Founded in 2005, Young Legal Aid Lawyers (YLAL) was established to represent the views of students, barristers, solicitors and other lawyers entering or newly entered to the profession committed to legal aid. As it marked its 20th anniversary last year, members – past and present – reflected on how much, despite the passing of time, has remained the same: cuts to funding, the struggle to recruit and retain practitioners, and the never-ending political degradation of those who work in the sector. Yet, what has endured just as powerfully is the resilience, solidarity, and sense of purpose that bind this community together. It is that spirit which has allowed YLAL not only to survive through times of turbulence and challenge, but to keep speaking with clarity and courage for its members.

That resilience isn’t abstract, but lives in the people who choose to stay. Practitioners working late for clients who have nowhere else to turn; students determined to break into a profession that can feel impenetrable; volunteers keeping YLAL’s work alive between deadlines and court dates, often with little recognition but a deep understanding of why the work must continue, and how much difference steady commitment can make.

The legal aid sector continues to run on an extraordinary mix of dedication, compassion, and belief from practitioners who fight tirelessly for their clients and for the values that underpin our justice system. But if this work is to continue, we must also care for those who carry it. YLAL’s principles are built on that understanding: that the future of legal aid depends on supporting the people within it – those who fight fearlessly to ensure access to justice for all.

To promote the interests of new entrants and junior lawyers and to increase social mobility and diversity within the legal aid sector

Christian: As a student, I signed up to the YLAL mentoring scheme at a time when the path to pupillage felt almost mythical. Everyone talked about how hard it was, but few could explain how to get there. My mentor turned out to be from the very chambers where I would later secure pupillage – and where I now practise. I didn’t know it then, but that pairing would quietly shape the course of my career. My mentor didn’t just offer advice, but shared their perspective and a glimpse of what was possible. YLAL’s mentoring scheme turns ambition into something tangible.

Queenie: From the launch of the Social Welfare Solicitors Qualification Fund to speaking out about the impact of the Legal Aid Agency data breach on pupil barristers, I have seen the impact and strength of speaking collectively in one voice. Given the breadth of the sector, our members come from all backgrounds and experiences: it is YLAL’s strength and privilege that it can speak for so many. YLAL has always recognised the difficulty of joining the legal aid sector and remaining in it, and through its initiatives (e.g., mentoring, Members’ Pick) it aims to give its members the best chances of entering the sector and feeling supported to remain in it. I have personally benefited from volunteering for and being mentored by YLAL, and it gave me the courage and support to leave my previously stable, yet unfulfilling, career. 

To provide a network for like-minded people beginning their careers in the legal aid sector

Christian: Legal aid work can be incredibly rewarding but also emotionally demanding. You’re often supporting clients in moments of crisis, and navigating systems that can feel daunting and, at times, unresponsive to people’s realities. The value of YLAL’s events and meetings is that they bring together people who get it. People who understand both the privilege and the pressure of this work. Whether you’re in your first year or further along, being part of a network where others are working through the same challenges and questions is both grounding and galvanising.

Queenie: I came to the legal aid sector as a career changer, having spent nearly seven years in a corporate environment. The start of a legal aid career felt incredibly isolating and confusing, with no set path into the sector. But from the moment I encountered YLAL, first volunteering for them, then having a mentor, joining the committee and now leading it as a co-chair, I’ve met passionate, committed, and kind, like-minded people, who have never shied away from the personal or sector challenges, but who leant in together, to push closed doors open for those that came after them. Standing together, YLAL has spoken up for those at the start of their careers time and again, pushing for better pay, welfare, and access, through responses to consultations, briefing papers, panels, and events. Whenever I get together with members of alumni of YLAL, our meetings are always filled with solidarity, comfort, and enthusiasm. 

To campaign for a sustainable legal aid system which provides good quality legal help to those who could not otherwise afford to pay for it

Christian: Working in inquests and public inquiries, I see first-hand the difference legal aid makes and the devastation when it is not there. Behind every policy discussion or funding debate are real families trying to make sense of tragedy. That’s why YLAL’s campaigning matters so deeply. It reminds the profession, and the public, that access to justice is the backbone of a fair society and not a luxury or an optional extra. Without proper funding and respect for the system, the very people who need protection the most are left unheard. While YLAL’s work doesn’t fix that injustice overnight, it ensures that those failures are not ignored and that there is a collective voice pushing back.

Queenie: YLAL’s campaign for a sustainable legal aid system is rooted in the knowledge that there needs to be consistent recruitment into the sector, so that future clients will still be able to access good quality legal help. With the increasing costs of living and inequality in our society, coupled with the tightening of legal aid eligibility and cut to funding, it has become nearly impossible for many to access the legal help they need, in some of the most difficult times of their lives. Good quality legal help for future clients starts from the training and experience that junior practitioners are able to access. We must hold fast together to campaign for increased funding for the entire sector, so that all our members are remunerated properly for the work they do, and firms are able to invest in their training. 

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As YLAL marks its 20th year, its impact reaches far beyond campaigns, mentoring, or meetings. It has built a movement – one rooted in fairness, solidarity, and hope. For many of us, YLAL was the first space where we realised that a commitment to justice could be both collective and personal. Its principles remain as vital today as when it began: that access to justice should never depend on wealth, that new lawyers deserve support, and that change is possible when we act together. The next 20 years will demand the same courage, conviction, and community that defined the first. 

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PICTURED ABOVE Clockwise from top left: On 23 May 2025, YLAL members old and new gathered to celebrate 20 years of YLAL, and its founder, Dr Laura Janes being made an Honorary King’s Counsel; Christian Weaver speaking at the YLAL anniversary event; Closing remarks by Andy Slaughter MP (MP of Hammersmith and Chiswick, and Chair of Justice Committee) on the importance of future young legal aid lawyers. Credit: Frederique Bellec.