Maria Scotland Wins Bar Pro Bono Awards 2010

7 Bedford Row’s Maria Scotland has won the 14th Annual Sydney Elland Goldsmith Bar Pro Bono Award.  The Award, which was presented on Saturday 6 November by Boris Johnson, Mayor of London, marks recognition of Maria’s outstanding commitment to pro bono work.  

Maria, who practices in child and family law, has taken on 12 pro bono cases over the past 12 months.  Her contribution to these cases has included written advice to attendance in court, and regularly reviewing cases for the Bar Pro Bono Unit.

Upon receiving the Award, Maria commented, "I am very touched to have received this award, as I had not realised anyone was noting the time I'd given to pro bono work.  I am sincerely grateful to have received this. I will continue to give my free time to pro bono work since there are sadly so many cases where individuals need representation and have no means or funding with which to secure representation".

"In this prevailing economic climate I am acutely aware just how privileged I am. I have a well established career at 7 Bedford Row, one of the best sets of Chambers at the Bar, and my fellow barristers and support staff are not only my colleagues but also my friends. Whilst I am exceptionally lucky, unfortunately others are not. As such I try to "give back" to the Bar what I receive, by contributing any free time in my diary to pro bono work. Applicants to the Bar Pro Bono Unit, do not meet the legal aid financial limits but have insufficient income to fund representation, are decent hard working people for whom the court process is daunting and emotionally draining. I give them my time and energy to see their way through the process and in doing so, I feel richly rewarded."

7 Bedford Row congratulates Maria on this outstanding achievement.