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Be the Future of Legal Aid Practice
Career Opportunities in Social Welfare Law
Crime, Civil and Community legal services
We are a leader in our field, offering “Expert legal help for individuals” and providing the full range of Social Welfare Law services, from debt advice to VHCCs. Our offices in Sheffield and Rotherham have expanded so that we now employ 150 staff and are one of the largest suppliers of Legal Aid in the country.
In 2006 we formed a strategic partnership with A4e (www.a4e.co.uk) Our partnership has already been successful in winning contracts with the Legal Services Commission to deliver Community Legal Advice Direct, the Family Direct Pilot, and the Leicester Community Legal Advice Centre (CLAC). Through these projects contracts we now employ a further 70 staff at our Sheffield Call Centre and Leicester. We are presently the preferred bidders for the Hull CLAC.
Following the announcement of the legal aid “Route Maps” we are expanding our current contracts and offices, and building our capacity to deliver further contracts.
Our vision is simple; we will be the largest and best quality provider, of Social Welfare Law in England and Wales. For applicants who share our vision, we can offer careers that match their commitment to personal development opportunities.
For further information and details of how to apply for current vacancies go to our Vacancies section and click on the relevant Reference. |
Human rights expert Peter Mahy – one of our partners – is this week’s Times Lawyer of the Week, following his submission to the European Court of Human Rights on the cases of two Sheffield men who are fighting to have their DNA and fingerprints removed from the police database after they were arrested but not convicted of any crimes.
The long-running legal case was the subject of a rare oral hearing in front of the most senior judges at the ECHR and Peter is now awaiting the result – which he reckons could be one of the most significant legal decisions for a generation.
“We argued that retaining the samples of people who have either not been prosecuted or have been acquitted of a crime is a fundamental breach of their human rights – and if we are successful, not only our clients, but thousands of other innocent people throughout the UK will have their DNA and fingerprint samples destroyed.”
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Media release
Inquest into the death of Stephen Brown
The inquest into the death of Stephen Brown - who died in Doncaster Royal Infirmary on 19th March 2003 after being taken there from Doncaster prison earlier the same day - concluded yesterday.
During the inquest, which lasted over four weeks the Jury heard about the circumstances in which Stephen died. The jury heard a great deal of evidence about lack of appropriate baseline checks when Stephen first entered prison on 13th March 2003, failure to carry out medical checks when he became unwell in the detox unit in spite of pleas fr... [ more ]
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Award marks top student achievement
Rotherham student Angelica Howe will be heading off to Lincoln University in September with a brand new camera –thanks to Howells’ solicitors, who once again this year have been supporting the art and design programme at RCAT.
18 year-old Angelica received her award for top student of the year from Mary Rose Macadam, a partner at Howells LLP - where she will be taking over as head of the firm’s Rotherham office in September.
Angelica began her studies at RCAT two years ago and has just achieved distinction for her national Diploma in Art and Design... [ more ]
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Solicitors act to clear confusion
Solicitors acting for clients in Rotherham are joining forces to ensure that local people know that, if they are arrested, they do still have the right to ask for a named solicitor.
Confusion seems to have set in since changes to the arrangements for police station advice were brought in by the Legal Services Commission on 14th January 2008. Instead of ringing solicitors directly – as they used to – the police now have to make these requests through a call centre, and this seems to have led, on occasion, to the incorrect message being given out that if... [ more ]
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Raising awareness of the many asylum seekers forced into destitution and sleeping rough is the aim of a national sleep out next Wednesday 5th March – and a group of people from Sheffield are planning to play their part by spending the night under the stars!
The event is being organised nationally by STAR and Amnesty International. Here in Sheffield, members of Assist Sheffield – the Asylum Seekers Support Initiative – Short Term – will join Sheffield University’s STAR Group and Sheffield’s Amnesty International group on the sleep out on the Sheffield University concourse, where they hope to... [ more ]
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Statement from Peter Mahy of Howells LLP re: today’s oral hearing at the European Court of Human Rights
“Over recent days, some people have been calling for a DNA database of all UK citizens.
“The UK government has said that they do not support the creation of a national database.
“We are delighted to have had the opportunity today to argue before the Grand Chamber of the European Court of Human Rights that the DNA of innocent people should be destroyed.
“We will have to wait for the judgment and it is likely to be the most important case on the human rights implications of retaini... [ more ]
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