The winners of the 24th Legal Aid Lawyer of the Year awards were announced at a glittering ceremony in central London last week. In a nod to the World Cup, Legal Aid Practitioners Group co-chair Jenny Beck described the hundreds of lawyers in the room as ‘the Harry Kanes of social justice. Whatever the chaos going on all around, through their doggedness and professionalism, we can occasionally put one in the back of the net’.
Some 29 individuals and organisations were shortlisted for a gong.
The award for legal aid newcomer went to Kate Hallam of ITN Solicitors, whose clients include Palestinian rights, animal welfare and climate change activists. One mother described her as ‘incredible and an actual genius’. Hallam dedicated her award ‘to all the activists who put their life and liberty on the line’.
Helen Dunn, practice manager at MJC Law, won the legal aid support staffer/support team award. When the Legal Aid Agency’s systems shut down last year following a cyber-attack, Dunn was said to have ‘created order out of chaos to ensure clients did not lose out’. She was described by a colleague as the most important person in the firm.
The childcare legal aid award went to Deborah Piccos of TV Edwards, a children’s advocate of 27 years. The ceremony heard how she swung into action after discovering that a client’s children were home alone and the kitchen was on fire. Piccos said: ‘It was really difficult, but it had a good ending. The mum got her kids back and it was the wake-up call she needed. And they were fine.’
Bristol Law Centre, which turns 50 next year, won the legal aid firm/not-for-profit agency award. The ceremony heard how the immigration and asylum team has doubled in size, while the housing team has nearly tripled. Last year, the law centre secured more than £1m in housing, benefits and employment claims for clients.
Family legal aid winner Oliver Conway of Oliver Fisher Solicitors dedicated his award ‘to all the children I was not able to bring home’.
The legal aid barrister award went to Karen Kabweru-Namulemu of 1GC Family Law, who is also co-chair of the Black Barristers Network. Kabweru-Namulemu said the work is hard, ‘but we do it because we love it, because we want to help people, because we believe in justice. We do it because we believe in the small person’.
Darrell Ennis-Gayle of Hodge Jones & Allen won the criminal legal aid award. The ceremony heard that Ennis-Gayle’s experience growing up black in inner London drove him to become a defence solicitor. He helped two young black men convicted of joint enterprise murder in Moss Side in 2017 get their case referred to the Court of Appeal, and is waiting to see if a third client’s case will also be referred. ‘It’s not about winning a referral; it’s about justice,’ he said. ‘We hope justice is done and we expect it to be done.’
The public law award went to Amalia King of Deighton Pierce Glynn, who is acting for the families of eight men who died in separate incidents at HMP Lowdham Grange. The ceremony heard that ‘through sheer doggedness’, she revealed shocking systemic failures at the category B prison.
Southwark Law Centre’s Van Ferguson, described as an ‘archetypal frontline law centre solicitor’ and a ‘tireless champion’ for Windrush victims’ fight for compensation, won the social welfare law award. The ceremony heard that Ferguson has secured more than £780,000 for Windrush clients and ‘had to fight for every single penny’.
The final award – for outstanding achievement – went to the Hillsborough Law Now campaign. Ceremony host Symeon Brown said the LALY judges wanted to recognise the ‘herculean efforts to take the Hillsborough Law Now campaign to the brink of success’.
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