By Nina Armangue, Volunteer at the Access to Justice Foundation Courts have always adhered to tradition and formality, and the legal system has generally resisted change. But the legal aid sector has been gravely affected by a long period of enormous and sustained funding cuts and technology could provide some help and relief to a…

Imogen Edge and James Kenrick report on data indicating an alarming increase in young people seeking help for housing, employment and benefits problems, and question whether advice services are prepared to respond. There is mounting evidence – and concern – about the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on young people’s mental health. Far less attention…

Donating your firm’s dormant client accounts to the Access to Justice Foundation can make a big difference to the number of free legal advice organisations we are able to support throughout the UK. The sums themselves may seem trivial, ranging from a few pence to a few thousand pounds, but to put it in perspective,…

178 not-for-profit specialist legal advice services across the UK have been awarded grants in the first round of funding The Community Justice Fund, an initiative set up to support not-for-profit legal advice organisations as they cope with the impacts of COVID-19, has awarded £11,536,308 in its first round of funding to 178 specialist legal advice…

We are delighted to welcome Laurence Harris as the new Chairman of the Access to Justice Foundation, taking over from Lord Goldsmith, QC who has stepped down after 12 years in the role. Laurence Harris is currently a partner at international law firm Cooley LLP and is vice chair of its global litigation department. He…

As many of you may know, the Access to Justice Foundation is the charity designated to receive the money from Pro Bono Costs Orders. Before 2008, legal costs could not be awarded in cases where the winning party was represented for free. Section 194 of the Legal Services Act 2007 changed this. Since our foundation…

What are unclaimed client accounts? Unclaimed or dormant client accounts are sums of money which lie dormant in the client account of many firms of solicitors, often untouched for years. If you have made reasonable attempts to find the client to return this money, but have not had success, you can donate these funds to…

We’re delighted to announce that the Community Justice Fund has secured a £5 million grant from The National Lottery Community Fund, the largest funder of community activity in the UK, which will provide vital funding to specialist legal advice organisations adversely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. The £5 million grant from The National Lottery Community…

The Access to Justice Foundation has announced the appointment of Laurence Harris as Chairman of its Board of Trustees. He will take over from out-going Chair, Lord Goldsmith QC, who will step down at the end of 2020 after 12 years. Laurence Harris is currently a partner at international law firm Cooley LLP and is…

The Government has allocated £5.4 million in funding to support the legal advice sector during the Covid-19 pandemic, to be distributed to those most in need through not for profit organisations and Law Centres across England and Wales. Justice Minister, Alex Chalk said: “Law Centres and charities in the advice sector play a vital role…