UCL iLAC solicitor Michael Marshall shortlisted for 2024 Legal Aid Lawyer of the Year award

Michael Marshall, Solicitor at the UCL Integrated Legal Advice Clinic has been shortlisted for the Legal Aid Lawyer of the Year awards in the category of Housing Law. Michael is one of 27 individuals who has been shortlisted at the event celebrating the work of grassroots social justice lawyers. 

Michael, a UCL Laws Alumnus, has created a series of first for the Centre for Access to Justice (CAJ). As a student, Michael was one of the Centre’s inaugural Summer Fellows in 2017, before becoming the Clinic’s first ever trainee solicitor. Since qualifying in August 2022, Michael has since become the Clinic’s all-rounder, able to advise clients in housing, welfare benefits, and community care cases.  

His ability to work across different areas of law to provide holistic support is evidenced in the feedback we receive from clients with one of Michael’s clients saying:   
 
“I felt very anxious and stressed about not knowing how to move forward in my circumstances. Michael has helped me with a couple of different cases for me and my children. He is very skilful and knowledgeable about the areas he works in. He is very supportive, especially as I have children with special needs. He has made me not worry and reassured me that we can work together through anything. UCL is like a family to me, especially as I do not have a family and support network of my own. I don’t feel alone in this community anymore.’’  
 
In addition to his work on cases, Michael also supervises students who are undertaking the final year undergraduate module, Access to Justice and Community Engagement (AJCE). One AJCE student said:
 
"Michael has been a phenomenal supervisor in my time volunteering at iLAC. Over the past several months, he has enabled me to write client correspondence, grounds of appeal, complaint letters, and judicial review claims, and meet with clients in person and over the phone. My first experience with him involved sitting in on a meeting with a single parent who fled domestic abuse. I was amazed by how professional he was, striking a perfect balance between entertaining the client's children and ensuring that his client comprehensively understood their legal circumstances and next steps.  
 
"He is an incredible teacher. Every single task I have worked with him on has been a constant learning process. He is inspiring and empowering in the way he has helped me refine my legal skills and understanding of the problems facing vulnerable clients, as well as pushing me to exit my comfort zone always. He demystifies the lawyer-client relationship in the context of legal aid and effortlessly and constructively encourages improvement among students furthering the work of the Clinic."

Winners will be announced at the award ceremony in Central London on 5 July 2024. The full list of shortlisted nominees can be found on the LAPG website.  

The UCL Integrated Legal Advice Clinic (UCL iLAC) is run by the UCL Centre for Access to Justice (CAJ) at UCL Laws. Based in Stratford, the clinic offers members of the local East London community free face to face legal advice on all aspects of social welfare law including specialist advice and casework on welfare benefits, housing, community care and education law.