Alison Bryan: Deaf, Alison obtained her LL.B. at the University of Birmingham and since graduation has taught both in Further and Higher Education. In addition, she has worked with probation and youth justice services; and has also worked in the voluntary sector up to senior management level. Alison has managed an advice service. She is particularly interested in policy around Deaf issues plus minority languages. She has started her Legal Practice Course twice, but subsequently had to withdraw due to lack of funding for interpreters. Equal opportunties is an issue close to her heart.
Richard Dunford: Deaf, Richard passed his Solicitors Finals and Articles a while ago. Since he has worked as an employed solicitor for 18 years, at the London Borough of Newham, to the level of Acting Principal Solicitor for the borough. He has recently been appointed to the Head of Procurement and Contract at the London Development Agency. Outside his work, he is a trustee of Sign. Richard has been involved with the Group for Solicitors with Disabilties since its inception, and has previously been its past Chairman.
Shobha Edgell: Hard of Hearing, is an employed Barrister, who works at Hertfordshire Magistrates Court Service. She has been a member of the Bar Council’s Disability Committee, a Sub Committee of the Bar Council, for the past 7 years?
Sara Smyth: Hard of Hearing, Sara is a Trainee Solicitor with Rowley Ashworth Solicitors, an Employment law firm in London. She completed her LL.B. at Queen’s University Belfast, her LL.M. in Human Rights at UCL, and her LPC at the College of Law. Sara is interested in finding out how others manage in court/tribunals as she is expected to begin advocacy work fairly shortly.
Rob Wilks: Deaf, Rob has worked for RAD for nine years. Originally from Newport, South Wales, he has a BA (Hons) degree in History, and commenced his legal training having completed Diplomas in Law and Legal Practice. He completed a LLM in Law of Employment Relations with the University of Leicester in 2008. Rob’s specialist area of law is employment.