Expert lawyers from Miles & Partners shortlisted for the 2022 LALY awards

Everyone at Miles & Partners are delighted to hear that two partners, Andrew Bowmer and Rajea Sultana, are finalists in the 2022 Legal Aid Lawyer of the Year (LALY) awards run by the Legal Aid Practitioners Group (LAPG).

Rajea Sultana, who is nominated for the Housing Law award, works tirelessly to help vulnerable people secure the right to accommodation and stay in their own accommodation. She also represents tenants and homeless people in disputes over tenancies, housing applications and local authority housing allocation decisions. Rajea volunteers at the Bromley-by-Bow Centre in Tower Hamlets, providing pro bono housing law advice at their free drop-in sessions.

Andrew Bowmer, nominated for the Social Welfare Law award, specialises in mental capacity law. He represents vulnerable adults and family members in the Court of Protection to protect the best interests of vulnerable adults. He is also frequently instructed by the Official Solicitor as litigation friend for vulnerable adults. Andrew was recognised as a ‘recommended lawyer’ and a ‘rising star’ in the 2022 Legal 500.

‘The entire team is delighted Rajea and Andrew have been chosen as finalists for the LALY awards,’ says managing partner, Kate Hammond, ‘Both are excellent lawyers who deserve recognition for their all their efforts and hard work.’

Being shortlisted for a LALY award is a major achievement. There will have been a large number of appreciative and congratulatory references obtained on their behalf from clients and other legal professionals. It is a testimony to the high-quality work Rajea and Andrew deliver while representing and advocating for their clients.

The other ten 2022 award categories for the LALY awards are:

• Legal Aid Newcomer;
• Legal Aid Support Staffer;
• Disability Rights;
• Family Law;
• Criminal Defence;
• Legal Aid Barrister;
• Legal Aid Firm/Not-for-Profit Agency;
• Regional Legal Aid Firm/Not-for-Profit Agency;
• Public Law; and
• Outstanding Achievement.

It is exciting to see the introduction of the Legal Aid Support Staffer award, a new category which celebrates the crucial work of legal aid support staff.

‘Every legal aid organisation in the country depends on its support staff, to keep the lights on, and to ensure lawyers and advisers are able to do their jobs and deliver access to justice for clients,’ comments Chris Minnoch, CEO of LAPG.

The winners will be announced at a live ceremony in central London on 12 July 2022.

Click here for more information about the LAPG LALY awards.

LAPG is a membership body representing legal aid practitioners in England and Wales and the clients they serve. LAPG believe that access to justice is a fundamental right and have campaigned for many years for a fair, comprehensive and accessible legal aid scheme. Click here to find out more about LAPG.

The contents of this article are for the purposes of general awareness only. They do not purport to constitute legal or professional advice. The law may have changed since this article was published. Readers should not act on the basis of the information included and should take appropriate professional advice upon their own particular circumstances.