The 2023 LALY Awards
We have now announced the LALYs 2023 winners. Find them below.
You can also read our press release here.
Thank you Frederique Bellec and Richard Gray for the photographs!
Winners of the 2023 LALYs
Legal Aid Newcomer
Supported by Friends of LALY22
Christian Weaver – Garden Court North
Legal Aid Support Staffer
Children's Rights
Family Legal Aid
Criminal Defence
Sponsored by DG Legal
Catherine Bond – SL5 Legal
Legal Aid Barrister
Sponsored by The Bar Council
Kathryn Cronin – Garden Court Chambers
Public Law
Sponsored by One Pump Court
Nusrat Uddin – Wilson Solicitors LLP
Legal Aid Firm/Not-for-Profit Agency
Sponsored by The Law Society
Deighton Pierce Glynn
Immigration & Asylum Law
Sponsored by Garden Court Chambers
Alison Stanley – Bindmans LLP
Regional Legal Aid Firm/Not-for-Profit Agency
Sponsored by The Legal Education Foundation
Greater Manchester Immigration Aid Unit
Social Welfare Law
Sponsored by Doughty Street Chambers
Christopher Johnson – Community Law Partnership
Outstanding Achievement
Sponsored by Matrix Chambers
Molly Russell Inquest Team: Jessica Elliott and Oliver Sanders (One Crown Office Row); Merry Varney, Caleb Bawdon, Pesh Hamza, Media Relations Team (Leigh Day)
Did you miss the ceremony?
Do not worry! You can watch it right here.
Find below the 2022 winners. Congratulations everyone!
Thanks to Frederique Bellec Photography for the photographs used below.
Legal Aid Newcomer
Legal Aid Support Staffer (New for 2022!)
Sponsored by Accesspoint
| David Neale | Garden Court Chambers |
| Lesley Kennedy-Neal | Wilson Solicitors LLP
|
Disability Rights
|
Sponsored by Bidwell Henderson
|
Family Law
Sponsored by Resolution
|
Grace Bradley
|
The Family Law Company
|
Criminal Defence
Legal Aid Barrister
Social Welfare Law
Sponsored by DG Legal
| Chris McKendry | Wilson Solicitors LLP
|
Legal Aid Firm/Not-for-Profit Agency
Housing Law
Regional Legal Aid Firm/Not-for-Profit Agency
Public Law
Outstanding Achievement
The 2021 LALY awards - and the winners are....
Winners of our 12 award categories were announced in a glittering live, virtual ceremony on Thursday, 6th of July 2021
Read our official press release here
Thank you to everyone who took part and in particular to those who took the time to nominate their legal aid heroes.
The 2021 winners...
Legal Aid Newcomer
Sponsored by CILEX
Audrey Cherryl Mogan (Garden Court Chambers)
Legal Aid Team
Sponsored by Accesspoint
Matthew Gold & Co Public Law & Community Care Team
Disability Rights
Sponsored by Bidwell Henderson
Kirsty Stuart (Irwin Mitchell)
Family Law
Sponsored by Resolution
Cris McCurley (Ben Hoare Bell)
Criminal Defence
Sponsored by Doughty Street Chambers
Suzanne O’Connell (Tuckers Solicitors)
Legal Aid Barrister
Sponsored by The Bar Council
Tessa Buchanan (Garden Court Chambers)
Public Law
Sponsored by DG Legal
Rakesh Singh (Public Law Project)
Legal Aid Firm/Not-for-Profit Agency
Sponsored by The Law Society
MJC Law
Social Welfare Law
Sponsored by Garden Court Chambers
Andrew Sperling (SL5 Legal/Tuckers Solicitors)
Regional Legal Aid Firm/Not-for-Profit Agency
Sponsored by The Legal Education Foundation
Law Centre Northern Ireland
Housing Law
Sponsored by One Pump Court
Kathleen Cosgrove (Greater Manchester Law Centre)
Outstanding Achievement
Sponsored by Matrix Chambers
Adam Hundt (Deighton Pierce Glynn); Alex Goodman (Landmark Chambers)
LALY20 was online for the first time!
As we couldn’t hold a traditional ceremony, we planned a spectacular virtual award: our most inclusive LALY awards yet.
The ceremony may be over, but you can still watch it in our Youtube channel .
Take a look at the amazing winners of our 12 coveted awards
Mental Capacity
Sponsored by Bidwell Henderson
Sheree Green – Greenchurch Legal
Criminal Defence
Sponsored by DG Legal
Philippa Southwell – Birds Solicitors
Family Law
Sponsored by Resolution
Kate Hammond – Miles & Partners
Immigration & Asylum
Sponsored by Doughty Street Chambers
Tori Sicher – Sutovic & Hartigan Solicitors
Legal Aid Barrister
Sponsored by The Bar Council
James Stark – Garden Court North
Legal Aid Team
Sponsored by Accesspoint
JCWI
Legal Aid Firm/Not-for-Profit Agency
Sponsored by The Law Society
South West London Law Centre
Regional Legal Aid Firm/Not-for-Profit Agency
Sponsored by The Legal Education Foundation
KRW Law
Legal Aid Newcomer
Sponsored by Friends of LALY20 Crowdfunding
Siobhan Taylor-Ward – Merseyside Law Centre
Public Law
Sponsored by Irwin Mitchell
Dean Kingham – Swain & Co
Social Welfare
Sponsored by Tikit
Simon Mullings – Edwards Duthie Shamash
Outstanding Achievement
Sponsored by Matrix Chambers
Mike McIlvaney – The Community Law Partnership
The 2019 LALY awards were a roaring success. See below for a summary of the winners and see here for the official press release following the ceremony on 10 July 2019
Once again in 2019 the LALY awards were made possible by our exceptional sponsors
Outstanding Achievement
Sponsored by Matrix Chambers
Winner
Paul Bowen QC
Brick Court Chambers
Criminal Defence
Sponsored by DG Legal
Winner
Lydia Dagostino
Kellys Solicitors
Practice Management
Sponsored by Accesspoint
Winner
Sally Thompson
Luqmani Thompson & Partners
Legal Aid Firm/Not-for-Profit Agency
Sponsored by The Law Society
Winner
Child Poverty Action Group
Family (incl. Mediation)
Sponsored by Resolution
Winner
Philip Wilkins
Hudgell & Partners
Legal Aid Barrister
Sponsored by The Bar Council
Winner
Joanne Cecil
Garden Court Chambers
Access to Justice through I.T.
Sponsored by The Legal Education Foundation
Winner
FormShare
GT Stewart
Legal Aid Newcomer
Sponsored through crowd funding
Winner
Una Morris
Garden Court Chambers
Public Law
Sponsored by Irwin Mitchell
Winner
Raja Rajeswaran Uruthiravinayagan
Duncan Lewis Solicitors
Social Welfare
Sponsored by Tikit
Winner
William Ford
Osbornes Law
Children’s Rights
Sponsored by Anthony Gold
Winner
Edward Taylor
Osbornes Law
LAPG Committee Special Awards
Sponsored by Doughty Street Chambers
Winners
District Judge Anselm Eldergill
Rachel Francis, One Pump Court
Oliver Carter, Irwin Mitchell
And special thanks to our reception, trophy and programme sponsors:
Garden Court Chambers TV Edwards Bidwell Henderson
Last year’s ceremony took place in Central London on 17 July 2018. We had 12 award categories, including a new award to recognise the exceptional work of those managing legal aid practices. For more information see our press release.
Access to justice through I.T.
Sponsored by The Legal Education Foundation
CaseRatio
Tuckers Solicitors
A very special thank you to all of our award sponsors (named above) and also to media sponsors Legal Action Group and additional sponsors Bidwell Henderson and TV Edwards. Thank you also to everyone who donated to our crowd funding campaign to support the Legal Aid Newcomer award.
Photo credits: Robert Aberman; Richard Gray/Rugfoot Industries
Full details of all the winners of the 2017 LALY awards are set out below.
The awards ceremony took place in London on Wednesday, 5 July 2017. The awards were presented by Baroness Doreen Lawrence and recognised the achievements of solicitors, barristers, caseworkers and teams delivering legal aid services.
Photo credits below: Richard Gray, Rugfoot Industries
The 2017 winners were:
Many thanks to all our award sponsors, without whom the LALYs would not be possible! Thank you also to our media partner, Legal Action Group, our trophy sponsors, Bidwell Henderson, and our programme sponsors, TV Edwards.
* As we did last year, the Legal Aid Newcomer award has been sponsored by Friends of LALY17
