Alice Irving shortlisted as Legal Aid Newcomer of the Year

Doughty Street Chambers is delighted to announce Alice Irving has been nominated for Legal Aid Newcomer at LAPG’s 2021 Legal Aid Lawyer of the Year Awards.

Her nomination for the award has stemmed from her impressive work in both housing and education over the past year. In housing, Alice has been at the coalface of helping keep often very vulnerable people in their homes at this most difficult of times. She strives to support her clients in a holistic manner, advising also on connected community care, data protection and disability discrimination issues.

During the Covid-19 pandemic, Alice has been involved in challenges to discriminatory government measures, with positive change achieved following pre-action correspondence. For example, she advised on legal correspondence which led to a change in the government guidance on self-isolation following overseas travel. An exception for disabled individuals was added to the guidance. She was a member of the legal team working with the #EveryDeathCounts campaign, which campaigned for publication of accessible data on the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on people with learning disabilities. Alice was also instructed on the important case of Shaw v SSE, challenging the downgrading of duties owed to children and young people with EHCPs during the pandemic, as well as R (L) v Devon CC and CC v HMT. 

Chris Minnoch, CEO of LAPG, which organises the LALY awards on a not-for-profit basis to celebrate the work of social justice lawyers, says:

‘This year's finalists give an insight into the range, depth and breadth of the incredible life-changing work that social justice lawyers do - and the vital role they play in ensuring access to justice for individuals, families and communities. It is testimony to the importance of the LALY awards to the legal aid sector that we had a bumper crop of compelling and inspiring nominations this year - despite the extreme pressures we are all facing due to the pandemic.’

The winners of the 12 awards will be announced at a virtual ceremony, which will be broadcast lives on 6 July, following the success of last year's 'lockdown LALYs'. To register for the virtual event, click here.