ISBN
978-1529232929Dimensions
234 x 156 mmImprint
Bristol University PressISBN
978-1529232936Dimensions
234 x 156 mmImprint
Bristol University Press
The Hidden World of the Legal Aid Lawyer
Since the 2012 LASPO cuts, legal aid provision in England and Wales has faced severe challenges, threatening both client access to justice and traditional practices.
This book offers an in-depth ethnographic study of how these cuts have transformed the professional identity of legal aid lawyers amid shrinking resources. By documenting the first-hand experiences of those on the front line, it reveals how these professionals navigate the precarious landscape while maintaining their commitment to justice.
This is a unique and insightful look into the evolving role of legal aid lawyers in a diminishing industry across both civil and criminal remits.
Emma Cooke is Lecturer in Criminology at the University of Kent. Her research interests are inter-disciplinary spanning criminal justice, socio-legal and occupational sociology remits.
Prologue: A Modern Day ‘Legal Aid Lawyers’ Story
1. Introduction
2. Research Context: Legal Aid Provision Over Time
3. The Participants
4. Moving Beyond ‘Occupational Culture’: Introducing the Concept of the ‘Shared Orientation’ Model
5. Navigating Entry to, and Barriers Within the Legal Profession: Exploring Institutional and Structural Deficiencies Within the Legal Aid Field
6. The ‘Precarious’ Legal Aid Lawyer: Consequences That Reductions in Funding and Services Have Had on the Legal Aid Lawyers Lived Experience
7. One-Stop-Shop: ‘It’s Not Just About Being Someone’s Lawyer’
8. Concluding Remarks: Revisiting the The ‘Shared Orientation’ Model
