Spotlight: CWHLS CSR & Pro Bono Committee

SUB-COMMITTEES

Spotlight: CWHLS CSR & Pro Bono Committee

After a year’s hiatus due to the pandemic, the CWHLS CSR & Pro Bono Committee returned in 2022, welcoming new Chair Debjani Biswas-Hawkes (Head of Not-for-Profits Programme and Secondary Specialisation at LawWorks – the Solicitors Pro Bono Group).

As a first step, the Committee are pleased to announce the addition of an ‘Advice’ section to the Society’s website, where members of the public can be signposted to local advice services.

Another focus for the Committee in 2022 will be to showcase volunteering opportunities to members of the Society; and to spotlight volunteers. Debjani begins with the Committee itself, interviewing its newest member Chris White.

DBH: Hi Chris, would you start by telling us about your work?

CW: I am a senior lawyer with the Government Legal Department and I am currently advising the Ministry of Defence, having previously advised the Department for International Trade and the Department for Work and Pensions.

DBH: Would you also tell us about your volunteering?

CW: I started volunteering with South Westminster Legal Advice Centre (SWLAC) 8 years ago as a legal advisor attending once a week. Over the years I have become more involved with SWLAC, becoming a supervising solicitor and then a trustee. SWLAC is a fantastic organisation that provides legal advice on a range of issues (apart from immigration and social security) to residents of Westminster. I have enjoyed and learnt so much from being a part of SWLAC and see it as a small way of giving something back using the skills that I have as a lawyer.

DBH: Why is pro bono so important?

CW: Pro bono advice is becoming the only way that most individuals can understand their legal rights and obligations. As lawyers who are trained to understand what is becoming an ever more complicated legal landscape it is important that we play our part to ensure that these people are supported. Not only this but I think that being involved in pro bono work can help us lawyers become more socially responsible and better lawyers.

DBH: Shining a light on SWLAC – how did it adapt to the pandemic?

CW: Having been a face-to-face only advice service before the pandemic, SWLAC was forced to develop an entirely new method of delivery to ensure that those that needed advice were able to receive it. At first that involved encouraging people to email their queries into a central inbox and these requests for advice being allocated to a relevant advisor. As the pandemic continued, we honed our service, adopting the case management system Intralinks and revamping our website to make our service more accessible for those that needed advice; and easier for those lawyers who were providing advice remotely.

DBH: What lessons were learned from a pivot to digital advice delivery?

CW: The key lesson has been that, despite the many benefits of a digital advice service, there is a real need for face-to-face support. There are many vulnerable people who simply cannot access the digital service and the reality is that a digital only service removes some of the (non-legal) support and reassurance that speaking face-to-face can provide. As such, SWLAC is looking to ensure that it retains some of the advantages of our digital service, but integrates this into our original faceto-face service.

DBH: How have you found it returning to in-person clinic appointments?

CW: After such a long time not being in front of clients, it has taken time to get back into the swing of things, but it has been really good to get back into the community and provide much needed advice to those that need it. The nature of our service has slightly changed and we are now operating from a new location (The Abbey Centre) but we are excited about how we can evolve our service to engage with as many people as possible. To do this we are always looking for new lawyers to volunteer their time and if you are interested in getting involved then please email swlac@live.com.

DBH: Finally, do you have any advice for those wanting to run a hybrid advice service?

CW: I think the key is not to overcomplicate things: any digital innovations should complement a face-to-face service. We have found that the digital side is best used to make it easier for volunteer lawyers to provide advice, while the face-to-face approach is still really important for clients.

DBH: Thank you Chris!

For information on how to get involved with local pro bono, email the CSR & Pro Bono Committee via csr.pro.bono. cwhls@gmail.com.