Award-winning lawyer who works with the marginalised to speak at Hackney Law Centre

A lawyer who won a prestigious national award for his work with the marginalised will be speaking at Hackney Community Law Centre (HCLC) on Monday.

Paul Heron, whose clients include asylum seekers, teenagers under the Children’s Act, people with mental health problems and domestic violence victims, will be talking at the law centre’s annual general meeting (AGM) about the work which helped him win the Law Society award.

“We welcome people to come to the AGM and hear about how HCLC has been at the forefront of efforts to ensure local residents in Hackney are able access high quality legal advice services against a tough economic background of cuts in funding for advice services and the ongoing challenges presented by the government’s welfare reforms,” said its chair Ian Rathbone.

“Despite the setbacks of government cutbacks in legal aid and in other ways, we have had a creative year,” he added.

“We launched a new website, were nominated for a national Law Society award for innovation in setting up pop up law shops in Hackney Central and Dalston CLR James libraries, and launched a new advice service for homeless young people.”

The AGM takes place at 7pm at The Salvation Army, 122-124 Lower Clapton Road on Monday January 28.