London Legal Walk – 20 May 2013
Over 6,000 members of the legal profession are expected to walk through London next month to raise funds for the free legal advice sector.
Setting the pace will be Olympic rowing gold medallist Katherine Grainger CBE, who is taking part in the King's College London Dickson Poon School of Law team.
More than 350 teams and over 3,000 walkers have already signed up to London Legal Walk, which is just over a month away.
The 10 kilometre (6.25 miles) sponsored walk, which takes place on Monday 20 May 2013, will raise funds for legal advice services providing free support and assistance to some of the most vulnerable members of society.
Last year over 6,000 walkers, including Lord Chief Justice, the Master of the Rolls, the Attorney General, the Director of Public Prosecutions and the heads of the three legal bodies the Law Society, Bar Council and Chartered Institute of Legal Executives (CILEx), raised over £540,000 for improving access to justice.
Lucy Scott-Moncrieff, president of the Law Society, said:
'The Law Society is proud to sponsor the London Legal Walk once again in 2013. As the cuts to legal aid are making justice unaffordable for thousands more people, the work of legal charities is more important than ever. Advice agencies and pro bono centres are the only hope for those who despite their plight haven’t the means to pay for legal advice and do not qualify for legal aid. We must walk the walk together, as one legal sector.'
Maura McGowan QC, chairman of the Bar, said:
'With the recent implementation of LASPO, the cuts to civil legal aid will soon begin to bite very hard, and many vulnerable people will find themselves without access to a lawyer. Whilst no substitute for legal aid, the money raised by the annual London Legal Walk is needed more than ever before to help protect people, who without these funds, simply will not have access to justice.
'This is why the entire Bar community is very much looking forward to the London Legal Walk again this year and once again supporting the infrastructure of the many excellent organisations that provide free legal advice and do the important work of supporting people in times of great need.'
Nick Hanning, president of CILEx, said:
'The support given to vulnerable people by legal charities is crucial, not just to the individuals but also to a fair and equal society. We will continue to champion their work until justice is accessible to all, and I am very proud that so many practicing and aspiring chartered legal executives will be walking alongside their solicitor and barrister colleagues in support of legal charities. Most importantly though, I want everyone to dig deep so we can raise as much as we possibly can to ensure legal advice is available to all who need it.'
Ends
Notes to editors
1. For media queries or to send a photographer, please contact Emma Alatalo at the Law Society Press Office on 020 7316 5592 or emma.alatalo@lawsociety.org.uk, the Bar Council Press Office on 0207 222 2525 or Richard Doughty at the CILEx Press Office on 01234 845 710.
2. The London Legal Walk is organised by the London Legal Support Trust (LLST) and sponsored by the Law Society. To contact the LLST, please contact Bob Nightingale on 01372 810466 or bob@llst.org.uk or visit the LLST website.
3. On Monday 20 May, walkers will depart from the Royal Courts of Justice, finishing the walk at the Law Society on Chancery Lane. The lead walker photographs will take place between 16:30 and 17:30 in the main hall at the Royal Courts of Justice.
4. To follow the events live or join in the debate on Twitter, use the hashtag #legalwalk