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2026 3rd Place Essay - "An Evaluation of Race-Based Discrimination inSchool Discipline"
Congratulations to Ryan John-Baptiste, from New College Doncaster on achieving third place on the 2026 Justice Pathways Programme 'Justice Brief' Competition! Prompt: " S tudies suggest that some groups of students are more likely to receive exclusions or serious disciplinary sanctions. Focus on one protected characteristic (such as race, disability, or special educational needs) and explain how discrimination law is meant to protect students in schools. Then assess whether c
LSE Pro Bono
Apr 144 min read
2026 Runner-Up essay - "ADHD and Discrimination in School Discipline"
Congratulations to Liam Conte, from the Fortismere School on achieving second place on the 2026 Justice Pathways Programme 'Justice Brief' Competition! Prompt: " S tudies suggest that some groups of students are more likely to receive exclusions or serious disciplinary sanctions. Focus on one protected characteristic (such as race, disability, or special educational needs) and explain how discrimination law is meant to protect students in schools. Then assess whether current
LSE Pro Bono
Apr 145 min read
2026 Winning Essay - "Stop and search in schools and youth spaces"
Congratulations to Maya Maimaris, from the Henrietta Barnett School on achieving first place on the 2026 Justice Pathways Programme 'Justice Brief' Competition! Prompt: " Police sometimes use stop-and-search powers around schools, parks, and transport hubs. Explain what the law says about when stop and search is allowed, and discuss whether its use around young people is fair and proportionate. Suggest one change that could reduce harm while still allowing police to prevent c
LSE Pro Bono
Apr 145 min read
From Bosnia to the Bar Council: Kirsty Brimelow KC on What Pro Bono can actually achieve
Kirsty Brimelow KC - Deputy High Court judge, elected Chair of the Bar Council, and one of the most prominent human rights barristers practising at the English Bar - recently visited LSE to speak to the Law Society's Pro Bono Division. What followed was a rare account of a legal career built, in large part, around pro bono work: not as a supplement to practice, but as its animating force. Brimelow did not arrive at human rights law in a straight line. She began her pupillage
LSE Pro Bono
Apr 134 min read
The hardest emissions to cut, and the legal framework trying to cut them
This article was written by Elena Askew-Renaut, a second-year Politics & Philosophy student at the LSE and Head of Communications for the Website & Blog of the LSESU Pro Bono Division of the Law Society. On 4 March 2025, Imogen Ormerod and Trisha Dasgupta, managing associates in Linklaters' Energy and Infrastructure group, visited LSE to speak to the Law Society's Pro Bono Division about a project that sits at the frontier of both climate finance and legal innovation. There i
LSE Pro Bono
Apr 135 min read
The World Is Going Orange: how a new class of bond is financing women's futures
This article was written by Elena Askew-Renaut, a second-year Politics & Philosophy student at the LSE and Head of Communications for the Website & Blog of the LSESU Pro Bono Division of the Law Society. On 13 November 2025, Ella Rees, associate in the Derivatives and Structured Finance practice at A&O Shearman, visited LSE to speak to the Law Society's Pro Bono Division. This event was organised by the Awareness team of the Pro Bono Division , led by Natalie Cheung. What beg
LSE Pro Bono
Apr 138 min read
The role of pressure groups and charities in the protection of rights
This article was written by Jojo Mooc, a first-year LLB student at the LSE and Communications Officer for the Website & Blog of the LSESU Pro Bono Division of the Law Society. Whilst the archetypal image of interest groups turning to litigation seems more in line with American ideals, it is perhaps forgotten that UK groups also engage in this type of action. One justification of this may stem from the fact that the landscape of the UK is shaped by political constitutionalism
LSE Pro Bono
Apr 136 min read
Law Beyond the Lecture Hall: Inside LSE's Street Law Programme
Introduction , by Anna Pang The Street Law initiative is a global education program that aims to increase legal literacy and empower different communities through advancing the accessibility of legal-related education. Over the past year, the LSE Street Law Programme delivered sessions to 4 Sixth-Form colleges across London in collaboration with the Southwark Schools Learning Partnership (SSLP). It was especially important for us to designate a part of our outreach to Sixth
LSE Pro Bono
Apr 134 min read
When the Justice System Goes Digital: Who Gets Left Behind?
This article was written by Nazneen Bhatia, a first-year LLB student at the LSE and Communications Officer for the Website & Blog of the LSESU Pro Bono Division of the Law Society. Courts, government services, and legal processes are becoming increasingly digital — from online benefit claims and virtual hearings to automated decision-making. While this is often presented as “modernisation”, for many vulnerable people it creates new barriers to justice rather than removing the
LSE Pro Bono
Mar 57 min read
The LSE Legal Advice Clinic: Everything you need to know
This article was written by Nazneen Bhatia, a first-year LLB student at the LSE and Communications Officer for the Website & Blog of the LSESU Pro Bono Division of the Law Society. Many aspiring lawyers are aware of ‘cuts to legal aid’, a headline which often features in the media. Yet, many people are unaware of the detrimental implications of these ‘cuts’ and how LSE is taking an active stance to safeguard access to justice. Legal Aid was first established in England and Wa
LSE Pro Bono
Feb 27 min read
What the politicisation of the ECHR reveals about legal literacy
This article was written by Jojo Mooc, a first-year LLB student at the LSE and Communications Officer for the Website & Blog of the LSESU Pro Bono Division of the Law Society. With the 75th anniversary of the ECHR this past November, it is timely to reflect on the role the Convention has played in shaping a rights culture within the UK, particularly in practice rather than in abstraction. Although its status has long sat within the Overton window , with recurring proposals fo
LSE Pro Bono
Feb 25 min read
The Rwanda policy: a conversation with Jennifer MacLeod
The LSESU Pro Bono Division of the Law Society hosted barrister Jennifer MacLeod for a panel on the legality and practical reality of the UK government’s Rwanda policy. The event was organised by Natalie Cheung, Head of Awareness. This article was written by Elena Askew-Renaut, a second-year BSc Politics and Philosophy student at the LSE, and Head of Communications for the Website & Blog of the LSESU Pro Bono Division of the Law Society. For readers unfamiliar with the litiga
LSE Pro Bono
Jan 164 min read
The LSE Legal Advice Centre: A Student’s Perspective
A, second-year LLB student, Kiera Fernandes, shares her experiences of volunteering at the LSE Legal Advice Clinic as a Student Advisor.
Kiera Fernandes
Jul 20, 20254 min read