The Legal Advice Clinic at the University of South Wales (USW) has won the LawWorks Cymru Award for 2023, recognising 10 years of providing pro bono (free of charge) legal advice to some of the most vulnerable people in society.
The Awards celebrate the pro bono work of individual lawyers, law firms, in-house teams and Law students, supported by charities, advice agencies, law centres and non-legal volunteers.
Held in London on Tuesday 5 December, the LawWorks Pro Bono Awards were hosted by journalist and presenter Samira Ahmed, and presented by Richard Atkinson, Vice President of the Law Society of England and Wales.
USW’s Legal Advice Clinic was established in 2013 with the aim of providing access to justice for members of the public who may not be able to afford legal advice. This is the third time the Clinic has been named winner of the LawWorks Cymru Award, having previously won in 2019, and in 2021 thanks to its partnership with Cardiff Lawyers Care.
Under the supervision of qualified legal professionals, students who volunteer at the Clinic can draw up advice in several areas of law to help clients, preparing them for the future through real-world experiences, enhancing their practical skills and their understanding of client care.
More than 100 students volunteered at the Clinic in 2022, providing free legal advice on employment, family, consumer, litigation, business, probate and housing law.
The Homelessness Advice Clinic, in partnership with Cardiff Lawyers Care, was developed as an advice clinic for those experiencing homelessness. So far, 98 clients have been supported on this project. In addition, the Clinic’s Street Law Project sees law students delivering presentations to educate unrepresented claimants on Employment Tribunal procedure.
This year saw the launch of a new project in conjunction with Action in Caerau & Ely, a charity developing and delivering a projects and activities to benefit the communities of Caerau and Ely in Cardiff. This project will work closely with local GP surgeries who can refer patients who are experiencing legal problems that could be impacting their health, and the clinic will provide them with free legal appointments.
Hannah Menard, Director of the Legal Advice Clinic at USW, said: “It is a privilege to have won this award in what is our 10th year of offering pro bono legal advice through the Legal Advice Clinic.
“The award recognises the fantastic work of our students, staff and external supporting partners – none of this would be possible without them. We are very grateful to the University for supporting the clinic, and we are looking forward to continuing to offer this vital service to the community for the next 10 years!”
Commenting on the awards winners, Rebecca Wilkinson, the Chief Executive of LawWorks, said: “A huge congratulations to the winners and all those who were shortlisted – all deserve recognition and celebration of the difference they make in enabling access to justice.
“There is a reason the LawWorks annual Awards are the highlight of our year; hearing the impact pro bono work makes on people’s lives continues to reaffirm our commitment to developing and supporting solicitors pro bono work within the access to justice ecosystem. We are so proud of the work of our member organisations, and the individual solicitors within them, who give up their time to help others.”
