers and now in their 15th year, will be announced by Baroness Doreen Lawrence at a ceremony on July 5 2017. ‘The calibre of this year’s nominations was staggeringly high, and a real reflection of the expertise, grit and compassion which characterises the legal aid sector,’ commented Legal Aid Practitioners Group director Carol Storer. The LALYs are run by the LAPG.
KRW Law has been nominated for legal aid firm category by the Justice4the21 campaign. ‘This incredible law firm has provided the families still grieving the loss of their loved ones with the most professional and powerful legal representation,’ said Julie Hambleton, whose sister was among the victims. ‘The whole team has been available to us 24 hours a day, every day. They investigate any new information as it becomes available, with a level of immediacy that would put many police forces to shame.’
Nottingham-based social welfare solicitor Stuart Luke was nominated by the British Refugee Council. He acted in AA (Sudan) v Home Secretary which led to a reduction in the number of age-disputed unaccompanied refugee children in detention.
LAPG LALY 2017 FINALISTS
Children’s Rights
- Jennifer Twite, Just for Kids Law
- Solange Valdez-Symonds, Project for the Registration of Children as British Citizens/ Migrant Resource Centre
- Melanie Stooks, G T Stewart
Criminal Defence
- Zoe Gascoyne, Quinn-Melville
- Graeme Hydari, Hodge Jones & Allen
- Jude Lanchin, Bindmans
Family Private including Mediation
- Mark Gilmartin, Wilson Solicitors
- Mary Shaw, David Gray Solicitors
- Amardeep Pattni, Sternberg Reed
Family Public
- Sheila Donn, Philcox Gray Solicitors
- Deborah Piccos, TV Edwards Solicitors
- Heather Thomas, Creighton & Partners
Immigration and Asylum
- Kaweh Beheshtizadeh, Barnes Harrild and Dyer
- Toufique Hossain, Duncan Lewis Solicitors
- Marcela Navarrete, Wilson Solicitors
Legal Aid Barrister
- Brenda Campbell, Garden Court Chambers
- Jesse Nicholls, Doughty Street Chambers
- Philip Rule, No5 Chambers
Legal Aid Firm/Not for Profit Agency
- Community Law Partnership
- Harrow Law Centre
- KRW Law
Legal Aid Newcomer
- Jennifer Blair, No 5 Chambers
- Paul Clark, Garden Court Chambers
- Ravi Naik, Irvine Thanvi Natas Solicitors
- Tom Royston, Garden Court North
Public Law
- Dr Keith Lomax, Minton Morrill Solicitors
- Katy Robinson, Wilsons Solicitors LLP
- Christopher Stanley, KRW Law
Social and Welfare
- Laura Hobey-Hamsher, Bindmans LLP
- Manjit Mandair, Osbornes Solicitors
- Gareth Mitchell, Deighton Pierce Glynn
- Stuart Luke, Bhatia Best
Access to justice through IT
- Advicelocal, Lasa
- Law for Good, Legal Geek
- Advicenow, Law for Life
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