Posted: 07/11/2025
Pro Bono Week is an opportunity for us to celebrate the contribution of volunteers from across Penningtons Manches Cooper who offer free legal support to those in need. Our pro bono committee, led by Louise Taylor, has expanded our pro bono programme in recent years, embedding it more deeply in our firm's culture and values.
To mark the week, we are spotlighting some of the pro bono work our volunteers are doing, the clients they're supporting, and the real-world impact they're making.
Our immigration team continues to work with United Legal Access to support clients applying to the government's Windrush Compensation Scheme. Senior associate Sophie Spector, associate Jen Parker, and knowledge paralegal James Isaac, are currently assisting an Australian-born client who has lived in the UK since childhood. Despite holding permanent status, she only received her first British passport in 2024 and faced significant barriers due to the hostile environment policies introduced in the early 2010s.
“Our client was unable to meet right-to-work checks, which had a huge impact on her ability to earn a living,” Sophie explains. With the team’s help, she has already received £70,000 in compensation, and a further claim is underway to reflect the full extent of her lost earnings.
Volunteers from other teams are also getting involved. Tom Perkins and James Notton, associates in our IT, IP and commercial team, are working together on another Windrush case.
“We’re mid-way through a compensation claim and hope to submit it soon,” Tom shares. “It’s been a fascinating experience – a real shift from our usual transactional work.”
Tom highlights how the process has sharpened their skills in evidence gathering and strategic thinking. “We’ve reviewed witness statements and documents obtained via data subject access requests (DSARs). It’s been eye-opening and rewarding.”
Most importantly, the client feedback speaks volumes. “Despite the lengthy process, our client is incredibly appreciative. It’s a powerful reminder of the real-world impact we can have.”
Finally, Louise Taylor, a senior associate in our clinical negligence team as well as our pro bono committee chair, is collaborating with Regina Meliji, a paralegal in our commercial dispute resolution team, on preparing a case for the daughter of a Jamaican-born Windrush client who was awarded £20,450 for the impact on her quality of life.
Louise says: “It became apparent when taking witness evidence from my client’s daughter that she may have her own claim as a family member due to the impact of repeated possession proceedings and having to leave university on several occasions to help her mum make rent payments.”
“I have been working with this family for years, and it has been a privilege to do so. Our clients’ capacity for gratitude and resilience in the face of much adversity, and unfair treatment, is both humbling and inspiring.”
Managing associate in our employment team Sophie Whitbread has been a long-time supporter of the Anglia Ruskin University (ARU) clinic, providing employment law advice to individuals navigating difficult workplace disputes.
“I advised a client facing a preliminary tribunal hearing where her employment status was being challenged,” Sophie recalls. “I helped her focus her arguments and present her case effectively.”
Months later, Sophie discovered the client had been successful in proving her employment status, allowing her to continue with her claim. “It’s a reminder that even brief advice can have a lasting impact.”
Jen Parker coordinates our immigration team’s pro bono efforts through the ARU law clinic, tackling a wide range of complex queries.
“Cases range from EU Settlement Scheme applications to asylum and nationality issues,” Jen explains. “With legal aid in immigration so restricted, and application costs rising, many people are forced to self-represent. Clinics like this are a lifeline.”
Bronagh Adams, senior associate in our commercial dispute resolution team, shares an update on the team’s work with the Citizens Advice clinic at the Royal Courts of Justice.
Bronagh, who runs the project, explains: “Fifteen of us are on a rota, attending remote appointments to provide procedural advice to individuals at various stages of their civil claims."
“From striking out claims to enforcing judgments, the issues are diverse and keep us sharp on civil procedure. So far this financial year, the team has contributed around 56 hours of support – and preparations are already underway for the next round of appointments in January.”
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