People bereaved and injured following the attack London Bridge will be offered free legal advice through a panel of solicitor firms to be convened by the Law Society of England and Wales with LawWorks, the solicitors’ pro bono charity, and the City of London Law Society.
England and Wales Law Society president Robert Bourns said: “Those affected by this terrible attack will be dealing with enormous personal distress - physical, emotional or otherwise.
“That will be exacerbated by unforeseen and sometimes complex legal issues caused by this event.
“We hope free legal advice will assist victims of last Saturday’s attack in London to deal with any distressing practical issues that arise and relieve just a little of the worry.
“The legal profession is concerned and keen to offer support to those who are suffering terrible loss, injuries and other trauma.
“We will be asking London solicitor firms with the relevant expertise to register with the pro bono panel if they wish to offer legal advice and support free of charge to those affected by these terrible events.
“The panel will operate on a referral basis so that the process is as easy as possible for victims. We are reaching out to the relevant agencies in London to this end.”
With LawWorks, we are establishing infrastructure to ensure a system that works smoothly now and into the future for those accessing and offering advice through the panel.
In light of the huge response by solicitor firms to a similar call for pro bono by Manchester Law Society after the attack at the Manchester arena, in the first instance we are asking for offers from solicitor firms in London.
Protocols will ensure a consistent, high quality of relevant pro bono legal advice is given to all who use the panel.
Firms and solicitors wishing to volunteer should e-mail: londonprobono@LawSociety.org.uk.
