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27 March 2026
Issue: 8155 / Categories: Legal News , Profession , Pro Bono , Charities
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NLJ this week: Finding innovative ways to fund the justice gap

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When it comes to free legal advice, demand massively outweighs supply. 'Millions of people are excluded from access to justice as they don’t have anywhere to turn for free advice—or don’t know that they can ask for help,' Bhavini Bhatt, development director at the Access to Justice Foundation, writes in this week's NLJ

The Foundation provides legal advice centres with much-needed grants, and Bhatt explains how innovative methods, such as using pro bono cost orders and unclaimed collective action damages, are helping to plug the gap.

Also in this issue of NLJ, the National Pro Bono Centre's Bea Rossetto explains why volunteering pro bono is a golden opportunity for retired lawyers and offers encouragement and advice for those considering it. Rossetto speaks to one retired lawyer who confidently expected to slow down after leaving her legal career—-and ended up setting up a family law clinic.

MOVERS & SHAKERS

Thomson Hayton Winkley—Jordan Wallace

Thomson Hayton Winkley—Jordan Wallace

Thomson Hayton Winkley strengthens family law team

Ward Hadaway—Barnaby Rosenthall

Ward Hadaway—Barnaby Rosenthall

Construction lawyer returns to Ward Hadaway in Teesside role

Bird & Bird—Shahin Baghaei

Bird & Bird—Shahin Baghaei

Bird Bird hires leading legal transformation expert

NEWS
Legal aid deserts leave almost one in four without adequate access to justice
The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) has warned solicitors and law firms that using artificial intelligence does not alter their professional obligations, amid concerns over inaccurate legal material and client confidentiality
From forgotten interest claims to case-management appeals, a string of procedural developments offers useful—and occasionally cautionary—lessons for practitioners

Jonathan Fisher KC highlights that it now accounts for around 40% of criminal offences, with roughly 70% involving technology, and argues that the UK cannot simply prosecute its way out of the problem. Detection, investigation and prosecution all require improvement, while different fraud types demand tailored responses.

How forcefully can a litigant criticise a public authority before robust advocacy crosses the line into unreasonable conduct? 
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