CCLC immigration solicitor Sophie Freeman has been named Legal Aid Lawyer of the Year in the social and welfare law category.
The Legal Aid Lawyer of the Year awards (LALYs), an annual prestigious awards ceremony celebrating the the achievements of legal aid practitioners, took place on Tuesday 17th July in London.
Sophie has worked at CCLC since June 2012, and is our senior immigration and asylum solicitor. She has particular expertise working with young people with mental health problems, and regularly represents victims of trafficking and young people at risk of persecution as a result of their sexual orientation or gender identity. Her nomination contained testimony from former clients and colleagues, and detailed many legal successes as well as her day to day commitment to securing the best outcomes for her clients.
Among notable cases, Sophie (along with former colleague Jane Barrett) had conduct of CCLC’s intervention in the case of R (SM & Others) v Secretary of State for the Home Department [2013] EWHC 1144 (Admin) in which the High Court found the then Home Office policy on Discretionary Leave to be unlawful because it did not allow the proper consideration of children’s best interests when deciding the duration of leave to remain to be granted to them.
Also among the winners were the next President of the Family Division and the solicitor who challenged the Parole Board decision to release black-cab rapist John Worboys.
CCLC is very proud of Sophie and our whole staff team.
Photo credit: Legal Aid Practitioners Group
