Lawyers loco-motivated for free advice collaboration

Up to 40 lawyers will be jumping aboard a Virgin Trains First Class coach between London and Manchester to brainstorm ideas on how to increase collaboration and joined-up thinking in providing legal services to charities and those in financial hardship across the country.

Lawyers who work “pro bono” are this year splitting their bi-annual conference between London and Manchester and are using the 07:20 service from Euston to Manchester as the perfect link between the two cities. They have been given exclusive use of the coach to discuss and debate issues on the train as they travel between the conferences.

Solicitors, barristers, legal executives and law students regularly give free advice to meet unmet legal needs, at law centres and clinics across England and Wales.

Ming Kong, Chair, Conference Organising Committee, said: “Many from the legal profession already enjoy and understand the benefits of high speed train travel and this we felt was a fantastic opportunity to use valuable thinking time to come up with some fresh and innovative ideas."

Rebecca Hilsenrath, Chief Executive, LawWorks, said: “We are holding one day of the Conference this year in Manchester as part of a focus to encourage joined-up thinking on pro bono delivery across the country. We are extremely grateful to Virgin Trains for providing transport to this event and supporting our conversation, which will continue from London to Manchester, about increasing collaboration and coordination.”

Arthur Leathley, Communications Director for Virgin Trains said: ”We are absolutely delighted that the pro-bono group of lawyers are using one of our trains as a backdrop to their conference. We certainly hope that they find the two hour journey time productive and arrive in Manchester refreshed and ready to resume the more formal part of their conference.”

Virgin Trains runs a 20 minute interval service of trains linking London and Manchester seven days a week with most services taking a little over two hours for the 184 mile journey.

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For media information about the Law Society contact Catherine Reed at the Law Society Press Office on 020 7320 5902 or visit www.lawsocietymedia.org.uk

Notes to Editors

The Joint National Pro Bono Conference, which is sponsored by law firms Allen & Overy and Irwin Mitchell, is being held in 2009 for the second time. The first Conference took place in 2007. This year’s Conference will take place at Friends House in Euston on 9 November and Manchester Civil Justice Centre on 10 November. Details are at www.probonouk.net

The Conference is hosted jointly by LawWorks, the Bar Pro Bono Unit and ILEX, in association with the Advice Services Alliance and the Personal Support Unit.

The Conference takes place in National Pro Bono Week which this year runs from 9 to 13 November. Details of the week are at www.probonouk.net