Oscar night for legal aid

The shortlist for this year’s Legal Aid Lawyer of the Year awards (LALYs)—the equivalent of the Oscars for legal aid lawyers—has been announced.

The 28 finalists for the 10th annual LALYs include: human rights firm Public Interest Lawyers; solicitor Julian Hayes, who acted in the “Ricin Plot Trial”; and Razia Jogi, partner at Switalskis in Bradford, who champions domestic-violence and forced-marriage victims.

Also shortlisted are Hodge Jones & Allen solicitor Raj Chada, who has acted for protesters including “Jonnie Marbles”, who threw a foam pie at Rupert Murdoch; and Tunde Okewale, of Doughty Street Chambers, who founded urbanlawyers.co.uk, a rights education project.

Michael Mansfield QC will present the awards at a ceremony on 12 June.

Carol Storer, director of the Legal Aid Practitioners Group, which organises the awards, says: “The nominations in all categories were terrific.”