Access to justice

'Since Freshfields joined us in 2006 we have been able to dramatically increase the number of clients that we can assist at the Morden Legal Advice Centre. Up until then, although we had a successful legal advice session at Morden, we were unable to meet the demand for free legal advice in the evenings as the demand way outstripped supply. The lawyers are professional and approachable and they have helped our clients with a wide variety of legal problems. Without their help some of our clients would have no other options than to go without advice, as most could not afford to pay for the advice of a private practice lawyer and other local advice agencies are too busy to get appointments in time to help them.'
Debbie Phelan, volunteer services manager, Wandsworth and Merton Law Centre, part of South West London Law Centres

In London, our access to justice programme includes volunteering in legal advice centres and advocacy initiatives with the Free Representation Unit, Royal Courts of Justice and Independent Panel for Special Education Advice.

Legal advice centres

Trainees and paralegals have been providing advice at the drop-in centre at Tower Hamlets, East London since 1973. Our senior partner, Guy Morton, volunteered at the centre when it was in Poplar in his early years at the firm, and we estimate some 40 per cent of our current partners in London have been involved with the centre at some time during their career with us. We won the 2008 Award for Exceptional Achievement for this long-standing partnership.

Our lawyers have been giving advice at the Dellow Centre for homeless people for seven years, as part of our partnership with the charity, Providence Row.

Our lawyers also support a clinic in Morden, which concentrates on providing legal advice to help people with housing, employment, consumer law and debt problems. In its first year, the clinic saw 203 clients. As part of our efforts to create more pro bono opportunities for all departments and wider participation from non-fee earners on projects where they can use their skills, we have recently entered into a second partnership with South West London Law Centres to provide secretarial support, once a week, at their Tooting and Battersea Legal Advice Centres.

We are working with East Hackney LAW, a drop-in clinic for the residents of a Hackney housing estate.

We have a long-standing relationship with the Advice Bureau at the Royal Courts of Justice, where volunteers provide free legal advice at the drop-in centre for litigants who have cases in the High Court, especially in the Court of Appeal (often on the day they seek advice). A team of paralegals also prepares Court of Appeal bundles and a team of secretaries provides assistance when needed.

Advocacy

Volunteers represent clients from the Free Representation Unit appearing before tribunals on employment and social security cases.

Volunteers also work with the Independent Panel for Special Education Advice, providing advice and representation to families who are appealing against their Local Education Authority's decision about how their child's special educational needs should be met.

In 2009, we will take part in a pilot scheme sending volunteers to the Asylum Support Appeals Project in Croydon to provide free legal representation to people making appeals to the Asylum Support Tribunal. The National Asylum Support Service was established by the 1999 Immigration Act and provides housing and welfare support. A right of appeal at the Asylum Support Tribunal in Croydon was also created by this legislation, but with no corresponding funding for tribunal representation. As a result, most appellants make their appeals without legal assistance. The Asylum Support Appeals Project was launched in June 2005 by individuals from the Refugee Council, the Immigration Law Practitioners' Association, law centres and the Law Society, in response to the problem of destitution among asylum seekers and concern at the lack of public funding for representation.

We also act for individuals who have been referred to us via the Royal Courts of Justice Citizens Advice Bureau. In May 2008, our largest ever team of walkers participated in the annual London Legal Sponsored Walk, raising over £10,000 for the Royal Courts of Justice Citizens Advice Bureau and South West London Law Centres. This is the most a law firm has ever raised in the history of the walk.