Billable hour appeal from top employment silk raises thousands for refugees

Often criticised in the populist press as being overinflated and a sure sign of the legal profession's endemic greed, the billable hour may now be used to save thousands of refugees.

A widely shared photograph showing the lifeless body of three-year-old Syrian boy Aylan Kurdi lying face down on a Turkish beach has led to an outpouring of sympathy for the many thousands of refugees fleeing war zones in the Middle East and condemnation of the West's poor response to the 'migrant crisis'.

Now, one top employment silk has used the power of social media to rally lawyers into giving aid to help some of the most desperate people on the planet.

Sean Jones QC of 11KBW has asked lawyers on Twitter to donate one billable hour to help save the lives of children like Aylan and his five-year-old brother, Galip, who both died following their attempt to flee Syria with their parents and join relatives in Canada.

'The refugee crisis is real, urgent, and claiming lives. We are asking lawyers to donate a billable hour to help Save the Children do its vital work,' says Jones's Just Giving page.

'Not everyone can give, we know. If you cannot, please deploy your advocacy skills to nag someone else into doing so,' he continues.

Jones's original target of £7,500 has already been smashed and, at the time of writing, has reached £14,885.83. Donations of a variety of sizes have been pouring in over the last 12 hours. One donor who wished to remain anonymous contributed £1,000 to the cause.

The largest of the 82 publicised donations to date comes from Doughty Street's public law specialist Caoilfhionn Gallagher with £500, and Stefan Cross who gave an equal contribution. John de Waal QC of Hardwicke also contributed £400 to the total.

'Criminal barristers don't do billable hours so I will donate a hearing fee from myself and one from Mrs BB,' said BoroBarrister on the Just Giving page.

Jamie Hamilton of 9 St John Street Chambers in Manchester also commented that, as a criminal practitioner, he didn't 'do' billable hours. 'I have a mention tomorrow so the whole fee [£100] from that is yours,' he wrote.

SJ regular Marilyn Stowe added: 'Great idea, wish you all the very best with your campaign. (My donation is not my hourly rate btw!)'

'Lawyers and others have now donated [over] £11k in billable hours. I'll soon be compelled to give up both of my hobbies: misanthropy and cynicism,' tweeted Jones this morning.

Speaking to SJ, Jones said: 'I think it's hard for lawyers to see so much injustice and not feel called to action. I knew my fellow lawyers would contribute but I had not anticipated they would react so quickly and with such staggering generosity.'

The modest employment specialist was quick to deflect attention from himself, and instead focused on the generosity of his fellow lawyers who have donated so much to the cause.

'I've really not done anything other than set up a website. It's the profession making this happen,' he added.

To donate to Jones's campaign visit here.

Image copyright: AhmadSabra

John van der Luit-Drummond is deputy editor for Solicitors Journal
john.vanderluit@solicitorsjournal.co.uk | @JvdLD