Nominations close: 24 April 2023; winners announced: 12 July.

 

Legal Aid Practitioners Group is proud to launch the Legal Aid Lawyer of the Year (LALY) awards, the only annual event solely dedicated to celebrating the work of grassroots social justice lawyers.

This year marks the 21st anniversary of these non-profit-making awards; and we are making changes to the online nomination process, aimed at making it easier for busy practitioners to nominate their legal aid heroes.

Nominations will close on 24 April 2023. Winners in the 12 award categories will be announced to an audience of circa 500 guests at a ceremony in central London on 12 July.

 

LAPG CEO Chris Minnoch says:

‘LAPG has been proud to stage the LALY awards every year for the last 21 years. During that period, the lawyers we celebrate have had to weather many storms, including ever-increasing demand for their services, and ever-diminishing resources, plus, of course two years of lockdown. Throughout that time, these unique awards have been a rallying point, a chance for us to come together as one profession with a common goal, of ensuring access to justice for our clients and protecting the rule of law for all of us.   

‘The awards continue to go from strength to strength, but we are always looking for new ways to encourage participation from all sections of the profession. With that in mind, this year we are reducing the maximum number of pages of supporting material that can be included with nominations, which we hope will make it easier for even the busiest practitioner to make a nomination for the colleague, peer, organisation or even opponent that inspires them.’

 

Become an official Friend of LALY23

Once again, we are crowdfunding for sponsorship of our Legal Aid Newcomer award, which celebrates the solicitors, barristers, paralegals and caseworkers who are the future of this profession. Donations are from £10, and all money will go towards keeping ticket prices affordable so we can encourage the widest possible attendance at the ceremony. The names of donors will be included as Friends of LALY23 in our ceremony programme and on social media in the run up to the July event.

 

LALY23 award categories

  1. Legal Aid Newcomer (sponsor – Friends of LALY23)
  2. Legal Aid Support Staffer (sponsor – Accesspoint)
  3. Children’s Rights (sponsor – Leigh Day)
  4. Family Legal Aid (sponsor – Resolution)
  5. Criminal Defence (sponsor – DG Legal)
  6. Legal Aid Barrister (sponsor – The Bar Council)
  7. Legal Aid Firm/Not-for-Profit Agency (sponsor – The Law Society)
  8. Immigration & Asylum Law (sponsor – Garden Court Chambers)
  9. Regional Firm/Not-for-Profit Agency (sponsor – The Legal Education Foundation)
  10. Social Welfare Law (sponsor – Doughty Street Chambers)
  11. Public Law (sponsor – One Pump Court)
  12. Outstanding Achievement* (sponsor – Matrix Chambers)

 

Media partner – Legal Action Group

* We do not accept nominations for this award

 

To make a nomination

http://lapg.co.uk/laly-nomination

Awards criteria and guidance

http://lapg.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/LALY23-Guidance-Notes.pdf

LALY22 flyer

http://lapg.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/LALY23-Flyer_Digital.pdf

To book tickets for the 12 July ceremony

http://lapg.co.uk/laly-tickets

To donate to become a Friend of LALY23 and help sponsor the Legal Aid Newcomer award

http://lapg.co.uk/laly-crowdfunding

 

The LALY awards are non-profit-making and would not be possible without our generous sponsors.

 

For further information, contact:

LAPG CEO Chris Minnoch: chris.minnoch@lapg.co.uk

LALY founder and co-organiser Fiona Bawdon: fiona.bawdon@gmail.com

#LALY23
@LALYawards