Secretariat support for the APPG on Legal Aid is provided jointly by Legal Aid Practitioners Group and Young Legal Aid Lawyers.

Legal Aid Practitioners Group is a membership body representing legal aid lawyers and the clients they serve in England and Wales. Constituted in 1984, it is one of four bodies officially appointed to formally consult with Government on all legal aid contracting issues. Members are given the opportunity to directly input into our policy work, consultations, surveys and other work to improve the legal aid scheme and receive regular updates about important legal aid issues, operational matters, news and events. We also host conferences and training courses on legal aid, practice management, supervision, income maximisation and mental wellbeing. With a Committee comprised of experienced lawyers and managers with expertise in all areas of legal aid, LAPG focusses on supporting legal aid professionals and the promotion of legal aid as a fundamental pillar of the justice system. We influence parliamentarians by providing the joint secretariat service for the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Legal Aid.  And we celebrate the incredible impact of legal aid lawyers by running the annual Legal Aid Lawyer of the Year awards.

For more information about LAPG, please click here.

Young Legal Aid Lawyers (YLAL) is a group of lawyers who are committed to practising in those areas of law, both criminal and civil, that have traditionally been publicly funded. YLAL members include students, paralegals, trainee solicitors, pupil barristers and qualified junior lawyers based throughout England and Wales. We believe that the provision of good quality publicly funded legal help is essential to protecting the interests of the vulnerable in society and upholding the rule of law.

Katie Mcfadden, Lucie Boase and Ollie Persey:

YLAL’s objectives are:

• To campaign for a sustainable legal aid system which provides good quality legal help to those who could not otherwise afford to pay for it.
• To promote the interests of new entrants and junior lawyers and to increase social mobility and diversity within the legal aid sector.
• To provide a network for likeminded people beginning their careers in the legal aid sector.

For more information about YLAL, please click here.

NOTE: We do not provide legal services to the public. If you require legal advice you may find the websites of Community Legal Advice and the Law Society helpful.