Our Aim 

The LSESU Law Society Pro Bono Division is a subdivision within the Law Society. Our objective is to increase access to justice whether through shining a light on the pro bono work that legal practitioners engage with, fundraising, collaboration with university law clinics or through our educational initiatives. 

 

StreetLaw 

StreetLaw is the Pro Bono Division’’s flagship programme which provides LSE students with the ability to plan, design and deliver interactive workshops about topical legal issues to young people in the local community. Our goal is to empower young people to navigate the ever changing and ever complicated legal landscape.

 

Read about last year’s programme here: https://www.lselawprobono.com/post/law-beyond-the-lecture-hall-inside-lse-s-street-law-programme

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Events 

Our events centre around pro bono work in action, such as through university legal advice clinics and practising solicitors’ and barristers’ contributions. This year, we are also partnering with the Lawyers Without Borders Division (LWOB)  to host a collaborative talks series which will involve the intersection between upholding the rule of law and access to justice.

 

Read about our speaker event with Jennifer MacLeod who was involved in the Rwanda policy litigation here: https://www.lselawprobono.com/post/the-rwanda-policy-a-conversation-with-jennifer-macleod

 

Read about Kirsty Brimelow’s (Chair of the Bar Council) pro bono work here, when she came for a talk at LSE: https://www.lselawprobono.com/post/from-bosnia-to-the-bar-council-kirsty-brimelow-kc-on-what-pro-bono-can-actually-achieve

Fundraising 

We hold several fundraising events throughout the year, primarily to raise money for LawWorks, a charity which connects volunteer lawyers with people in need of legal advice who would otherwise be unable to access it. Some events to look forward to this academic year include The Great Legal Bake Sale, a Games Night and the Pro Bono Prelude. 

 

We also work closely with other fundraising organisations and initiatives, and are actively involved in the annual Pro Bono Week, which aims to recognise and support the voluntary contribution made by the legal profession to help those in need.

 

Justice Pathways Programme and Blog 

The Justice Pathways essay competition is our attempt to widen access to academic scholarship from an early stage in young people’s education. It provides the opportunity for sixth form students to not just consider black letter law, but how the law may affect them directly, such as through discussing the law’s inequity and questioning as to who the law really serves. 

 

Read last year’s winning entry here: https://www.lselawprobono.com/post/2026-winning-essay-stop-and-search-in-schools-and-youth-spaces

 

We also provide a forum for university students to submit their own articles regarding access to justice, litigation and student experiences of legal volunteering through our blog, Lex Libera. 

 

Read an example of a student submission here: https://www.lselawprobono.com/post/when-the-justice-system-goes-digital-who-gets-left-behind

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