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Details of this year’s legal aid Oscars—the Legal Aid Lawyer of the Year Awards (LALYs)—have been announced.
Richard Miller, director of the Legal Aid Practitioners Group (LAPG), which runs the awards says: “Despite all the problems facing legal aid practices at the moment, there are still thousands of lawyers across the country determined to continue providing an invaluable service to their local communities. They believe that everyone should have their rights protected and enforced, no matter how poor or vulnerable they are, and no matter how rich and powerful their opponent.”
He adds that the purpose of the honours, which are in their fifth year, is to recognise excellence from lawyers working in publicly funded law, and to remind the country “what we stand to lose if the legal aid system is undermined by poorly thought out and under-resourced reforms”.
Nominations are being sought in 10 categories including the new award for chambers of the year, sponsored by NLJ. The panel of judges, chaired by Cherie Booth QC, will also be making an award for outstanding achievement. Gareth Peirce, who acted for the Birmingham Six, the Guildford Four, and the family of Jean Charles de Menezes, won last year’s outstanding achievement award.
The deadline for nominations is 5 April 2007. Nomination forms can be downloaded at www.lapg.co.uk/legalaidlawyer.cfm.
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