Reviews

"This is a book I would recommend to all legal aid practitioners . . . I don't know how I have managed without it until now."

Legal Aid Review

"A very thorough overview of the legal aid system . . . an excellent buy"

Update

Contents

1 The role of the Legal Services Commission
1.1 The development of the current system
1.2 The Legal Services Commission and Department for Constitutional Affairs
1.3 The Legal Services Commission and Service Providers
1.4 Structure of the Legal Services Commission
1.5 Making claims and applications
1.6 Public Defender Service
1.7 Community Legal Service
1.8 Quality Standards
1.9 Auditing
1.10 The Partnership Initiative Budget
2. Getting a contract
2.1 The Requirements
2.2 Applying for the Quality Mark
2.3 Quality Mark requirements
3. Community Legal Service Funding
3.1 Scope of the scheme
3.2 Payments and reconciliation
3.3 Controlled work
3.4 Legal Representation in non-family cases
3.5 Legal representation on defined cases
3.6 Investigative help
3.7 Support funding
3.8 Legal aid in family proceedings
3.9 Devolved powers - civil and family licensed work
3.10 Costs under a representation certificate
3.11 The Special Cases Unit
4. Criminal Defence Service Funding
4.1 Introduction
4.2 Public Defender Service
4.3 How the General Criminal Contract works (up to April 2004)
4.4 Costs Assessment Audits
4.5 The Duty Solicitor Schemes
4.6 The Investigations Class
4.7 Working in the proceedings class
4.8 Representation Orders in the Crown Court
4.9 Prison Law
4.10 Proceeds of Crime Act
4.11 Very High Cost Criminal Cases
5. Further sources of information and assistance
5.1 Useful publications Appendix: Useful addresses and websites

About the Authors

Vicky Ling was one of the first managers recruited by the then Legal Aid Board to implement its quality assurance standard and is now an independent consultant specialising in legal practice. She was a founder member of the Civil Justice Council and is currently on its Access to Justice Committee. She lectures regularly for Legal Action Group, the Law Society, Citizens Advice and the Legal Aid Practitioners' Group. Vicky is also a contributor to the Civil Litigation Handbook, 2nd edition (Law Society, 2007).

As well as practising as a criminal defence lawyer, Simon Pugh is practice manager of Wilson & Co, a large legal aid practice. He has designed systems to comply with civil and criminal contracting and the Specialist Quality Mark, seen the firm through numerous successful audits, and provided training on public funding issues. Simon has first hand experience of a Community Legal Service Partnership as a member of the local steering group.