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
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.
On 10 February 2020, YLAL Midlands hosted an event on the challenges of working in the legal sector, with a focus on mental health and general wellbeing.
Our event began with contributions from the panel. This was chaired by YLAL Midlands and national committee member Malvika Jaganmohan, who has been vocal on Twitter about her own mental health struggles. She outlined the tension between having a frank discussion about mental health and also pursuing a career as a young legal aid lawyer.
On 19th Feb 2020 YLAL Liverpool met in a cosy library at The Quaker Meeting house lit by fairy lights to discuss wellbreing and self care for those working in the sector.
Siobhan Taylor-Ward opened the meeting by giving some information about the resources available to lawyers, findings of the Social Mobility survey and JLD's wellbeing survey and also a bit about her experiences and how she has managed stress and pressure in the workplace.
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.
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.
Welcome to our update of the latest legal aid and access to justice news for November 2019.
General Election: In the run up to the General Election, which took place on 12 December 2019, Young Legal Aid Lawyers (YLAL) launched the #3Pledges4Justice campaign. We asked members to Tweet the parliamentary candidates in their constituency to show their support for 3 key pledges for a fair justice system:
Welcome to our update of the latest legal aid and access to justice news from October 2019.
Legal aid cuts as a false economy:
Welcome to our update of the latest legal aid and access to justice news from August – September 2019.
University students to fill a gap in access to justice:
The University of Bristol’s law clinic has launched an initiative seeking to address the gap in legal representation at inquests for bereaved families. Believed to be the first student led clinic with a focus on inquests the team will be supervised by Sumayyah Malna, an inquest solicitor.
YLAL responds to the Ministry of Justice's consultation on the Housing Possession Court Duty Scheme (HPCDS), 3 January 2020.
