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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

Devonshires—Rebecca Eastwood

Devonshires—Rebecca Eastwood

Housing management and property litigation practice strengthened by Leeds partner hire

Trowers & Hamlins—Rahul Sagar

Trowers & Hamlins—Rahul Sagar

Banking and finance practice bolstered by partner hire

mfg Solicitors—Ian Sheppard

mfg Solicitors—Ian Sheppard

Commercial litigation team welcomes senior associate in Birmingham

NEWS
A ‘parallel justice system’ is developing due to the increased use of Out of Court Resolutions (OOCRs), magistrates have warned
The government’s plan to cut jury trials could ‘cause more delays than it could ever serve to reduce’, veteran silk Geoffrey Robertson KC has warned
Artificial intelligence (AI) could be used to generate faster and cheaper transcripts of criminal court proceedings, ministers have announced
Solicitors practising litigation have been issued with a Law Society practice note following the Court of Appeal’s judgment in Mazur
Sir Andrew McFarlane has retired from the judiciary, following nearly eight years as president of the Family Division and president of the Court of Protection
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