The LAPG 2025 Annual Conference is taking place on Monday 20th October at A&O Shearman. Book your tickets by 29th September for an early bird discount!

We have a limited number of concessions for legal aid practitioners based outside of London. If you would like to inquire about receiving one of these tickets, please email Andrea (andrea.shumaker@lapg.co.uk).

You can download a PDF version of the conference programme here.

Plenary Session: Welcome and Keynote Speech 10:00 – 11:00

Welcome: Nicola Mackintosh KC (Hon), Director and Founder of Mackintosh Law, Co-chair LAPG

Keynote Speech: Gina Miller, Transparency and Social Justice Campaigner who initiated both the Article 50 Brexit legal challenge and the Prorogation of Parliament legal challenge

Update from the LAA: Hitesh Patel, Director of Transformation and Deputy CEO, LAA will provide an update on the LAA’s current plans for restoring their digital systems.

Workshop Session 1 11:05 – 11:45

Supporting Your Team – Neurodivergent Teams – Better Ways of Working: Jenny Beck KC (Hon), Director of Beck Fitzgerald, founding member of FLANC (Family Law Advice for the Neurodivergent Community) and Rebecca Pantelli, Director, Beck Fitzgerald will discuss both the practical and procedural aspects of creating a supportive and inclusive environment for neurodivergent employees.

Current Issues in Immigration & Asylum Legal Aid: “Smash the gangs, slash the boats, one in one out and computer says “no”- is the policy working or is reform the answer?” Speakers: Jawaid Luqmani, Founding Partner, Luqmani Thompson.

Current Issues in Criminal Legal Aid and Prison Law: Casey Jenkins, President of LCCSA, Rakesh Bhasin, LAPG Advisory Committee Member, Andrew Sperling, Director, SL5 Legal and Dr. Laura Janes KC (Hon), LAPG Advisory Committee Member will address topical issues for criminal defence practitioners.

Plenary: AI in the Legal World: to Use or Not to Use, that is the Question. 12:00 – 13:10

Panel discussion/debate: Matthew Howgate, Consultant; Giles Peaker, Partner, Anthony Gold and Founder and Editor of the Nearly Legal Blog; Dr. Francine Ryan, Senior Lecturer in Law & Director of the Open Justice Centre; Chair: Ro Jana, Director of Parliamentary Affairs, LAPG

Workshop Session 2 14:10 – 14:55

Supporting Your Team – Managing Through a Crisis: Experienced sector consultants Matthew Howgate and Vicky Ling will discuss business continuity planning and disaster recovery. This session will focus on the LAA contingency processes and wider impact of and recovery from the LAA data breach.

Current Issues in Family Legal Aid: Jenny Beck KC (Hon), Director, Beck Fitzgerald and Lucy Verity, Director, Philcox Gray will discuss topical issues for both private and public family legal aid practitioners. Chair: Beverley Watkins, Partner, Watkins Solicitors

Current Issues in Housing & Debt Legal Aid: Rosaleen Kilbane, Partner, Community Law Partnership; Diane Astin, Solicitor, Honorary Lecturer in Legal Practice at Brunel University; and Kate Pasfield, Director of Legal Aid Policy, LAPG will discuss current issues for Housing & Debt legal aid providers, such as Awaab’s Law, planned increases to housing legal aid fees, and the development of online possession processes.

Workshop Session 3 15:10 – 15:55

A Career in Legal Aid: Members of Young Legal Aid Lawyers, Georgia-Mae Chung, Barrister, Mountford Chambers, Maya Jordan-Shah, Solicitor, TV Edwards LLP, Alaa Ahmed, Trainee Solicitor, Wilson Solicitors and Ollie Persey, Barrister, Garden Court Chambers will discuss how to develop your career in legal aid. This session is aimed at students who are considering a career in legal aid and at junior legal aid practitioners.

Supporting Your Team – PAMELA Support Network: Dr. Laura Janes KC (Hon), LAPG Advisory Committee Member, Dr. Estelle Moore, Clinical and Forensic Psychologist and Kate Muir, women’s health expert, documentary maker and author, will discuss LAPG’s PAMELA support network and how to support both colleagues and clients who are (peri)menopausal.

Cost Maximisation: Sally Halmshaw, Costs Lawyer and Deputy Regional Manager, John M Hayes Ltd will discuss how to avoid errors and cashflow issues, minimise costs reductions and get paid quickly. The session will also provide practical hints and tips on costs maximisation.

Final Plenary and Closing Address 16:00 – 17:00

The cyber attack on the LAA’s IT systems has had profound impact on both legal aid providers and clients trying to access help and support. Over recent months, the LAA has introduced a range of contingency measures after deciding to take all of its digital systems offline to prevent. further attacks and improve system security. Chris Minnoch, CEO, LAPG and Richard Miller, Head of Justice, The Law Society will discuss the state of play by the time of the conference, looking at issues such as ongoing contingency measures, the recoupment of the contingency payments made to providers, and compensating providers for the additional costs they incurred as a result of the data breach.

We are pleased to confirm that David Thomas, Head of Contract Management and Assurance, LAA and Hitesh Patel, Director of Transformation and Deputy CEO, LAA will join the panel to field questions from the floor.