Gen Y(LAL): a lost generation of legal aid lawyers?

It’s a grim time for legal aid. Which means it’s a grim time for all legal aid lawyers, young and old. Cuts following the implementation of the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act (LASPO) in April 2013 and reductions in the fees paid for the work remaining have left lawyers struggling to provide a good quality service to their clients, with fewer opportunities for those wishing to enter the sector.

LASPO removed a wide range of cases from the scope of legal aid including private family law, education (save for special educational needs), debt, immigration and welfare benefits advice.

In prison law, there is no longer funding for treatment, disciplinary proceedings, resettlement and categorisation matters. Senior colleagues in my firm have long championed for the rights of prisoners, and are aware that legal assistance with these types of cases is vital to empower people in prison. Inmates’ personal development during their sentences reduces risk and enables reintegration into the community. With legal aid removed for this work it is now difficult to help young or disabled prisoners to undergo effective rehabilitation.

At the junior end of the profession, those of us fortunate enough to have secured jobs in legal aid firms are aware of the devastating human impact of the LASPO cuts. Clients who can no longer access legal aid for their cases are exposed to the harsh realities of the British justice system. There have been reports that the cuts have led
to an increase in people representing themselves in court, with little understanding of English law or court procedures. Charities and NGOs previously able to complement the work of legal aid solicitors are now over-burdened by having to fill the void the cuts have created.

It is important to consider how these changes specifically affect junior lawyers, and how we avoid a generation gap among those working in the legal aid sector. The reduction in the scope of legal aid has led to a decrease in the number of clients we can help. In addition, civil and criminal legal aid remuneration rates have been cut and both of these factors mean that legal aid firms have a much reduced income. This has led to a fall in the number of opportunities available for those who want to qualify in publicly-funded areas of law (such as paralegal positions and training contracts). Without a next generation of legal aid lawyers to carry on the crucial work of representing clients, there would be no point in campaigning against the LASPO cuts.

General campaigns against the cuts continue, like those from the Law Society and the Justice Alliance (of which YLAL
is a member). Aspiring legal
aid lawyers can join the campaigning efforts to save legal aid through membership with YLAL. It is a cause worth campaigning for. If there were not committed lawyers championing the need to provide quality legal aid advice, legal aid would not be worth saving. SJ

Gimhani Eriyagolla is a trainee at Bhatt Murphy and committee member of the Young Legal Aid Lawyers