Pro bono and legal practice in the city

Join us for a panel event comprised of speakers from leading law firms in the City and chaired by Peter Crisp, Dean of BPP Law School.

The evening will begin at 6pm sharp with an introduction from the Dean followed by a lively discussion on combining life in the City with a strong pro bono ethic.

There will be an opportunity to ask questions of the panel and the evening will end with an informal drinks reception.

Date: 6 February 2012

Time: 6pm

Location: BPP Law School

68-70 Red Lion Street

London, WC1R 4NY

What will i gain from the discussion?

Guidance on how a desire to be a successful commercial lawyer can work alongside your desire to use your skills to help vulnerable communities around the world

Inspiration from the personal accounts of lawyers at the top of their profession

Information on how commercial law firms’ graduate recruitment policies encourage pro bono engagement from students

Tips and best practice for trainees and young lawyers to shine at the same time as undertaking pro bono

To connect with other attendees of this event and ask questions in advance, use the #bpplaw hashtag.

Nick is an environmental lawyer at Weil Gotshal & Manges and is co-head of the firm's London office's CR and Pro Bono programme whose clients include Oxfam, Plan International, NSPCC, Scope and Tearfund.

He is involved with a number award-winning projects, being (i) a founder and trustee of Advocates for International Development, a charity providing free legal advice in support of the achievement of the Millenium Development Goals, (ii) a founder and chair of the Legal Response Initiative which provides free legal support to developing countries participating in the UN climate change negotiations, and (iii) a trustee of Global Giving, a web platform for development related donations.

Nick speaks and writes regularly about law, climate change, rights and other development issues.

Julie Dickins trained and qualified as a solicitor at London law firm Rowe & Maw, where she specialised in property litigation for almost 20 years.

Since 1998, she has been the partner responsible for UK pro bono and community work at first Rowe & Maw and then its successor, Mayer Brown International LLP, and devotes her time to co-ordinating these activities and organising charitable events.

She established and chairs the firm’s UK CSR and European pro bono committees, and helps formulate policy on the global pro bono steering committee. Julie is a PILnet Council member and a trustee of LawWorks.

PANEL SPEAKERS

Julie Dickens
Partner, Mayer Brown International LLP

Nick Flynn
Partner, Weil, Gotshal & Manges

Paul Newdick
Partner, Clyde & Co LLP

Paul is a partner at Clyde & Co where he has worked since 1982. He leads Clyde & Co's Employment team and heads up the firm’s Dispute Resolution Group. Paul chairs on the firm’s Community Council, which co-ordinates the firm's charitable giving, pro bono activities and community volunteering.

Paul is a founding trustee and current chair of LawWorks. His involvement in pro bono started when he set up a student clinic at Leeds in the 1970’s. Since then he has volunteered at NCCL (now Liberty), North Kensington Law Centre, Tottenham Law Centre, Peckham CAB and the Royal Courts of Justice CAB. On the organisational side of pro bono, prior to helping to set up the Solicitors Pro Bono Group (now LawWorks), Paul founded the Cablinx initiative with Citizens Advice and sat on the Management Committee at Tottenham Law Centre.

Paul received a CBE for his legal pro bono work in the 2008 Queen's Birthday honours.

PANEL DISCUSSION