A conference marking the contribution that civil legal aid has made to the development of the law.

Keynote address: Lady Hale will give the keynote speech and delegates will hear
from experts across different fields about key cases and areas for development to
improve the law.

Date: Friday 5 April 2019
Venue:Herbert Smith Freehills LLP
Exchange House, Primrose St, London EC2A 2EG

Conference programme
09.00 Registration
Opportunity to speak to sponsors/exhibitors and network
Morning sessions are all plenary and will be held in the auditorium
09.45 Welcome
Steve Hynes, Director, Legal Action Group
10.00 Keynote speech
President of The Supreme Court, The Right Hon the Baroness Hale of Richmond DBE
10.30 Key Achievements and Omissions
Expert analysis of key developments in public law, social welfare, family and inquest law
and how to extend the reach to increase access to justice
Chair: Stephen Knafler QC, Landmark Chambers
Part 1 Social Welfare and Family Law
Sue James, Hammersmith & Fulham Law Centre
Jawaid Luqmani, Luqmani Thompson & Partners
Cris McCurley, Ben Hoare Bell LLP
Karen Ashton, Central England Law Centre
11.15 Coffee
Opportunity to speak to sponsors/exhibitors and network
11.30 Part 2 Public Law and Inquests
Sara Lomri, Public Law Project
Marcia Willis Stewart QC (Hon), Birnberg Peirce
Fiona Murphy, Doughty Street
Amanda Weston QC, Garden Court
12.15 Future proofing: digital innovation and access to justice
Chair: Joe de Wet, LEAP
Richard Miller, The Law Society.
Terry Stokes, Chief Executive LASA
Martin Barnes, LawWorks
Gareth Morgan, Ferret Information Systems
Fiona Booth, Genie AI
Thank you to our supporters
13.00 Lunch
Opportunity to speak to sponsors/exhibitors and network
13.50 Plenary
LASPO Review Team – civil legal aid – what next?
Round up from Fiona Rutherford, Deputy Director of Legal Aid Policy
Ministry of Justice LASPO review team
14.10 Masterclasses
Key cases, recent developments and hot topic delivered by experts in their field.
Delegates can choose two of six topics (one from Masterclasses 1 and one from
Masterclasses 2).
14.10 Masterclasses 1
a) Public law: speakers from Public Law Project
b) Housing law: John Gallagher, principal solicitor, Shelter and Diane Astin, solicitor,
Deighton Pierce Glynn
c) Civil legal aid – looking forward: contributor to Legal Aid Handbook and Chris Minnoch,
chief executive, Legal Aid Practitioners Group
15.00 Tea
15.20 Masterclasses 2
a) Disability and children’s rights cases: Steve Broach, Monckton Chambers and Polly
Sweeney, Irwin Mitchell
b) Migrant support: Shu Shin Luh, Garden Court Chambers; Deborah Gellner, Asylum
Support Appeals Project (ASAP) and Connor Johnston, Garden Court Chambers
c) Rights of people in detention: Laura Dubinsky, Doughty Street Chambers,
Hamish Arnott and Simon Creighton, Bhatt Murphy
16.10 Plenary
The greatest legal aid case of all time – the big vote
Chair: Helena Kennedy, Baroness Kennedy of the Shaws QC
Six three-minute presentations followed by a vote for the greatest civil legal aid case
16.45 Closing remarks
Dr Laura Janes, Chair of Legal Action Group, Legal Director of the Howard League for
Penal Reform
17.00 Drinks reception

To book tickets, please go to the LAG website: www.lag,org.uk