Shortlist revealed: LawWorks & Attorney General Student Pro Bono Awards 2024

The awards celebrate the best pro bono activities undertaken by law students and law schools from across the UK. They also recognise the winners of the Advocate & LawWorks Law School Challenge 2023–24.

The winners will be announced at an awards ceremony at the House of Lords on Thursday 9 May with the Attorney General, the Rt Hon Victoria Prentis KC MP.

Alasdair Douglas, Chair of LawWorks said: ‘It has been 18 years since LawWorks began celebrating the significant contribution made by students and law schools from across the UK and it is a real privilege to see the nominations we receive each year. All the nominees deserve wider recognition for their brilliant work.

‘I would like to thank the judges for their time—choosing from so many excellent and innovative nominations is a challenging task. Thank you also to the Attorney General, the Rt Hon Victoria Prentis KC MP, for once again supporting the awards.

‘Above all, thank you to everyone nominated and shortlisted for their dedication to helping those in need of legal support and increasing access to justice. Society owes you a great deal.’

James Harper, executive sponsor for rule of law and CSR at LexisNexis, said: ‘At a time of increased focus on AI and technology, some have questioned where the true soul of the legal profession lives. However, the LawWorks & Attorney General Student Pro Bono Awards 2024 show, beyond doubt, that it lives in those working in the law—especially in the context of pro bono. The nominees are the embodiment of all that is great about our profession, holding an unshakeable belief in the importance of access to justice and the rule of law. 

‘LexisNexis shares their commitment, placing the rule of law at the centre of everything we do, so it is our privilege to humbly associate ourselves with the nominees’ incredible efforts. Congratulations to all those shortlisted!’

There were more than 50 nominations this year, representing 32 law schools and education institutions across the UK. The shortlisted nominees are:

Best new pro bono activity

• Reach out to Survivors: Domestic Abuse, University of Chester
• City Community Legal Advice Centre Housing and PIP Service, The City Law School, City, University of London
• Exceptional Case Funding Clinic, Liverpool John Moores University
• Special Educational Needs Judicial Review Project, School of Law and Social Justice, University of Liverpool
• Welfare Law Clinic, University of Plymouth

Best contribution by an individual student

• Sushant Agarwal, City Community Legal Advice Centre

• Jekaterina Bodnarchuk, Hertfordshire Law School

• Simrit Brar, University of Leicester Legal Advice Clinic

• Sophia-Ada Hamdan, University of Southampton Legal Clinic

• Ella Heilman, SOAS, University of London

• Adam Samji, The City Law School, City, University of London

• Laurent Sammouri, Dickson Poon School of Law, King's College London

Best contribution by a law school (undergraduate & postgraduate)

• Birmingham City University Law Clinic, Birmingham City University

• University of Bristol Law School, University of Bristol

• Law in Real Life, The City Law School, City, University of London

• Derby Law School, University of Derby Student Legal Advice Centre

• UEA Law Clinic, University of East Anglia School of Law

• University of Plymouth Law Clinic, University of Plymouth

• Grampian Community Law Centre, Robert Gordon University

Best contribution by a team of students

• Justice Bus Project, University of Hertfordshire

• King's College London Environmental Law Clinic, King's College London

• Justice for Windrush Project, University of Leicester Legal Advice Clinic

• Legal Advocacy Support Project, Manchester Metropolitan University & the Greater Manchester Law Centre

• The Student Support Team, Queen Mary Legal Advice Centre, Queen Mary University of London

• Streetlaw Team, Sussex Legal Clinics, University of Sussex Law School

The winners of the Advocate & LawWorks Law School Challenge 2023–24 are also recognised. This challenge is a fundraising initiative to raise awareness of pro bono work and to raise money for free legal advice. This year, teams taking part in the challenge raised more than £5,000.

The top three teams of this year’s Law School Challenge are:

• University of Huddersfield

• University of Sunderland

• University of York

The judges for the 2024 awards are:

• Nick Emmerson, president, Law Society of England and Wales

• Peter Farr, Head of Civil Law Policy, Ministry of Justice

• James Harper, executive sponsor, rule of law and CSR for LexisNexis UK & Ireland

• Olivia Partridge, content manager, LawCareers.Net

• Samantha Singer, joint chair of the Bar Council Pro Bono & Social Responsibility Committee

• Deborah Smith, executive director and senior counsel, Goldman Sachs and LawWorks trustee