Corporate social responsibility
Pro bono and community involvement
Queen Mary Legal Advice Centre
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The advice centre at Queen Mary,
University of London, is our main pro bono project. The centre
was set up in 2006 to provide free legal advice to the local east
London community, London’s first undergraduate-led legal advice
centre. The launch of the centre, received lots of
press
coverage. It is run by the Legal Department at Queen Mary,
University of London. We work with second and third year law
students in this first ever student-led advice centre.
Participation in the centre is open to all solicitors and trainees
and runs every Tuesday evening during University term
time.
Annual essay competition
Should pro bono be mandatory for law students and
lawyers? This was the question posed to students at Queen Mary
College, University of London, in this year's Field Fisher
Waterhouse sponsored essay competition.
After sifting through a high number of quality submissions, the
judges have selected this year's winner, Barbara Eze. Barbara's
essay caught the judge's eye with her unique approach, narrating
her essay as a student who attended a fictional conference held by
the Law Society, Bar Council and Lawyer's Student Association. The
runner up, Roya Jafari, also submitted a thought provoking essay on
the topic. Both Barbara and Roya won cash prizes and
a summer placement with the firm.
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Lord Goldsmith opening the Centre on 3 November
2006
Essay competition winners Barbara Eze and Roya
Jafari
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Awards
Attorney General’s Pro Bono Award for the Best New Pro
Bono Activity 2008
On 24 April 2008, the Queen Mary
Legal Advice Centre triumphed over 40 other UK Law schools to
win the coveted Attorney General’s Pro Bono Award for the Best New
Pro Bono Activity 2008. Julie Pinborough, Legal Advice Centre
Manager, said: “This is a highly sought after award that has
recognised our commitment towards developing ethical legal
practices amongst the School’s undergraduate population whilst
providing a much needed free legal advice service to the local
community.” The Centre faced stiff competition from the
Universities of Cardiff and Portsmouth – the only other law schools
to be shortlisted in this category.
Young Solicitor Pro Bono Awards 2007
We were shortlisted as a finalist for the
Young Solicitor Pro Bono Awards 2007
(large firm) for our involvement in the centre. In addition to
these sessions, we also provide skills sessions for the students,
on interview and research skills, together with various recruitment
advice sessions.