Partner schemes

On 4 December 2013, the Chancery Bar Association, in collaboration with Advocate (formerly the Bar Pro Bono Unit) and the RCJ Advice Bureau, launched the Chancery Bar Litigant in Person Support Scheme (CLIPS). CLIPS has the strong support of the Chancellor and the Judges of the Chancery Division, and is also works alongside Support Through Court and LawWorks.  It aims to provide “on the day” advice and representation for litigants in person in the Interim Applications Court of the Business and Property Courts. The scheme is intended to assist litigants in presenting their cases to the court, while at the same time assisting the Interim Applications Judge to serve the interests of justice. In this way, members of COMBAR, TECBAR, PBA, ELBA, SAHCA as well as the ChBA can contribute to the Bar’s efforts to ensure that access to justice is not hampered by an individual’s limited financial means.

Members of the above associations with post-pupillage Chancery experience are invited to volunteer to be on duty for a day at a time. The RCJ Advice Bureau may in some cases make papers available to the barrister the day before the hearing but in most cases the volunteer will simply be available outside Court 10 in the Rolls Building, between 10 and 11 am on the day of the hearing itself, and then on call in chambers until 4.30 pm, in case a litigant requires assistance. The volunteer will provide such advice as is possible in the immediate circumstances, and will be ready (if requested and if content that it is professionally appropriate) to appear for the litigant at that day’s hearing. The litigant may also receive non-legal support (for example, from the RCJ Advice Bureau or Support Through Court). Where ongoing assistance is required, the volunteer may refer the litigant to the RCJ Advice Bureau or to Advocate. The volunteer’s own commitment is limited to the day in question.

A similar scheme operates in the Business and Property Lists at the County Court at Central London on Fridays only.

To sign up for the rota in either the High Court or CCCL, or to download the supporting documentation, please go to http://probono.chba.org.uk/.

The Birmingham Chancery Litigant in Person Support Scheme (“B-CLIPS”) is designed to provide on-the-day advice and advocacy for unrepresented parties on the Interim Applications List of the Business and Property Court in front of the District Judge Chancery Applications List in the High Court, held each Friday at Birmingham Civil and Family Justice Centre (Priory Courts, 33 Bull Street, Birmingham, B4 6DS). The Scheme is able to assist with injunctions, Part 8 claims, Financial Dispute Resolutions and any other case that is not a Final Hearing, Trial or Costs and Case Management Conference.

Barristers with post-pupillage chancery experience are invited to volunteer to be on duty for one day at a time, and will be required to be at the designated conference room in the Birmingham CJC on the day on which they are volunteering. Volunteers will accept instructions under the licensed access auspices of Advocate.

Volunteers are asked to provide such advice as is possible in the immediate circumstances, and will be ready (if requested and if content that it is professionally appropriate) to appear for the litigant at that day’s hearing. Volunteers’ commitment is limited to the day on which they volunteer, and where ongoing assistance is required, the volunteer may refer the litigant to Advocate.

The Scheme has the support of the Business and Property Court Judges in Birmingham, Advocate, the Midlands Circuit, the Midland Chancery and Commercial Bar Association and the local Bar. 

For further information about the Scheme, or to sign up to assist, please visit our Duty Schemes Webpage, contact our Schemes and Programmes Coordinator, Maya, mward-lowery@weareadvocate.org.uk or the B-CLIPS Barrister Lead, Alex Pritchard-Jones (No. 5) at apj@no5.com.   

The Leeds Business and Property Court Litigant-in-Person Support Scheme (“Leeds BPC Scheme”) is designed to provided on-the-day advice and advocacy for unrepresented parties on the Companies Court Winding-Up List and the District Judges’ Business and Property Court Applications List. Both are held on the second and fourth Tuesday of each month.

Barristers with post-pupillage Chancery experience are invited to volunteer to be on duty for one day at a time, and will be required to be at the designated conference room in either the Leeds Combined Court Centre or West Gate on the day on which they are volunteering, and will accept instructions under the licensed access auspices of Advocate. 

Volunteers are asked to provide such advice as is possible in the immediate circumstances, and will be ready (if requested and if content that it is professionally appropriate) to appear for the litigant at that day’s hearing. Volunteers’ commitment is limited to the day on which they volunteer, and where ongoing assistance is required, the volunteer may refer the litigant to Advocate. 

The Scheme has the support of Business and Property Court Judges in Leeds, the Northern Circuit and the Local Bar. 

For further information about the Scheme, or to sign up to assist, please contact our Schemes and Programmes Coordinator, Maya, at leedsbpc@weareadvocate.org.uk or our Barrister Lead, Duncan Heath (Enterprise Chambers) at DuncanHeath@enterprisechambers.com.

Advocate and the Chancery Bar Association run a scheme where a volunteer barrister will act as a mediator for free in suitable Chancery and commercial cases, including cases that are proceeding in the County Court at Central London as Business & Property work. In order to qualify for the scheme, one of the parties must be unable to afford to pay for a mediator.

What is mediation?

Mediation is a process in which a person who is neutral (the mediator) helps the parties try to settle their dispute. Mediation is:

• Confidential – nothing said by the parties or the mediator during the mediation process will be revealed to the court
• Voluntary – no one can be forced to take part, and no one can be forced to make an agreement

How does the scheme work?

To apply for the scheme, you will need to send an application to Advocate setting out the details of your case and confirming that all the parties agree to mediation.  

If your case is accepted, we will try to find a barrister to act as a mediator for free. Any unrepresented party might also receive free help from another barrister during the mediation.

You can download the application form here.

If you need help completing the form then you can make an appointment with the RCJ Advice at the Royal Courts of Justice, Strand, London, WC2A 2LL by emailing ChanceryMediation@rcjadvice.org or calling 0203 475 4373.

This scheme commenced in January 2020 providing Pro Bono assistance in the London Circuit Commercial Court, and will be extended to the Commercial Court in October 2020. The scheme has the full backing of the respective judges in charge, HHJ Mark Pelling KC and Teare J, and is to be operated (at least initially) by Combar in conjunction with Advocate (formerly the Bar Pro Bono Unit) for a pilot period of 18 months. The scheme envisages that litigants in person with an application listed for less than a day will be offered the opportunity to seek pro bono assistance. If the case is approved as suitable for assistance by Advocate and a small panel of Combar Committee members, a summary of it will be circulated to a mailing list of willing Combar members. The case will be allocated on a first-come first-served basis to any Combar member who volunteers in response to that email, who then conducts the hearing under licensed access instruction by Advocate. The papers and guidance in relation to the Scheme role will be provided to the barrister in advance of the hearing. Any further assistance beyond the hearing will fall outside the scope of that engagement and be engaged by further application, if at all. 

This scheme will give good opportunities for advocacy before grateful judges, and joining the list does not itself involve a commitment to take on any cases. The CLIPS scheme in the Chancery Division is similar to the Commercial Court and London Central Commercial Court scheme, but the latter differs in important respects: it offers an opportunity to appear in hearings that may be somewhat more substantial than is common in the Chancery Division Applications Court, with papers provided in advance (albeit potentially at short notice) having been vetted by a Combar panel. There are therefore good reasons to offer your time to both schemes. 

The Scheme Protocol can be found here. The Explanatory Note can be found here. The Q&A for Participants can be found here. 

If you are willing to volunteer, please email Veronica or Alison at admin@combar.com, providing your name, chambers (or other place of practice), email address and a contact telephone number. You can withdraw from the mailing list at any time. https://www.combar.com/members-area/clips-pro-bono-schemes/ 

COIN provides free legal help for litigants in person appearing before the winding up court on Wednesdays. We operate from Consultation Room 17 in the High Court, Rolls Building, Fetter Lane, London.

COIN can assist with the following:

• Advice on the law and procedure in the winding up court.
• How to make or respond to a winding up petition.
• Representation on your behalf before the winding up court.
• What will happen after a winding up order is made.
• How to apply for a validation order, rescission/appeal of a winding up order.
• Provide you with guides on how to make the applications and how to write a witness statement.

Coronavirus Update: Litigants in person can contact us via email at companyinsolvency@city.ac.uk, with brief details of your enquiry. We will arrange a conference with a barrister via Zoom.

This scheme is designed to assist LIPs with cases in the Court of Protection and adjacent areas who require additional or specialist assistance outside the scope of assistance ordinarily provided through Advocate.

The scheme aims to (i) identify LIPs who, due to the challenges/circumstances around which their case revolves, would not ordinarily be capable of/able to access support through Advocate, but who would benefit from additional or specialist assistance, (ii) assess the type of additional assistance required and (iii) provide that additional assistance.

That additional assistance may include (i) advising the applicant on documentation required through a subject access request (SAR), (ii) initial merits assessment and advice, including advice on limitation, and if positive, advice with a view to help outline issues to assist obtaining legal aid or a CFA, (ii) drafting of relevant documentation or (iii) representation at relevant hearings.

Why volunteer? Volunteering through the Scheme presents a fantastic opportunity, for juniors in particular, to build on their existing experience dealing with cases in the CoP and to work with cases that are not only hugely deserving but also that deal with often fascinating points of law requiring specialist knowledge. Doing so on a pro bono basis through Advocate also means you will have access to various means of support including guidance from the specialist reviewer, mentoring and solicitor assistance through Pro Bono Connect.   

If you would like to get involved, please email our Schemes and Programmes Coordinator, Maya, mward-lowery@weareadvocate.org.uk 

The ELAAS scheme provides pro bono representation at some preliminary hearings in the Employment Appeal Tribunal. ELAAS is coordinated and managed by the Employment Appeal Tribunal, with input from the Employment Lawyers Bar Association (ELBA) Committee on behalf of ELAAS representatives (barristers and solicitors) who volunteer their services. 

Barristers and solicitors who specialise in employment law, and have sufficient experience of conducting substantive hearings in the Employment Tribunal and/or the Employment Appeal Tribunal are eligible to apply to be ELAAS representatives. Further information about the eligibility criteria to become an ELAAS representative can be found here.

The ELA Pro Bono Committee and Regional ELIPS Co-ordinators have launched an Employment Tribunal Litigant in Person Support Service (ELIPS) online. ELIPS will host twice-monthly online (Zoom) clinics, on the first and third Thursdays in the month (9am-12noon and 1pm-4pm). Clinics will be available to LIPs from any of the 4 participating Tribunals who have a hearing or case management order within two weeks of the date of the clinic. Clinics will be attended by 2 qualified volunteers who will be available to advise LIPs during sessions of 40 minutes each. (Law school students will also attend remotely to assist). In the current climate we are not able to offer representation at hearings.

As a volunteer, you are able to sign up for a morning or afternoon, or for the full day.  Virtual appointments are booked on the hour, meaning that you will see a maximum of 6 clients in one day. There is no preparatory or follow up work to do following your stint for the clinic.

Barrister volunteers must be tenants at a set of chambers. Both employed and self-employed barristers are able to accept instructions to provide legal services from litigants in person via the Advocate licence. As a result of this, self-employed barristers are covered by their own Bar Mutual Insurance Fund scheme insurance. Employed barristers should check if their employer’s insurance extends to pro bono work. If your employer has insurance that permits you to provide legal services to the public you will be covered. If you are an employed barrister and your employer does not have insurance that permits you to provide legal services to the public then Advocate may be able to offer you insurance but you must contact Advocate before you undertake any pro bono work.

If you are interested in volunteering, please email elips@elaweb.org.uk for further information.

The Exeter Family Law Clinic functions in the Exeter Combined Court Centre, and is designed to provide 40 minute, pre-arranged appointments to litigants in person who have proceedings, or are considering proceedings, in Private Family Law or under the Family Law Act. Clinics are held on the last Friday of each month, in person at the ECCC.

During each appointment, volunteer barristers will be able to provide advice regarding merit, understanding proceedings or next steps, for example. Once litigants in person have had their appointment, they will then be provided follow up practical support from CASS+ and, if further legal assistance is needed, they will be referred to Advocate for further pro bono help.

Barristers, or solicitor advocates, with post pupillage experience in Family Law are welcomed to volunteer for one day at a time, and will do so under the auspices of Advocate, so do not need to be Direct Access qualified.

The Clinic offers not only valuable support for litigants in person but also a fantastic opportunity for barristers at the family bar to get involved with pro bono, expand their experience and work closely with local judiciary.

If you would like further information about the Clinic or would like to get involved, please contact our Schemes and Programmes Coordinator, Maya, at southwestprobono@weareadvocate.org.uk. 

More information about CASS+’s involvement is available here. 

Are you a lawyer without a practising certificate who wants to get involved in pro bono work?Lawyers can use their professional skills to provide much-needed help to front-line agencies in the service they give to their clients: triaging cases, taking statements, marshalling documents, working with a specialist, and following up specialist advice.

Not only is this vital for the client but it is of immense benefit to the court, most especially where there is increasing reliance on virtual hearings. There are many barristers willing to provide this sort of assistance, comprising both those in practice and those who have retired but are still keen to keep in touch with the profession, but it has yet to be properly tapped into.

Working with Pro Bono Community, Advocate will be developing a scheme that will properly exploit this valuable resource. If you want to get involved, sign up here.

The Newcastle Chancery Litigants-in-Person Scheme has been running in collaboration with the local bar, Advocate and Support Through Court since May 2020. The scheme provides “on the day” advice and advocacy for litigants in person who have cases on the District Judge Business and Property Applications List, held on Tuesdays at the Civil and Family Court and Tribunals Centre in Newcastle upon Tyne.

A volunteer barrister attends the Court and Tribunals centre each Tuesday from 9am onwards and is available that day to provide duty advice and representation to any litigant in person who requests assistance.

Litigants in person who are eligible for assistance through NCLIPS should speak to the District Judges’ Usher on the First Floor of the Civil and Family Courts and Tribunals Centre on the day of the hearing and inform them that they would like to speak to the representative on duty.

NCLIPS welcomes volunteers from all areas of the chancery bar, including members of the ChBA, COMBAR, TECBAR, PBA, ELBA and SAHCA who are seeking an opportunity to support litigants in person, gain advocacy experience or those wanting to expand their practice.

For further information about NCLIPS or to sign up to the rota, please contact Seth Kitson at Trinity Chambers at s.kitson@trinitychambers.co.uk.

PILARS provides advice and/or representation for unrepresented debtors or bankrupts in bankruptcy proceedings who need legal assistance but are not entitled to public funding and cannot afford to pay for assistance. Cases must fall into the following categories:

• A creditor’s bankruptcy petition has been presented against the Applicant at a court in England or Wales; or
• The Applicant has been served with a statutory demand with the local court listed as a court in England or Wales and has applied to set it aside or is considering such an application; or
• The Applicant has been adjudged bankrupt and has applied for annulment or is considering such an application at a court in England or Wales; or
• An appeal in such cases.

The scheme operates by matching volunteer barristers with the particular needs of the unrepresented individual. 

Advocate administers the scheme pursuant to a bespoke manual and volunteer barristers are sourced from Advocate’s panel.

For immediate legal assistance call the RCJ Advice Bureau, National Debtline (0808 808 4000) or Business Debtline (or 0800 197 6026). To receive further assistance through PILARS please fill in your Advocate application form here.

Pro Bono Connect was set up by barrister Jamie Goldsmith and is a scheme that aims to connect barristers with firms of solicitors offering assistance in pro bono cases where such support is needed. When a barrister takes on a case through Advocate and they think solicitor assistance would be useful, we can complete a pro bono connect form and see whether any member firms are willing to assist. Help is available in limited areas of law. For more information, see www.probonoconnect.co.uk

The South West Chancery Litigant in Person Support Scheme (“SW-CLIPS”) is designed to provide on-the-day advice and advocacy for Litigants in Person in the Business and Property Courts’ Application List held each Thursday at the Bristol Civil and Family Justice Centre (2 Radcliff Street, Bristol, BS1 6GR). The Scheme is a collaboration between BPC practitioners at the local Bar and Advocate, and is supported by the Business and Property Court Judges in Bristol, the Western Circuit and the Local Bar.

Members of the Chancery Bar with post-pupillage Chancery experience are invited to volunteer to be on duty for one day at a time, and will be required to be at the designated conference room in the Bristol CJC on the day on which they are volunteering.

Volunteers are asked to provide such advice as is possible in the immediate circumstances, and will be ready (if requested and if content that it is professionally appropriate) to appear for the litigant at that day’s hearing. Volunteers’ commitment is limited to the day on which they volunteer, and where ongoing assistance is required, the volunteer may refer the litigant to Advocate.

For further information about the Scheme, or to sign up to assist, please contact our Schemes and Programmes Coordinator, Maya, at southwestprobono@weareadvocate.org.uk or Charlotte Mallin-Martin at charlotte.mallinmartin@guildhallchambers.co.uk. 

The South West County Court Appeals Scheme (“SW-CCAS”) is designed to support Litigants in Person appealing to High Court Judges in the Business and Properties County Court at the Bristol Civil and Family Justice Centre (2 Radcliff Street, Bristol, BS1 6GR). This Scheme is a collaboration between BPC practitioners at the local Bar and Advocate, and is supported by the Business and Property Court Judges in Bristol, the Western Circuit and the Local Bar.

The Scheme aims to (i) assess the merit of an appeal, (ii) provide advice on merits and, if merit, (iii) draft a Skeleton Argument. Where there may be an Oral Permission Hearing, volunteers will also have the opportunity to provide oral representations.

For further information about the Scheme, or to sign up to assist, please contact our Schemes and Programmes Coordinator, Maya, at southwestprobono@weareadvocate.org.uk or Charlotte Mallin-Martin at charlotte.mallinmartin@guildhallchambers.co.uk.