Throughout the 2014-2015 academic year, eight graduate students from Oxford University have been assisting Turpin & Miller LLP in providing vital access to justice services. Students have been helping Turpin & Miller with preparing bail applications, providing crucial country research and visiting clients in detention centres.

“Through my work with Turpin and Miller I had a realistic insight into pro bono work, securing emergency legal aid for a prisoner who was to be deported to Portugal, and conducting research into the treatment of Tibetans who are returned to mainland China upon deportation from the United Kingdom. The work was varied and I thoroughly enjoyed being exposed to an entirely different side of the law. it was incredibly rewarding to know that the work I did made a genuine difference to these individuals.” –Michael Rhimes

The graduate students were able to further develop their legal skills and in times of deepening cuts to legal aid provide an important pro bono service.

“My experience working as a volunteer with Turpin & Miller has been hugely enjoyable – I have worked on cases as varied as statelessness and asylum. I also had the opportunity to observe a Legal Aid clinic at Campsfield Detention Centre with one of the partners of the firm, which was a valuable learning experience. Overall, using my legal skills to benefit the local community has been extremely rewarding.”–Alexandra Littlewood

Having an opportunity to volunteer at Turpin and Miller provided me with real insight into the daily workings of a legally-aided immigration law firm. I carried out a range of tasks, including client interviews, file reviews, and country of origin research, and I felt like I learned a lot in a very short period of time. The experience was an eye-opener, humanising immigration law for me in a way that isn’t possible within the confines of a lecture hall. It was a privilege to be involved with Turpin and Miller’s work, and I’m very thankful for the opportunity and for the support received from lawyers at the firm–Alice Irving

OLA looks forward to another year of working alongside Turpin & Miller!