YLAL News | Young Legal Aid Lawyers

YLAL Meeting: Remote justice and our clients: the view from YLAL North

On Wednesday 22 April 2020, YLAL hosted its second remote meeting, 'Remote justice and our clients: the view from YLAL North'.

We were delighted to be joined by four expert speakers and members of YLAL North: Alice Stevens (Broudie Jackson Canter), Elizabeth Ridley (Irwin Mitchell), Yara Ali-Adib (Broudie Jackson Canter) and Hannah Costley (Burton Copeland).

The meeting was expertly chaired by Rebecca Kingi, YLAL committee member and New Zealand-qualified solicitor at ATLEU.

You can watch the meeting here:

YLAL Meeting: Human rights and access to justice during COVID-19

On Wednesday 8 April 2020, YLAL hosted its first virtual meeting, 'Human rights and access to justice during COVID-19'. We were joined by four expert speakers: Steve Broach (39 Essex Chambers), Steven Galliver-Andrew (Legal Sector Workers United), Jo Hynes (Public Law Project) and Bella Sankey (Detention Action).

Happy 15th birthday, YLAL!

YLAL is 15 years old today!

COVID-19 means that our party plans are on hold, however, we would still like to celebrate 15 years of fighting for legal aid and access to justice!

Please post your #YLALMemories on Twitter! Photos, anecdotes and any other YLAL-related memories are all welcome!

We attach the minutes from our very first meeting. Hopefully we have gone above and beyond the original aims!

Yours,

YLAL Committee

YLAL COVID-19 Report

On 7 April 2020, Young Legal Aid Lawyers (YLAL) published an important report on the impact of COVID-19 on its members’ professional lives. The report analyses survey data collected from more than 300 YLAL members between 26 March- 03 April 2020.

Coronavirus impact

YLAL is gathering evidence as to how coronavirus is impacting our members.

Please complete the survey now.

YLAL made a statement about coronavirus on 20 March 2020, calling for the government to take action to:

- Reduce the exposure of practitioners to COVID-19

COVID-19: Immediate action needed to protect junior legal aid lawyers

20 March 2020

Young Legal Aid Lawyers (YLAL) calls on the Government, chambers and law firms across the country to immediately:

- Reduce the exposure of practitioners to COVID-19

- Put support measures in place to protect our members from the effect of loss of earnings and reduced job security

- Protect our members from increased pressure to work through ill-health

Criminal Legal Aid Review

YLAL is participating in the Ministry of Justice's Criminal Legal Aid Review ('CLAR').

Part of this involves us attending consultation and focus group meetings, as well as us feeding into any consultation documents.

As the most junior in the profession, YLAL members are the criminal practitioners most likely to be impacted by the restriction of access to the profession and stagnation of wages which have been caused by the swingeing cuts to criminal legal aid implemented by the Ministry of Justice.

YLAL response to SQE Survey

On 16 February 2020, YLAL responded to the Solicitors Regulation Authority's Survey about the Solicitors Qualifying Exam ('SQE').

SQE will be the new way for people to qualify as solicitors. It will be in place from 2021.

YLAL has been engaging throughout the SRA's Training for Tomorrow project. You can view all of YLAL's previous responses about SQE.

Briefing for MPs on Early Legal Advice

Ahead of the APPG on Legal Aid meeting on Monday 3rd February, YLAL, with the APPG on Legal Aid, Justice Alliance and More United, has put produced a briefing on the importance of properly funded comprehensive early legal advice.

We encourage YLAL members to email this briefing to their MPs as well as linking to this page from their social media accounts.

YLAL Committee member Malvika speaks to BBC News

Malvika Jaganmohan, YLAL Committee member and family law barrister at St Ives Chambers spoke to BBC News on 27 December 2019.

She spoke about access to justice in the family courts, legal aid funding not being available, and people having to represent themselves (litigants in person).

Video credit: BBC News