Celebrating International Volunteer’s day – the many ‘volunteering hats’ of Drystone Chambers

Helen Easterbrook – Part of Advocate’s volunteer safety net

Alongside a busy practice and her role as an officer in the Royal Navy Reserve, Helen Easterbrook is also a volunteer case reviewer with Advocate, the Bar’s national pro bono charity.

 “Advocate provides as much of a safety net as we can for those who need legal advice but can’t afford it. As a case reviewer I look at 2- 3 cases per month to check if they meet the eligibility criteria, if the case has merit and if further information is needed before we can look for a volunteer to take the case on.

Although I only deal with cases within my own practice area of crime, the range of cases I look at never ceases to amaze me. I regularly advise on appeals against conviction but have also dealt with cases involving Proceeds of Crime and Prison Law.  I love that this role, as with all of the work Advocate does, allows me to help while at the same time improving my knowledge as a lawyer.”

Eliza Harris – Volunteer at Amicus – The Andrew Lee Jones Fund

Formerly a member of staff at Amicus, since starting pupillage, Eliza Harris continues to volunteer at their events and training.

“Amicus is a UK-based charity advocating for the rights of those on death row, or facing a death sentence, in the US. They fight for due process and equal access to justice by raising awareness about executions, exonerations, and miscarriages of justice, as well as carrying out casework in capital cases. 

As a member of staff, I coordinated Amicus’s social media channels, creating updates and information about upcoming executions, key cases, and promoting Amicus events. I also scrutinised and summarised evidence on several capital cases, including one which resulted in an acquittal on all four charges; the work Amicus did to support the Public Defender’s office literally helped save a life.

Although I am no longer a member of staff at Amicus, I continue to volunteer as a workshop leader at their bi-annual death penalty training programme, training up the next cohort of interns. I also help out at events and run the Royal Parks Half Marathon each year to raise money and awareness. As a charity with no government funding, membership fees and donations are crucial in allowing Amicus to continue its lifesaving work.”