HCLC News

We are deeply honoured that Andrew Caplen, current Deputy Vice President of the Law Society, chose to make his first-ever visit to a UK Law Centre on Thursday by visiting HCLC!

Andrew, who was accompanied by Morag Goldfinch, London Regional Manager of the Law Society, spent an hour and a half at the Centre talking to staff and volunteers about HCLC's work and the current challenges facing our Law Centre and other Law Centres across the country.

As well as being the current Deputy Vice President of the Law Society, Andrew is also a consultant with Heppenstalls, a predominantly private client firm in Hampshire with offices in Lymington and New Milton.  Andrew has been the Law Society Council member for Hampshire and the Isle of Wight since 2000 and has a particular interest in access to justice.  

He was one of the co-authors of the Law Society's Access to Justice Review, has written and spoken widely on this subject as well as on legal aid.

We were particularly pleased that Andrew got to meet HCLC solicitor Paul Heron (pictured above left with Andrew), who won a Law Society Excellence Award, in the 'Solicitor of the Year-In House' category in 2012.

Commenting on the visit, HCLC Ian Rathbone (pictured fourth from left) said: "I am pleased that the Deputy Vice President of the Law Society, Andrew Caplen, has visited Hackney Community Law Centre with Morag Goldfinch, London Regional Manager of the Law Society.   This was Andrew’s first ever visit to a Law Centre; we are delighted that he made the time to visit us and find out about our work.  We know that Andrew is well aware of the need for poor people to have full access to justice; he was heavily involved in writing the Law Society’s groundbreaking report the ‘Access to Justice review’, published in November 2010.   Andrew shares our concerns about the legal aid cuts that are being imposed on the people of Hackney and elsewhere. Andrew’s visit was a real boost to the morale of our brilliant but hard-pressed staff.   We look forward to working closely with Andrew and his colleagues at the Law Society during all of his presidential terms".