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Law student wins top prize at Attorney General's Pro Bono Awards

Taymour Keen, a law student at the University of Kent has been awarded the Best Individual Student prize at the third Attorney General's Pro Bono Awards. Taymour, who was proposed for the award on the basis of his work in the University's Law Clinic, was named as winner at a ceremony in the House of Lords on 24 April 2008.

The Pro Bono Awards of the Attorney General, Baroness Scotland QC, celebrate the best student pro bono activities and the positive impact that those activities have had on those who have been assisted. Taymour has personally and successfully represented clients in both the Employment Tribunal and the County Court. He helped a vulnerable elderly lady obtain compensation from builders who had removed her central heating. He has also played a leading role in organising the administration of the Law Clinic generously assisting not only clients but also staff and other students.

John Fitzpatrick, Director of the Law Clinic, said 'All of our students work hard to deliver what is a first-class legal service to our local community. It is just great to see someone of Taymour's calibre being recognised by the panel which included Mrs Justice Linda Dobbs QC and Paul Marsh, Vice-President of the Law Society.'

Taymour will spend two weeks in the Milan offices of one of the award sponsors - solicitors DLA Piper - in order to gain an insight into the pro bono work that is undertaken outside the UK. Vodafone and LexisNexis also sponsor the awards which are organised by LawWorks. He will be given the opportunity to conduct comparative analysis on the different approaches that reflect local culture. The candidate will be well placed to gain an insight into how corporate social responsibility and pro bono projects are developed and delivered.

The award is the latest in a series of accolades for the work of the Kent Law Clinic, which was recently awarded the prestigious Queen's Anniversary Prize for Higher and Further Education. The Clinic also won the award for Outstanding Contribution to the Local Community in the most recent Times Higher Education Awards.

Contact: mediaoffice@kent.ac.uk

Story published at 4:00pm 25 April 2008