University Making Impressive Legal Challenge at Top Awards

19th September 2014

Students in a University law school are jostling with some of the biggest names in the legal profession after winning acclaim for the way they undertake voluntary work to help the Sheffield community.

Sheffield Hallam University's pro-bono work has led to them being the only University to be nominated at the Law Society Excellence Awards, which will be held on 9 October. Pro-bono work involves lawyers providing legal advice to clients at no charge. The University's team, part of its law and criminology department, has been working on a number of pro-bono schemes including offering free wills as part of Free Wills Month. They are also launching a helpdesk at Sheffield Combined Court Centre which offers free legal advice in October. Anna Deans, supervising solicitor and module leader of Hallam Law at Sheffield Hallam, said: "Hallam Law is one of the longest-established legal clinics in the country and without it thousands of people would have no access to legal advice. "We continue to find new ways to support this valuable work and strengthen our links with the South Yorkshire community. To be shortlisted in this award is impressive as we are the only university in a list that includes some of the biggest legal firms in the country." The team will face competition on the night from companies including DLA Piper, Henry Hyams Solicitors and Hogan Lovells. The awards see law firms and individual lawyers having the opportunity to shine in the most prestigious legal profession awards ceremony of the year.