This week marked our 15th year of Pro Bono with the Law department of Cardiff University and we met the new group of Pro Bono students for 2022.
Since 2006, the Law department of the School of Law and Politics supported by Hugh James has provided a Pro Bono Scheme to over 1000 students focusing on NHS Continuing Healthcare. Real client work was the focus of the scheme for its first decade and the students recovered over £300,000 for their clients. However, due to the imposition of strict deadlines by Welsh Government, it became difficult for students to undertake the necessary work in the requisite timescales. Therefore, the scheme evolved and no longer includes real client work.
In ‘normal’ times, students have the opportunity to come to Two Central Square to work with solicitors and paralegals in the firm’s Nursing Care department on ‘dummy files’, which enables them to see the law in action. However, due to COVID-19, students have been unable to attend the office. Now, with the ease of restrictions, whilst most of the sessions will be remote, we hope to also meet the students in person. Students will still have the opportunity to work on dummy files and will be working with solicitors Katie Morgan and Lisa Morgan.
This year, 55 students have been successful and accepted onto the scheme. The first online session was this week.
Lisa Morgan, partner and Head of Nursing Care has been the scheme’s supervising solicitor from the start. Katie Morgan, Solicitor and a former student of the scheme, joined as supervising solicitor in 2019.
Lisa Morgan, said:
“I’m very proud to have supported the scheme and cannot believe this is our 15th year. The feedback we received from last year’s students was staggering as the scheme provided them with a much needed insight and skills required to forge a legal career, which were extremely limited due to the pandemic. Over six weeks, we provide students with real experience of working with clients and developing their key practitioner skills, while also providing us with an opportunity to work with tomorrow’s lawyers. The relationship between the school and the firm is mutually viable.
“By working with students in the scheme, it gives them first-hand experience which is a great way to begin a career in law. Work experience adds strength to a job or placement application and many of the students involved in the scheme have gone on to secure roles within Hugh James. The pride of seeing pro bono students joining the profession and forging their own careers in and out of Hugh James is one of the most rewarding.”
Hannah Marchant, Director of Employability at the School of Law and Politics:
“We are hugely grateful to Hugh James’ Nursing Care team, and to partner Lisa Morgan and solicitor Katie Morgan in particular, for their willingness to continue to provide crucial employability and pro bono opportunities to our students. Students are extremely fortunate to have the opportunity to learn about this very important and niche area of law. They also learn valuable employability skills and we are delighted that some of our previous Pro Bono students are now working in Nursing Care as well as in other departments in Hugh James. We hope that this cohort of students enjoy the scheme as much as previous cohorts have.”
Katie Morgan:
“I participated in the Continuing Healthcare Pro Bono Scheme when I was a student at Cardiff University and so it now feels as though I have come full circle to be mentoring the students. The scheme provides the students with an invaluable opportunity to develop their practical skills in client care, drafting and advocacy and how to run a case from start to finish.
“I was so pleased that the scheme was able to be held virtually last year but I am looking forward to (hopefully!) being able to meet the students in person this year. It is so important for legal professionals to give back, especially at the moment when the ability to secure legal work experience is very difficult, and I look forward to seeing how the students develop their skills and knowledge of this niche area as the scheme progresses.”
