Harrison Engler joined us as a tenant in September 2024 after successfully completing pupillage. He has a mixed practice in civil, family, housing, employment and public law. To celebrate Pro Bono Week, he discusses one of his pro bono cases from the past year.
Please tell us about the pro bono work you did
During pupillage I twice appeared pro bono through Advocate on behalf of a mother in private child law proceedings. The proceedings concerned a child with learning needs. The father disputed arrangements for schooling and contact.
The case created lots of uncertainty for the mother and the child because it affected the living and schooling arrangements for the child when she was about to start secondary school. Although proceedings had not concluded, during the second hearing the court had to ‘grasp the nettle’ and make a decision about the choice of secondary school, which it did in the mother’s favour.
What impact did the pro bono work have on the people and communities you worked with?
My client wrote a very kind email to Advocate expressing what it meant to her having me act for her.
I would like to express my most sincere gratitude for Mr Engler's most professional representation in two hearings at the Central Family Court.
He has always been very effective in his communication promptly replying to all my queries. He explained the legal process by breaking down complex legal terminology.
Mr Engler's representation during the Hearings meant that I felt understood, informed, confident and reassured in Court.
He kindly drafted the Order explaining all the next steps that need to be followed by both parties for the next hearing. He provided invaluable support on every level.
I would recommend Mr Engler without hesitation to anyone who is looking for a Barrister in the area of Family Law.
I am also very grateful to Advocate for providing access to justice to those members of the society, who cannot afford paid legal help.
Did your pro bono work have an impact on your professional career? If so, in what ways?
To show how much difference pro bono can make, I was encouraged (with my client’s consent) to share her thank you on LinkedIn in the hope of prompting more people to take on pro bono work.
Nothing posted on LinkedIn previously about me has ever drawn so much attention! As someone early on in my career at the Bar, pro bono work helped to raise my profile.
Any final comments
Although often pro bono work is a way to ‘level the playing field’ where one party has paid representation, in this case I was the only legal representative involved in the case at all. That adds a different pressure, because for example, I had to help my client to prepare a bundle for the court’s use.
However, it also meant that I was able to play a significant role in assisting my client and the court by narrowing and framing the dispute between the parents. This might not have happened had neither party been represented.
It also led to positive judicial feedback which is very gratifying at this stage in my career.