Scala is Proud to Support the Advocate 2024 Bar Pro Bono Awards

The awards are taking place on Wednesday, 8th May 2024, at Middle Temple Hall.

Scala has been instructed by Advocate to manage the media interest in the Bar Pro Bono Awards 2024, sponsored by Lexis Nexis. The event recently announced the judges and shortlist of nominees.

Advocate is a charity that finds free legal assistance from volunteer barristers across England and Wales. They match members of the public who need free legal help with barristers who are willing to donate their time and expertise in deserving cases to those who are unable to obtain legal aid and cannot afford to pay.

The Advocate Bar Pro Bono Awards recognise these individuals and organisations for their dedicated practice and their significant contribution to the community.

Scala will be attending the event on May 8^th and will be managing media interest around the winners and nominees following it.

The Bar Pro Bono Awards

Since 1997, the Bar Pro Bono Awards have run as a prestige occasion within the legal calendar to honour the outstanding pro bono contributions of the bar. These awards commend individuals and chambers for their exceptional dedication to providing pro bono services, widening access to justice for countless people across England and Wales.

Given the continually expanding array of pro bono endeavours, selecting a single winner from a diverse pool of nominees operating in various domains has become increasingly challenging. To address this, there are nine categories to recognise excellence in:

1. Young Pro Bono Barrister of the Year, sponsored by Place Campbell
2. Junior Pro Bono Barrister of the Year, sponsored by Westgate Wealth Management
3. Pro Bono KC of the Year, sponsored by Hewetson & Co.
4. International Pro Bono Barrister of the Year
5. Pro Bono Chambers' Professional of the Year, sponsored by the Legal Practice Management Association
6. Pro Bono Chambers of the Year, sponsored by ABC Chambers Solutions LLP
7. Lifetime Achievement in Pro Bono, the Sydney Elland Goldsmith Award
8. Pro Bono and Social Responsibility Initiative of the Year
9. John Collins Pro Bono Excellence Award

Bar Pro Bono Awards Judges

The Advocate Awards’ judges in 2024 are:

• Sam Townend, KC, Chair of the Bar Council
• Julie Bishop, Director of the Law Centres Network
• The Secret Barrister
• Amrit Dhanoa, Chair of the Young Barristers' Committee
• Lady Carr, the Lady Chief Justice
• Heidi Stonecliffe, KC, Chair of the Employed Barristers' Committee
• Geoffrey Carr, Chair of the Institute of Barristers' Clerks
• Will Tolcher, Global Bar Editor at The Legal 500
• Jemma Tag, Co-Chair of the Legal Practice Management Association
• Clare Bello, Co-Chair of the Legal Practice Management Association
• Samantha Singer, Co-Chair of the Bar Council Pro Bono and Social Responsibility Group
• Laurie Scher, Co-Chair of the Bar Council Pro Bono and Social Responsibility Group
• Jason Pitter, KC, Leader of the North Eastern Circuit
• Lord Goldsmith, KC, Founder of Advocate
• Sheila Collins, the widow of the late John Collins

Bar Pro Bono Awards Nominees

This is the biggest year for the Advocate Awards yet, with over 100 nominations received in total across the categories. There are far too many to list here, but the full information can be found on the Advocate's website.

Following the awards, the full list of winners will be revealed on the website. You can view the 2022 winners here.

Press Information Bar Pro Bono Awards

Following the Advocate Awards, a list of winners will be available for interviews. The full list of interview opportunities will follow.

The Advocate Awards will take place on Wednesday, May 8, 2024. It will be held at Middle Temple Hall in London.

This is a closed event on invitation only.