Aristide Hoang-Brown has a mixed practice in housing, property, family, civil and public law (including Court of Protection).
In celebration of Pro Bono Week, he discusses education/contract law advice he gave pro bono to a young person supported by Become (our charity partner for 2026 which supports children and young people who have been in care or who are in care).
Please tell us about the pro bono work you did
I advised a young person who was being helped by our charity partner this year Become. The young person concerned was taking part in the charity’s Propel into Education programme and needed advice about their university’s decision to discontinue all undergraduate programmes, leaving them without a confirmed pathway to complete their final year.
I provided the young person with guidance about possible legal avenues and practical next steps.
What impact did the pro bono work have on the people and communities you worked with?
The Become coordinator for the Propel into Education programme sent some very nice feedback:
Aristide was friendly and approachable and put the young person at ease straight away. He listened to the young person, answered their questions, and provided clear and easy to understand advice.
He was able to help the young person decide their next steps and signposted where to find out more.
The young person left the meeting feeling better informed, supported, and listened to. They found the meeting extremely beneficial and we can’t thank Aristide enough for taking the time to meet with us.
Did your pro bono work have an impact on your professional career? If so, in what ways?
Education law is part of my practice, though I often act for local authorities in a SEND (Special Educational Needs and Disability) context. By advising the young person in this case, I was able to draw upon my wider practice, including my civil/contract law knowledge, to provide tangible assistance to someone facing an issue that would significantly affect their future opportunities.
After just one short conference, the young person seemed to feel so much more empowered.
Any final comments
I hope that I’ve enabled the young person concerned to make a more informed choice about their next steps. Doing pro bono work enables you to make a real difference to someone who would otherwise go without legal assistance and can also broaden your practice while doing so.