Nottingham Law School—Laura Pinkney

Laura Pinkney, a director with Cartwright King, has been appointed as head of the Legal Advice Centre at Nottingham Law School (NLS).

Laura, who specialises in serious fraud and regulatory matters, also heads Cartwright King’s immigration and crown court departments as well as overseeing the operational management of more than 200 staff across its 18 offices. She is the current president of the Nottinghamshire Law Society and chairs its education and training committee, and has sat on the NLS Employer Advisory Board for the last seven years. She is now due in January to take up the position of head of its Legal Advice Centre, which works closely with local firms, advice agencies, voluntary sector organisations and schools to offer legal support to the local community and develop pro bono opportunities for NLS students. In the last year, the centre has recovered £999,208 in compensation or benefits for its clients, and in excess of £2.5m in the last four years.

NLS Dean, Professor Janine Griffiths-Baker, said: ‘Laura has already had an exceptional legal career and is bringing a wealth of experience with her, as well as an extensive network of contacts within the legal profession on a local and national level.  She will be taking the helm of a unique and successful service—in the last four years we have seen a 91% increase in enquiries and requests for support which means our Legal Advice Centre is assisting more individuals, organisations and businesses than ever before.’

Laura added: ‘The Legal Advice Centre plays a vital role in inspiring the next generation of solicitors and barristers and provides students with unique opportunities to develop their technical and practical skills. The centre also provides access to justice to those who are unable to afford much needed legal advice and I have seen first-hand the client testimonials praising the advice and support of the students, which is often given during difficult and life changing times. The impressive statistics speak for themselves and I look forward to continuing and developing the excellent work being undertaken by the Legal Advice Centre.’