Lucy Jenkins, Partner, Finance Pro Bono Office Lead, Diversity Council Office Lead, and Co-Chair of London Women’s Initiative and Talent/ Diversity Lead
healthcare and health education to children and the wider rural communities of Malawi; and • Providing counsel to Working Families, a UK charity which supports individuals on a variety of employment issues and more specifically, in 2020, on the impact of COVID-19 on employment rights.
Visit Our Firm Initiatives Pages To Learn More
www.velaw.com/about-us/womens-initiative www.velaw.com/about-us/diversity-inclusion
Pro Bono & the Community
Our pro bono initiatives are a tangible way to connect with the human side of the practice of law and to apply our experience toward supporting our communities. At Vinson & Elkins, our lawyers devote significant time and resources to the legal needs of individuals and organisations that cannot afford representation. Our pro bono work is sourced by our lawyers interested in specific issues. From senior partners through Trainees, we donate our counsel, skills, and time to serving others. The long tradition of pro bono service at V&E has become a broad and diverse practice area with an average of more than 30,000 hours of pro bono legal service provided each year by our lawyers. Lawyers in the London office get involved in a wide variety of initiatives including projects for Trust Law, working with NGOs and charities on often cross-jurisdictional matters, and representing litigants in person in Court of Appeal proceedings, through the RCJ Advice Centre. A few recent pro bono representations include: • Advising a charitable foundation focused on the promotion of history, language, and culture in a force majeure dispute with a hospitality venue related to COVID-19; • Working with 10x10 Philanthropy, a live crowdfunding charity which matches young philanthropists and volunteers with grassroots charities, to formally establish its UK operations, including assisting with incorporation of a UK company limited by guarantee, registration with the Charity Commission, and registration for gift aid with HMRC; • Assisting on employment and contractual matters for World Medical Fund, a UK charity which brings
As a member of the London Diversity Council during my Training Contract, I was able to establish a new outreach mentoring programme working with a local inner-city school. I have really enjoyed taking the lead on the project, delivering presentations about working in law and supporting students with their university applications and preparing for interviews. It has been a hugely rewarding initiative.
- Afzaal Abidi, V&E Trainee Solicitor
9
Made with FlippingBook - professional solution for displaying marketing and sales documents online