Anastasia Rasch-Murphy wins Wig & Pen

Anastasia Rasch-Murphy, formerly of Sidley Austin LLP, has been awarded the 2026 Wig & Pen Prize, recognising her outstanding commitment to pro bono legal work and her significant efforts to enhance access to justice for members of the British Armed Forces and veterans. Her work has been particularly impactful through a pro bono initiative launched in collaboration with the Royal British Legion (RBL), which aims to assist applicants seeking compensation from the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme (AFCS) for injuries, illnesses, or deaths that occurred during their service.

At Sidley Austin LLP, Anastasia played a pivotal role in identifying a gap in the claims process whereby applicants could face rejection due to minor technicalities or improperly filled forms rather than genuine ineligibility. Cooperating closely with the RBL, she helped develop a service that genuinely supports applicants from the very start of their claims journey. Her contributions extended beyond direct service as she authored a comprehensive handbook that is now utilised by Sidley lawyers involved in the project, ensuring that all participants are well-informed about the relevant statutes and tribunal decisions.

The first referral from the RBL came in July 2025, leading to the engagement of 27 lawyers from the London office in assisting with claims. Anastasia’s nomination for the Wig & Pen Prize spotlighted a particularly intricate case where she meticulously reviewed 150 medical records along with comparable tribunal cases, successfully arguing for a veteran with nearly 30 years of service to claim for arthritis that arose from an injury occurring beyond the AFCS's limitation period.

During the period from June 2025 to May 2026, she dedicated a remarkable 371 hours to pro bono work, with 115 focused specifically on the RBL project. In addition to this initiative, she also volunteered as a pro bono advocate in family court as part of Sidley’s involvement in the Free Family Representation and Advocacy Project.

Anastasia’s commitment to this cause is deeply personal. She reflects on her father, a war veteran who passed away during her training contract, and believes he would have valued the project’s emphasis on assisting both past and present members of the British Armed Forces in navigating the help and compensation process, particularly when they might have previously encountered barriers.

In her remarks about receiving the award, Anastasia Rasch-Murphy expressed, “It has been a great privilege for me to assist soldiers and veterans through Sidley’s partnership with the Royal British Legion. Service personnel carry the burden of their duty during and after their time in service, and the process of making a claim under the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme can be complex and daunting to face without proper support. I am deeply grateful to receive the Wig & Pen prize. It reflects the dedication of everyone involved in the partnership between Sidley and the Royal British Legion, and I want to thank both my colleagues and the Royal British Legion team for their close support.”