The Access to Justice Foundation Student Competition 2012
“There’s no such thing as a free lunch”:
How should pro bono be funded?
The last ten years have seen increased coordination and support of free (pro bono) legal help by voluntary sector organisations. Whilst lawyers provide their time for free, these organisations and the infrastructure surrounding them need to be funded.
The Access to Justice Foundation receives funds from Pro Bono Costs, introduced in October 2008 by Section 194 of the Legal Services Act 2007 and works with a matrix of Legal Support Trusts to raise funds for pro bono work. Last year the Foundation launched the It’s Not Just Peanuts Campaign, aimed at releasing dormant client account funds to support its work.
The Foundation and LawWorks are now inviting law students to enter their third annual competition, by submitting an article between 750 and 1000 words entitled:
“There’s no such thing as a free lunch”:
How should pro bono be funded?
The article should be aimed at the legal profession, as the winning entry will be published (last year’s was published in the New Law Journal). In addition to discussing the existing and potential funding sources the writer may, for example, wish to discuss any implications of Jackson LJ’s Review of Civil Litigation Costs and the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Bill 2011-12 as well as the Civil Justice Council Report on Access to Justice for Litigants in Person published in November 2011.
The winner will receive the Access to Justice Foundation Student Prize, which will be presented by HM Attorney General at the student awards at the House of Commons on 27th March 2012. They will also receive £300 of book vouchers kindly donated by LexisNexis to be spent on books from their range.
Please submit your article in Word format to competition@atjf.org.uk by the deadline of 5pm on 28th February 2012. Undergraduate and postgraduate law students may apply, including LPC and BPTC students. The competition will be judged by the Board of Trustees of the Foundation chaired by former Attorney General Lord Goldsmith QC.
For more information about the Access to Justice Foundation visit www.accesstojusticefoundation.org.uk and LawWorks visit www.lawworks.org.uk