HCLC News

HCLC is delighted to announce that Tunde Okewale, currently a barrister at Doughty Street Chambers, has accepted our invitation to become a Patron of Hackney Community Law Centre.

Tunde grew up in Hackney and attended Orchard Primary School and Cardinal Pole Secondary School, which is literally around the corner from HCLC's office in Lower Clapton Road. Tunde is a committed criminal defenc

...  [Read More]

The Hackney Advice Services Transition Fund  project requires the following:

Training and Development Supervisor (Full time) - recruited by East End Citizens Advice Bureaux Salary Ј30,000 (inclusive of LW) Fixed term – 2 years from start date You will: lead in recruiting and be able to train volunteers using the Citizens Advice certificated training programme; provide a range o

...  [Read More]

HCLC is pleased to announce that we are leading the Hackney Big Lottery Advice Services Transition Fund (ASTF).

The Big Lottery set up the nationwide Advice Services Transition Fund to enable local not-for-profit advice providers to continue providing advice to their local communities. The Big Lottery wishes the two-year funding to be used to help the not-for-profit sector transform and a

...  [Read More]

HCLC is really pleased to support the publication of a new cookbook aimed at raising funds for our friends and colleagues at the Hackney Migrant Centre and North London Action for the Homeless.

Helena Smith's 'Eat Hackney' cook book, as featured in the Hackney Gazette and Hackney Citizen newspapers, features 30 mouth watering recipes, reflecting the national dishes of the many different c

...  [Read More]

Thanks to the London Borough of Hackney who have provided us with special funding, HCLC is delighted to welcome Marie Froysa Hole (pictured right) to the Centre as our new Benefits Caseworker.

Marie studied International Relations at the London School of Economics before undertaking a Graduate Diploma in law at BPP Law School. She also completed the Legal Practice Course (LPC) at the College o

...  [Read More]

HCLC is very pleased to welcome three new members to our Board of Directors.

Victor McAllister, Andrew Wingfield, and Dwyane Fields all bring immense experience and expertise to the Board. Victor McAllister (pictured above) is the current Chief Executive Officer of the Hackney Caribbean Elderly Organisation (HCEO) based in Stoke Newington. Victor was born in Guyana before moving to Hackney

...  [Read More]

HCLC is very pleased to have teamed up with the Big Voice London project to respond to the Home Office's latest consultation on police 'stop and search' powers.

Big Voice London was launched in January 2011 to compliment the Supreme Court’s outreach work.   It is volunteer-led and volunteers are generally post-graduate law students committed to youth access.  Big Voice is unique in the

...  [Read More]

If your rent is not met in full by housing benefit and you have a temporary situation which makes it difficult to pay your rent, you can apply to Hackney Council for extra help in the form of discretionary housing payments (DHPs).

To qualify for a payment you must be receiving housing benefit, and need to satisfy Hackney Council that there are very good reasons for an award. Discreti

...  [Read More]

The Refugee Council has launched three new drop-in services to help provide practical advice and support to destitute asylum seekers, including advice and support on health, a meal, and emergency provisions at three different drop-in centres each week.

These services provided at: 1. Central London Day Centre in partnership with West London Mission. 19 Thayer Street, London W1U 2QJ Monday

...  [Read More]

HCLC patron and local Member of Parliament Diane Abbott (pictured above) has sent a letter to Hilton von Herbert congratulating him on winning the 2013 Immigration Legal Aid Lawyer of the Year' award. 

Read Diane's lovely letter to Hilton HERE. And read Hilton's response to Diane HERE.

...  [Read More]

Legal Aid Lawyer of the Year Awards....  [Read More]

Meg Hillier MP, the Law Centre's local Member of Parliament and HCLC Patron (pictured above), spoke in the backbench debate on legal aid that took place in Parliament on Thursday 27th June 2013.

Read the full transcript of Meg's speech below: Meg Hillier (Hackney South and Shoreditch) (Lab/Co-op): I want to talk about the impact of the proposals, the process and the politics of the situ

...  [Read More]

On Wednesday June 19th 2013, at a special awards ceremony at the Royal College of Surgeons, our ‘Dalston Pop-Up’, our dedicated evening debt and consumer law advice service, in partnership with BPP Law School; Debevoise and Plimpton LLP; Faegre Baker Daniels LLP; Law Works; and the London Borough of Hackney Libraries Service, won the Law Works Pro Bono Award 2013 for 'Best Partnership

...  [Read More]

HCLC is delighted to welcome three new interns from the University of Richmond and George Mason University following a successful placement by Danielle Brown, another US student last year.  

Havlin, Sheherezade and Jordan are spending the summer with HCLC shadowing solicitors and caseworkers to gain an in-depth experience of our work. Read a little about each of them below: Sheherezade M

...  [Read More]

On Monday May 20th 2013, Hackney Community Law Centre participated in the 2013 London Legal Walk organised by the London Legal Support Trust.  

Last year’s walk saw more than 6000 people take part and more than Ј500,000 raised! The London Legal Walk is a 10km sponsored walk around some of London’s legal landmarks.  It is (probably!) the largest annual gathering of lawyers in the world.

...  [Read More]

Staff, solicitors, caseworkers, volunteers and interns at HCLC are celebrating our ‘Dalston Pop-Up’, our dedicated evening debt and consumer law advice service, in partnership with BPP Law School; Debevoise and Plimpton LLP; Faegre Baker Daniels LLP; Law Works; and the London Borough of Hackney Libraries Service, our Dalston Pop-Up dedicated debt and consumer service being shortliste

...  [Read More]

HCLC is delighted to welcome Tayyabah Ahmed (pictured right) to the centre as our new housing solicitor. Tayyabah has been a qualified solicitor since August 2008.  She completed her training at a private practice firm in Paddington. Tayyabah’s main areas of specialism include housing, civil and family law, and she generally prefers to do her own advocacy at court as she has completed Hig

...  [Read More]

We are very pleased to announce that Hilton von Herbert, our superb Senior Immigration Caseworker, has been shortlisted in this year's Legal Aid Lawyer of the Year Awards!!!!!

Hilton (pictured second left with client Kusi); Declan O’Callaghan, HCLC Patron and immigration barrister (far right); and Declan’s wife Jacqueline (centre) at HCLC's 2012 summer reception - has been shortlis

...  [Read More]

We are delighted to announce that ‘Dalston Pop-Up’, our dedicated evening debt and consumer law advice service, in partnership with BPP Law School; Debevoise and Plimpton LLP; Faegre Baker Daniels LLP; Law Works; and the London Borough of Hackney Libraries Service, has won a 2013 inaugural Halsbury Legal Award!!!! The Halsbury Legal Awards celebrate excellence in the law and

...  [Read More]