Free Legal Help for the Community

 
  
Patron: His Honour John Beashel DL

Our Patron

BPPB is honoured and proud that retired Judge, His Honour John Beashel DL has agreed to become Patron of the group.

Judge Beashel was a popular figure as a Circuit Judge in Bournemouth and Dorchester for 15 years before his retirement in October 2008. He remains active in both the law and the community and is a Deputy Lieutenant of Dorset.

"Pro bono is an essential part of ensuring access to justice and the work BPPB does is of immense benefit to the community so I am delighted to support that work however I can. BPPB has ambitious plans for the development of its services and I aim to encourage more lawyers to volunteer so those goals can be achieved."

 - HHJ Beashel DL

 

 



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Trustees of Bournemouth & Poole Pro Bono

Following the adoption of a formal charitable constitution, a total of 8 trustees (and 3 officers) were appointed on 14 November 2008. Our current serving Trustees are: 

Sandra Barton
Sandra is a past President of ILEX, a Trustee of the Access to Justice Foundation (the charity set up to receive funds generated through costs orders made in pro bono litigation, a Board Member of ILEX Professional Standards and a serving ILEX Bournemouth & District Branch Committee member. In her spare time she is Legal Services Manager for Peverel (the property management company) in New Milton.

Tony Dolbear
Tony is an ILEX Lawyer and Advocate, a former ILEX Council Member and was a member of the ILEX Bournemouth & District Branch Committee for many years. He works for Horsey Lightly Fynn solicitors in Bournemouth doing Civil Litigation

Nick Hanning (Chair)
Nick is an ILEX Lawyer and Advocate, a serving ILEX Council Member and ILEX Bournemouth & District Branch Committee member. In the pro bono field, he is a Trustee of the South West Legal Support Trust and ILEX Pro Bono. He is a partner with RWPS Law in Poole doing personal injury and employment litigation especially in the context of bullying and harassment at work.

Sue Jones
Sue is an ILEX Lawyer and serving ILEX Bournemouth & District Branch Committee member. She works for Humphries Kirk in Southbourne doing legal aid family work.

Dave Leighton (Treasurer)
Dave is the Chief Office of Age UK in Bournemouth.

Valerie Robertson (Secretary)
Val is the Policy and Meetings Officer in the Corporate Affairs department of ILEX at Kempston with (among other roles) key responsibility for leading ILEX's pro bono policy. As such she is an ex-offico Trustee of ILEX Pro Bono. She also manages the ILEX Benevolent Fund.

Michelle Bettell
Michelle is an ILEX Lawyer specialising in mediation and family law with Laceys, solicitors in Bournemouth and Poole. She is also Secretary and Treasurer of the ILEX Bournemouth & District Branch.


Notes about the Institute of Legal Executives (ILEX)

BPPB was set up by the ILEX Bournemouth & District Branch and so it is probably predictable that, at this early stage, ILEX features strongly among the Trustees. For the benefit of those unfamiliar with ILEX, the following notes explain some of the above references.

ILEX is the Institute of Legal Executives and is the professional body which represents and regulates (see below) Legal Executive Lawyers. LELs are qualified lawyers whose practice is broadly equivalent to that of Solicitors although, being about 400 years younger, they presently have fewer practice rights. Nvertheless, they eligible for judicial appointment, can gain specialist advocacy rights to appear in court and implementation of parts of the Legal Services Act 2007 at the end of March 2009, allows them to enter into partnership with Solicitors among other lawyers.

The regulation (i.e. setting and enforcing the qualification and practice standards) of LELs is the responsibility of an independent body, ILEX Professional Standards, leaving the Institute to represent the membership.

There are about 22,000 members of ILEX of whom around 8,000 are qualified LELs, the remainder being in training. Owing to its history of developing and supplying legal qualifications and the associated training, ILEX (through ILEX Tutorial College, ITC) is one of the largest providers of distance learning in the country.

ILEX strategy is the responsibility of its Council of some 20 LELs from across the country. It is implemented by its staff of around 100 based in Kempston in Bedfordshire.

ILEX supports a number of local branches around the country to provide contact for social and professional support for ILEX members in that area. The Bournemouth & District Branch has a little over 100 members and is run by a local Committee of about 12 people.

ILEX Pro Bono is an independent charity supported by ILEX whose aims are to develop, support and highlight pro bono work by and with ILEX members.

The ILEX Benevolent Fund is a charity which helps ILEX members in need.