Philip Rule has been nominated for the award of Legal Aid Barrister 2017, and the Legal Aid Practitioners Group has shortlisted him as one of three finalists for the LALY award.

Competition to be shortlisted is described as incredibly tough. LAPG is the leading membership organisation for access to justice lawyers. The Legal Aid Practitioners Group director Carol Storer says:

“It is such a privilege to be able to celebrate the ground breaking, life changing work of access to justice lawyers. The calibre of this year’s nominations was staggeringly high, and a real reflection of the expertise, grit and compassion which characterises the legal aid sector.”

The LALYs are organised by the Legal Aid Practitioners Group to celebrate the work of access to justice lawyers. The awards offer an insight into the positive and crucial work done each year by dedicated legal aid lawyers.

The winners will be announced by Baroness Doreen Lawrence at a ceremony in central London on Wednesday 5 July 2017.

Philip’s work in public law, civil liberties, human rights, prisoners’ rights, and criminal defence is being recognised with thanks to the many testimonials of clients that supported his nomination. References included recognition by Philip’s clients of his attributes:

“he demonstrates genuine dedication and commitment to our clients’ cases”

“shows a willingness to push the boundaries of the law”

“works tirelessly on cases to make sure everything possible is done for our client’s best interests”

“is an extremely bright individual who produces probably the best written work I have ever seen”

“takes a chance in what he believes in”

“His successes are notable and he can always be relied on to consider absolutely every angle in a case, frequently going over and above what is simply necessary to ‘get the job done’”.

“an exceptional barrister. He is very experienced in public law matters, especially in the field of prison law and human rights”

“He is an extremely talented individual and has the ability and foresight to identify legal issues which can sometimes be overlooked by others. He is very thorough and meticulous in his approach”.

“His dedication is next to none and this is evidenced in his willingness to go that extra mile for the client”

“The current climate emphasises the need for lawyers like Philip, who have the tenacity and desire to refuse to give up and work hard to ensure that prisoners, whose rights are too often and too easily overlooked continue to have a voice”.

“possesses all the skills required to be an effective trial advocate, he provides timely advice, he prepares very detailed grounds, identifying and addressing all the issues, his arguments are clear and succinct. He is not intimidated in the Courts and he will put forward the possible argument for the clients”.

“fearless, meticulous, articulate, passionate”

“one of the leading practitioners in this field with a track record of innovative and successful extensions of the law for the benefit of clients”

“The sheer scale and variety of his work is testimony to his tremendous appetite for hard work and commitment to social justice”.

“very effective in identifying novel points of law and turning them to good effect… [his] cases demonstrate Philip’s mastery of common law as well as Human Rights Act principles”.

“Philip’s commitment to clients is outstanding and his work has contributed considerably to extending prisoners’ access to justice; he works tirelessly with disadvantaged clients”

“is making a real difference in his field”

“His analysis of the factual and legal issues is difficult to match… Philip is also prepared to argue difficult legal points with confidence, determination and energy we rarely see in other barristers and it is not surprising that many of his cases are now used as legal standards in the area of prison-related law”

“Philip is used to work with the most vulnerable people… Philip is sensitive to …their health, poor literacy and linguistic barriers”

“maturity, skill and professionalism beyond the standard expected from an ordinary barrister”

“it has been a privilege working with him”

Other select comments by those who supported his nomination include:

“His advocacy skills are second to none. He argues his case in an extremely compelling manner and the reason I think that he manages to persuade judges is because he truly believes in what he is fighting for”

“as I say to my clients …, and as I would say to you, if anyone can get justice for you Mr Rule can.”

“cannot emphasise enough Mr Rule’s commitment to our clients and the work he does to such a high standard. The results he has achieved for my clients over the years have left me speechless”

“the sheer quality of his work and the utmost dedication that he demonstrates to fighting on behalf of his clients and their cases”

“Philip works very well in partnership with solicitors and clients, giving practical advice and support”

Philip Rule’s profile for his public law work is available here: https://www.no5.com/barristers/barrister-cvs/philip-rule-public-law/

and his civil prison and police law at https://www.no5.com/barristers/barrister-cvs/philip- rule-prison-and-police-law/

His criminal defence and appeal practice is summarised at https://www.no5.com/barristers/barrister-cvs/philip-rule-crime-/

The LALY Awards details can be seen here: www.lapg.co.uk

Details of the finalists for the LALYs will also be published in the Legal Action magazine June edition.