XXIV Old Buildings supports Advocate

XXIV Old Buildings is incredibly pleased to support Advocate by becoming a silver Pro Bono Patron.

Head of Chambers, Alan Steinfeld QC, commented: “We are incredibly proud to work in partnership with Advocate and help them offer lifechanging support to many people who have been struggling with their legal problems alone.”

Rebecca Wilkie, Chief Executive of Advocate, said: “Demand for the Bar’s pro bono help is still very high. We received 1,333 new cases from January to May, compared to 896 in the same period last year (a 49% increase). This is why patron donations are more important than ever to us. As restrictions lift and we all try to navigate the new circumstances, it is crucial that we are able to continue to offer support to those who need it, particularly as furlough comes to an end. Patron donations help us to match more barristers with vulnerable people. The difference that having the support of a barrister can make was recently summed up by someone we were able to help:

“Thank you for all your kind assistance over the past few years. I do not think I could have got through the legal cases without your tremendous support. Being a litigant in person is the most stressful situation to be put in and you and those barristers that offer their time to people like me truly have no idea of the immense gratitude and relief they provide. Unwittingly, they save lives.”

Advocate is the Bar’s national charity that makes it possible for barristers to balance a dedicated practice with making a significant contribution to the community. They match members of the public who need free legal help with barristers who are willing to donate their time and expertise in deserving cases for those who are unable to obtain legal aid and cannot afford to pay. To find out more about the work Advocate does, please click here.