CILEx congratulates Legal Aid heroes

2 July 2015

Last night CILEx president Frances Edwards FCILEx joined legal luminaries to celebrate astounding achievement in the field of legal aid.

The 13th Legal Aid Lawyer of the Year Awards (LALYs) were held at Plaisterers Hall, London, organised by the Legal Aid Practitioners Group (LAPG).

CILEx was the proud sponsor of the Criminal Defence award, which was won by TV Edwards lawyer Mark Ashford. The award, given by Sky News presenter Anna Jones, was collected by one of Mark’s colleagues (pictured) who said he was ‘extremely proud of his extraordinary work.’

Two members of the Chartered Institute of Legal Executives (CILEx) were also shortlisted for awards. Dual qualified Chartered Legal Executive and Solicitor Lisa Haythorne was a finalist in the Social and Welfare category and Sarah Miller, an Associate member of CILEx was shortlisted for the Family Legal Aid award.

There were 13 awards in total this year. Full list of winners is below:

• LAPG committee special award: Bill Waddington, Robin Murray, Jonathan Black, Paul Harris
• Outstanding achievement: Public Law Project
• Public law: Marcia Willis-Stewart, Birnberg Peirce
• Legal aid firm/not for profit agency: Central England Law Centre
• Children’s rights: Noel Arnold (Coram Children’s Legal Centre)
• Legal aid newcomer: Connor Johnston (Garden Court Chambers)
• Social and welfare: Jo Renshaw (Turpin & Miller)
• Family legal aid: Sarah Cove (Miles & Partners)
• Family mediator: Margaret Pendlebury (MiD Mediation)
• Legal aid barrister: Alison Pickup (Doughty Street)
• Housing: Jayesh Kunwardia (Hodge Jones & Allen)
• Criminal defence: Mark Ashford (TV Edwards)
• Access to justice through IT: Courtnav (Royal Courts of Justice Advice Bureau & Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer)