Delapre Lecture Hall, Park Campus, Boughton Green Road, NN2 7AL, Northampton
12:45pm on Tuesday 2 February 2010
The sixth in a series of thought provoking research events designed to promote public understanding of law and the exchange of ideas across the public and academic sectors of the community in Northamptonshire takes place at The University of Northampton next month.
The guest speaker on Tuesday 2 February is Lord Phillips of Sudbury. He is the founder of Bates Wells & Braithwaite and its senior partner specialising in charity law. He has a distinguished career in law, politics and the public service. Lord Phillips is dedicated to making law accessible to all citizens irrespective of wealth, age, colour or creed and to the protection of individual rights against the machinery of the state.
For 26 years he was the ‘legal eagle’ on BBC Radio 2’s Jimmy Young Show. He has founded a number of organisations to promote this idea including the Legal Action Group, the Citizenship Foundation and the Solicitors’ Pro Bono Group. He is the author of a number of books including ‘The Living Law’ (an introduction to law for young people).
As part of the Pro Bono Publico (‘for public good’) event Lord Phillips will talk on the role of pro bono work in today’s globalised and competitive legal world, specifically ‘Are solicitors still part of a profession and what do they profess?’
The lecture will be followed by a presentation and workshop by Martin Curtis from Law Works which is aimed at the student and law practitioner. The workshop is designed to provide a practical guide to and advice on how to engage in pro bono work.
Law Works is a charity aiming to provide free legal advice to individuals and community groups unable to afford fees or access legal aid. It works with lawyers and community groups to support, promote and encourage commitment to pro bono work and also offers free mediation service.
James Ressel, Senior Lecturer in Law, The University of Northampton, said:
“We are very honoured to be able to hear from Lord Phillips, a distinguished lawyer who has dedicated his entire professional life in trying to secure access to justice and social rights for all citizens and the protection of our individual liberties not only as a lawyer but also as a politician.
“Lord Phillips’ ideals are embodied in the work that Martin Curtis does with Law Works. We are very pleased that Martin Curtis is able to come to the University and offer our students and local practitioners a demonstration of the power of pro bono work in legal practice. As teachers of law we strive to develop our students and the lawyers of the future, to become fully engaged in the community and aim to promote access to justice and the public good. This pro bono event is invaluable opportunity to become informed theoretically and practically about the legal profession and pro bono.” Dialogues! is organised by the Division of Law in the School of Social Sciences and the Division of Media, English and Culture in the School of The Arts, and is designed as open access platform and focus for the exchange of cultural, political and sociological ideas, findings, research and community activities.
Dialogues! is free to attend and open to all.
To reserve your seat or for further information, please contact James Resse:
Email:
james.ressel@northampton.ac.ukTelephone: 01604 892181.
CPD accreditation of 1 hour per event should be available to practitioners.
The event will take place from 12:45pm on Tuesday 2 February 2010 in Delapre Lecture Hall, Park Campus, Boughton Green Road, NN2 7AL, Northampton
