Some thoughts on pro bono...
Bar Pro Bono Award 2010

We are very pleased to share the views of our winner and some of the nominees for the Bar Pro Bono Award 2010 on their reasons for taking on pro bono work. The variety and quality of nominations received was excellent and we are very pleased to recognise the excellent work the Bar does for the goo

Maria Scotland of 7 Bedford Row - Winner, 2010

"In this prevailing economic climate I am acutely aware just how privileged I am. I have a well established career at 7 Bedford Row, one of the best sets of Chambers at the Bar, where my fellow barristers and support staff are not only my colleagues but also my friends. Whilst I am exceptionally lucky unfortunately others are not. As such I try to "give back" to the Bar what I receive by contributing any free time in my diary to pro bono work. Applicants to the Bar Pro Bono Unit do not meet the legal aid financial limits but have insufficient income to fund representation. These Applicants, who cannot afford representation, are decent hard working people for whom the court process is daunting and emotionally draining. I give them my time and energy to see their way through the process and in doing so I feel richly rewarded."

Andrew Byles of Garden Court North - Nominated 2010

"Since starting to practice as a barrister, I have continued to work with the Bar Pro Bono Unit and am happy to commit a proportion of my practicing time to these cases to help those whom would otherwise probably not be able to access legal advice or representation, and also informally, through the pro bono support I offer to many of my instructing solicitors by telephone."

Habibur Rahman - Nominated 2010

"My driving force has ultimately been my clients. I have met and represented perhaps the most vulnerable members of society who, without the aid of Law Centres, would be unable to receive good legal representation, if any at all. What concerns me the most is that these are people whose legal rights are being taken away by others and yet without pro bono lawyers helping them they would have no means by which to exercise the rights that they are legally entitled to."