This year saw the 8th annual Pro Bono Awards Ceremony.

The TSG and its training partner, Altior, sponsored the brand new TRAINEE SOLICITOR Award at this year’s Pro Bono Awards.

Altior is a company providing skills training, recruitment and consulting services to the legal profession. They have been in business for over 25 years, and are committed to providing high quality training and bringing out the best in all their students/clients. The company have been staunch supporters of the TSG - supporting us at our conference for the past 3 years and providing support to both this magazine and the website.

The Awards themselves were held in the National Pro Bono Week, which this year fell between the 5 - 9 June 2006.  NPBW is a week when those who donate their time and effort to support those in dire need of legal assistance are recognised and rewarded. The Awards themselves were run by our “sister” group, the YSG (Young Solicitors’ Group) and are seen as the jewel in the crown of the Week’s festivities.

The evening is held annually at the Law Society's Hall, and is very well received by the profession. 

Awards are made in the following categories:

• Best young solicitor at a medium firm

• Best young solicitor at a large firm

• Best team of young solicitors

• Best individual young solicitor working in-house

• Judges' special award for pro bono innovation

• NEW TSG/Altior award for trainee solicitor

TSG/Altior TRAINEE AWARD WINNER

Trainees and students play a significant role in the provision of pro bono services, annd it is right that their contribution is recognised through the introduction of a Trainee Solicitor category to the YSG Pro Bono Awards.

This year saw the first of such prizes awarded, and a very high calibre of short-listed trainees and students.

The nominees were:

Catherine Adams of Holman Fenwick & Willan

Alec Peschlow an LPC student

Hayley Ichilcik of Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer

CONGRATULATIONS TO ALEC PESCHLOW

The winner of the Trainee Solicitor Award was Alec Peschlow, an LPC student at Nottingham Law School.  Alec is currently completing the LPC, and was unable to attend the Awards.  Pictured above, with TSG President Genevieve Monclin and Policy Director Katherine Gibson, is Stephanie Wootton who collected the Award on Alec's behalf.

Alec previously worked as a researcher in life sciences and completed a PhD in biological chemistry at Cambridge University.  He approached Nottingham Law School and an enterprise development centre known as "the Hive" to set up an advice service to support business start-ups, early stage businesses and firms that lack the resources to fund experienced solicitors.  The advice service was based on a model provided by the Solicitors' Pro Bono Group.

CONGRATULATIONS to Alec and also to all the other entries received.  Each was of a very high standard and served to underline the important role both trainees and student play in pro bono work.