Spotlight on... Vulnerable Groups
At Travers Smith, we are committed to using our legal capabilities to address environmental risk and promote sustainability, to defend the vulnerable and promote a positive and inclusive global society where opportunities are available to all and the rule of law is respected.
"The firm's Pro Bono Practice has more than doubled in size in the last year. I'm extremely proud of what we have achieved across the firm and excited about what lies ahead."
Sam Cottman, Director of Pro Bono
October 2020
We were recognised for our work during the COVID pandemic as part of the UK Collaborative Plan for Pro Bono (which is made up of 60+ law firms), who, building on their expertise of previous crises and the importance of working together, identified and allocated urgent areas of legal need to be monitored or addressed. Travers Smith took the lead on domestic abuse. Find out more on the Law Society Excellence Awards 2020.
November 2020
Sam received this award, awarded jointly by the City of London Law Society (CLLS) and City of London Solicitor’s Company, in recognition of his contribution to Pro Bono over the years, bringing in partnerships and programmes to the firm, and since March 2020, acting as the firm’s first Director of Pro Bono. Read more about the CLLS Wig & Pen Prize.
November 2020
Raphaella's well-deserved recognition is a testament to not only the great pro bono work she delivers but also the example she sets to others in the firm looking to get involved with pro bono. Raphaella has been actively involved in pro bono since joining Travers Smith and has been involved with some very large pro bono projects including the Chancery Lane Project (CLP), Access Social Care (Access), General Legal Advice Clinic and Refugees at Home. Read the full shortlist of LawWorks 2020 Pro Bono Awards.
November 2020
Sam received this award in recognition of his commitment to Pro Bono over the years as well as the impact he has already had on the firm since taking on his new role as Director of Pro Bono in March, including delivering important new clients and partnerships to the firm such as The Chancery Lane Project, Charity: Water, the Green Finance Institute and the National Centre for Domestic Violence (NCDV). Read the full shortlist of LawWorks 2020 Pro Bono Awards.
October 2020
Shortlisted for our work with City YMCA London on the construction of their new 146 bed hostel and on their transformative merger with YMCA North London. Particular congratulations to Adam Mullen, Holly Norman and Daniel Gerring who have been leading this work.
November 2020
Shortlisted for our Domestic Violence Advocacy Unit (DVAU). The DVAU was established in 2019 and works alongside the National Centre for Domestic Violence in providing advocacy services for victims of domestic violence. The DVAU is unique in the City and is delivering some life-changing results. View the full shortlist of LawWorks 2020 Pro Bono Awards.
May 2021
Shortlisted for our work in relation to domestic abuse. We received this shortlisting in recognition of our holistic approach and the wide range of projects we undertake in this field. This has included: pro bono work such as the Domestic Violence Advocacy Unit and the Family Law Clinic at University House; wider CSR projects promoting positive masculinity both internally and externally (including funding the production of a positive masculinity video for one of our pro bono clients, the Lotus Flower, with the goal of reducing gender-based violence in the Iraqi refugee camps); and the launch of the firm's domestic abuse policy.
The focus of Edition 1 of the Pro Bono Review is on our work for Vulnerable Groups (refugees, domestic abuse, human trafficking, mental health, homelessness and vulnerable children). Our work in this area is longstanding, innovative and award winning.
In particular, this Edition will highlight the pro bono projects that we are currently working on concerning survivors of domestic abuse and refugees.
The Pro Bono Programme consists of four pillars, building on our existing pro bono expertise and focussing on pressing needs of society locally and globally by targeting the most impactful partnerships and legal work in the following sectors:
Our climate and environment focussed work has become an integral part of our overall pro bono offering. Our relationships with the Chancery Lane Project (a legal movement to speed the UK's journey to net zero), World Wildlife Fund (the world's leading independent conservation organisation), Charity: Water (a leading global clean water charity) and the Kafue Foundation (an anti-poaching charity operating in the 2nd largest national park in Africa) form the foundation of an impactful and inspiring client list.
Our sustainability work is focussed around supporting impact investing and innovation funds such as the Impact Investing Institute (where we are a founding pro bono panel member) and Social and Sustainable Capital (one of the UK’s first social investment funds). We are also one of only two pro bono advisers to the Green Finance Institute as they speed the transition to a green and sustainable economy.
Diversity and Inclusion is at the heart of who we are as a firm. It is an area where our commitment has grown exponentially over the years. Our commitment to diversity and inclusion is reflected in our deep involvement with numerous organisations, including Just Like Us, Giving Time and Strive.
Social mobility is a cornerstone of diversity. Opportunities should be available to all, on merit alone. Part of our work in this area includes key partnerships with Think Forward (a charity focussed on reducing youth unemployment by providing long-term personalised coaching to young people at the highest risk of unemployment), and Foundervine (an award-winning social enterprise focused on running immersive start-up acceleration programmes that help young people from under-represented communities imagine and grow new ventures). We have a number of other important clients in this space including Speakers for Schools and the Widening Access Network.
At Travers Smith we are very aware that we are amongst the most fortunate in society. As such, we want to support those who otherwise have nowhere else to go and who would face serious exploitation absent proper support. These groups include: refugees, victims of domestic violence, victims of human trafficking, those at risk of homelessness, those with mental health conditions and vulnerable children.
No society, local or global, can thrive where the rule of law is not respected. Travers Smith will stand up against threatened or actual challenges to the rule of law at the local and global levels.
An example of recent work is our corporate partnership with JUSTICE, an all-party law reform and human rights organisation working to strengthen the justice system – administrative, civil and criminal – in the United Kingdom. Travers Smith has been the Corporate partner for JUSTICE's expert panel investigation into the over representation of BAME youth in the criminal youth justice system and helped produce the Tackling Racial Injustice: Children and the Youth Justice System paper. The report was launched on 25 February 2021 by David Lammy MP and Baroness Young, and sets out 45 recommendations which include (i) creating a national framework for diversion (to ensure children everywhere can receive specialist support not prosecution); (ii) abolishing the ‘Gangs Violence Matrix’ (which indiscriminately includes thousands of BAME children and young adults, threatening their access to education and jobs); and (iii) mandating that police turn on their body worn video cameras before every stop and search (so that improper conduct is prevented or caught).
Read Sam's profile in the Law Gazette.
Listen to Priya in conversation with Kath Russ, Senior Partner, below. They explore to which extent social responsibility impacts the culture of our firm, and why it is important for the firm and us individually to give back to the wider society.
