LAPG opens nominations for its 20th ‘legal aid Oscars’!

Legal Aid Lawyer of the Year awards mark 20th anniversary, with return to an in-person ceremony, after 2 years’ of virtual events.

Nominations close: 25 April 2022; new award category for LALY22: legal aid support staffer.

Legal Aid Practitioners Group is proud to launch the 2022 Legal Aid Lawyer of the Year (LALY) awards, with a return to in-person celebrations, and a new award to honour the support staff who worked tirelessly during lockdown to keep social justice organisations running.

This year sees the 20th anniversary of these non-profit-making awards, which were founded in 2003 by LAPG to celebrate the work of social justice lawyers.

Nominations will close on 25 April 2022. Winners in the 12 award categories will be announced to an audience of circa 500 guests at a ceremony in central London on 12 July.

LAPG CEO Chris Minnoch says:

‘Events over recent weeks and months have reminded all of us of the importance of the rule of law and of the lawyers who fight to uphold it. The effects of the pandemic are still being felt across the social justice sector; legal aid lawyers and their colleagues continue to face multiple challenges, but also continue to work tirelessly for their clients and communities to ensure access to justice.

‘LAPG has been proud to stage the LALY awards every year for the last two decades, and this year we are prouder than ever to be marking our 20th anniversary. Our lockdown LALYs in 2020 and 2021 were a triumph, but we all missed being able to gather together to cheer our finalists and winners. There really is nothing to match a traditional LALY ceremony, when the legal aid community comes together to celebrate, commiserate, and re-energise. We are look forward to welcoming everyone back on 12 July, to our first face to face ceremony since 2019.’

Become an official Friend of LALY22

Once again, we are crowdfunding for sponsorship of our Legal Aid Newcomer award, which celebrates the solicitors, barristers, paralegals and caseworkers who are the future of this profession. Donations are from £10, and all money will go towards keeping ticket prices affordable. The names of donors will be included as Friends of LALY22 in our ceremony programme and on social media in the run up to the July event.

LALY22 award categories

1. Outstanding achievement*
2. Legal aid newcomer
3. Criminal defence
4. Public law
5. Housing law
6. Legal aid support staffer**
7. Family legal aid
8. Legal aid barrister
9. Legal aid firm/Not-for-profit agency
10. Regional legal aid firm/Not-for-profit agency
11. Disability rights
12. Social welfare

* We do not accept nominations for this award
** New award for 2022

The LALY awards are non-profit-making and would not be possible without our generous sponsors:

Accesspoint
Bidwell Henderson
DG Legal
Doughty Street Chambers
Garden Court Chambers
Legal Action Group – media partner
Matrix Chambers
One Pump Court
Resolution
The Bar Council
The Law Society
The Legal Education Foundation

To make a nomination:
https://lapg.co.uk/laly-nomination

Awards criteria and guidance:
https://lapg.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/LALY22-Guidance-Notes-Final.pdf

LALY22 flyer:
https://lapg.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/LALY22-Flyer-DIGITAL.pdf

To book tickets for the 12 July ceremony:
https://lapg.co.uk/laly-tickets

To donate to become a Friend of LALY22 and help sponsor the Legal Aid Newcomer award:
https://lapg.co.uk/laly-crowdfunding