London Marathon 2019: Adam runs for Access to Justice

Adam Ohringer, a barrister with Cloisters, will be running the London Marathon to raise funds for access to justice and Advocate… in a wig and gown!

Advocate will be at the London Marathon this year! Cloisters specialist employment barrister, Adam Ohringer, will be running the famous 26.5 miles on Sunday 28^th April to raise funds for Advocate’s work and to contribute to the fight for access to justice. Not only is he taking on the marathon in the name of pro bono work, but he will be running the grueling distance in a barrister’s wig and gown! Let’s just hope for that classic cold British Spring…

    Adam Ohringer, a barrister with Cloisters, specialises in employment law

“I have taken on cases for Advocate, previously the Bar Pro Bono Unit, throughout my career at the bar.  It’s not working for free; it’s lending your skills and experience to someone who desperately needs help.  But that is not enough.

Advocate also requires financial support to operate.  That is why I am raising funds for Advocate by running the London Marathon.  Any comparison between running a complex legal case and running a marathon is of course purely coincidental.”

– Adam Ohringer, Cloisters

Adam, not running late to court

Advocate exists to make sure people like Peter and Susan* have access to justice they deserve. Peter and Susan, a married couple, are pensioners who were referred to Advocate by their local Citizens Advice to seek representation in court from a barrister. A decision regarding costs had previously been made against them in a trial that had been conducted with serious breaches in procedure.

With no savings and no financial means to provide an effective defence themselves, Peter and Susan were facing homelessness, bankruptcy and financial destitution. They were also facing the daunting prospect of representing themselves in court without any legal knowledge or experience.

Advocate was able to find a volunteer barrister to represent them and together they were granted permission to appeal. This was a huge step forwards for the couple, for whom the imminent loss of their home was no longer an alarming reality. Peter and Susan expressed their gratitude to both the volunteer barrister and the Advocate:

“We are certain that this success was principally because of the fantastic assistance that the barrister provided. We would like to thank Advocate for this valuable help.

We feel sure that the charitable support you provide must have been a life-saver for many a drowning litigant in person! We certainly feel very grateful for all the assistance you have given us.”

The work of the volunteer barrister and the Bar Pro Bono Unit provided Peter and Susan with a voice to appeal a decision that would have cost them their home and their independence, and offered them access to justice that they otherwise would not have had.

Its people like Peter and Susan that Advocate aims to help, and it’s thanks to people like Adam and his supporters who make it possible. Please support Advocate and Adam by donating and sharing his page with family and friends – click here to donate!