Kent Law Clinic has been presented with a Kent Law Society 200th Anniversary Award for making a “significant contribution to the development and practice of law in Kent”.
The unique award, made by the Law Society as part of its 200th anniversary celebrations, recognises work undertaken by Kent Law Clinic solicitors, staff, students and volunteers. It was presented to Law Clinic Director Professor John Fitzpatrick by Sir Brian Leveson, President of Queen’s Bench Division, on Friday at a gala dinner held at Eastwell Manor.
Kent Law Clinic provides pro bono assistance to people in the local community who could not otherwise afford access to legal advice and representation. Since 1992, the Clinic has helped its clients obtain a total of £5.6 million pounds – this is money the Law Clinic has helped clients win or defend, either by court or tribunal order, by revision of a statutory body (such as the Department of Work and Pensions) or by settlement.
The Law Clinic also has a primary role to enhance the education of students at Kent Law School through direct experience of legal practice – Law Clinic students work on live cases, under the supervision of Law Clinic solicitors. Scores of students from the Law School have gone on to enter legal practice in Kent after qualifying and, currently, 13 out of 40 local private practitioners who serve as volunteers on Kent Law Clinic’s ‘Advice Session’ rota, are Law School graduates. These volunteer practitioners give advice to members of the public while being observed by Law Clinic students.
Previous awards recognising and celebrating the work of the Law Clinic over the years have included: The Lawyer Award for Ethical Initiative of the Year 2014; The LawWorks Attorney General’s Award for the Best New Pro Bono Activity for its ‘Access to Land’ project in 2012; the Queen’s Anniversary Prize for ‘enriching the academic study of law through a casework service to the community’ in 2008; the ‘Outstanding Contribution to the Local Community’ prize at the Times Higher Education Awards 2005; and in 1998 the Law Clinic was a joint winner of the ‘Outstanding Contribution to Civil Justice’ award in the Times/JUSTICE Awards.
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