The TSG supports three awards cveremonies throughout the legal year. One of these is its own Training and Recruitment Awards, held in conjunction with LawCareers.Net.
The others recognise practitioners in two of the fields the TSG is proud to support - Legal Aid and Pro Bono work.
Please use the Navigation Bar to the left of this page to find out more about the TSG's support of the following awards:
These awards are run annually. They are non-profit-making. They are organised jointly by the Legal Aid Practitioners Group and Independent Lawyer.
Every year, hundreds of thousands of people have the problems in their lives resolved thanks to the work of legal aid lawyers. These lawyers are not the fat cats of tabloid myth. They are not the famous names of the high-profile trials. They are compassionate and dedicated professionals who have committed their professional lives to improving the lot of others, without looking for substantial financial reward or public recognition.
The prestigious Legal Aid Lawyer of the Year (LALY) awards were launched by the Legal Aid Practitioners Group and Independent Lawyer magazine in 2002 to celebrate the work of these unsung heroes, and to remind everyone of why legal aid is essential for securing the rights of citizens in this country.
For more information, please visit the Legal Aid Practitioners' Group website - www.lapg.co.uk
Gareth Peirce, the lawyer representing the family of Jean Charles de Menezes, was honoured by her peers at the annual Legal Aid Lawyer of the Year Awards. The panel of judges, chaired by Cherie Booth QC, gave her the award for outstanding achievement in recognition of her civil rights work over many years. Her clients have included the Guildford Four, the Birmingham Six, detainees at Guantanamo Bay and a family caught up in the police raid at Forest Gate.
James Collins was named as Barrister of the Year. His recent cases include the High Court ruling from April 2006 which found the Home Office requirement for some immigrants to seek permission to marry to be in breach of human rights provisions. Those nominating him also praised his tireless work in much less high profile cases.
Saimo Chahal of Bindman and Parters won the award for Mental Health lawyer of the year. She has repeatedly pushed the boundaries of the law on behalf of those with mental illness, learning difficulties and other particularly vulnerable individuals.
The awards, organised by the Legal Aid Practitioners Group and Independent Lawyer, are now in their fourth year. They were set up to recognise excellence from lawyers working in publicly funded fields of law. The winners were announced last night at a ceremony at Haberdashers Hall, London.
The full list of winners is:
Crime, sponsored by the Criminal Law Solicitors Association
Andrew Keogh (Tuckers)
Immigration and Asylum, sponsored by the Law Society
Amit Sachdev (Sheikh & Co)
Social and welfare, sponsored by S A Partners
Nathaniel Mathews (Hackney Community Law Centre)
Mental health, sponsored by Matrix
Saimo Chahal (Bindman & Partners)
Family, sponsored by Resolution
Jenny Beck (TV Edwards)
Team of the year, sponsored by Allen and Overy
Paragon Law legal aid team
Young solicitor, sponsored by the Legal Services Commission
Laura Janes (Howard League for Penal Reform)
Barrister of the Year, sponsored by the General Council of the Bar
James Collins (Central Chambers)
Young Barrister, sponsored by NatWest Legal Centre
Ruth Brander (Doughty Street Chambers)
Outstanding Achievement, sponsored by D G Legal
Gareth Peirce (Birnberg Peirce & Partners)
The judges were:
- Cherie Booth QC (chair)
- Fiona Bawdon (Freelance Legal Journalist)
- Rob Brown (LCCSA)
- Yvonne Brown (Black Solicitors Network)
- Wesley Gryk (Law Society representative for immigration)
- Ole Hansen (Legal aid personality of the year 2005)
- Steve Hynes (Law Centres Federation)
- Doreen Lawrence (Stephen Lawrence Trust)
- Mr Justice McFarlane (High Court judge)
- Roy Morgan (Chair, Legal Aid Practitioners Group)
- Jon Robins (Independent Lawyer)
- Helen Shaw (Inquest)
