Gary Steel - Justice First FellowshipJustice First Fellowship

Host Organisation: Derbyshire Law Centre

Gary studied for a Bachelor of Law (Hons) at the Open University after leaving school at the age of fourteen without any GCSEs or A Levels. He studied on a part time basis over 6 years graduating in 2014. In 2016, Gary was the sole male awarded the 2016/2017 Law Society Diversity Access Scholarship and studied the LLM LPC at Nottingham Trent University, graduating in 2018.

Gary has worked in the legal sector since graduating from the Open University both in paid employment and volunteer roles in Immigration Law, Family Law and Housing Law. Gary joined Derbyshire Law Centre in 2018 as the Homelessness Prevention Paralegal undertaking the day to day delivery of the Homelessness Reduction Act Project, whose aim is to prevent homelessness within the Local Authority funders’ areas. The success of the Homelessness Reduction Act Project has resulted in two sister projects being funded by the Local Authorities.

Gary commenced his Training Contact with Derbyshire Law Centre on 4th January 2021 with his first Seat being in Employment Law.

Project

Gary’s project is to develop and run a duty advice and representation desk for social housing introductory tenancy review hearings. The project will provide a pathway into the law centre to gain access to the law centre's specialist core arears and project work. The project will enable access to justice at the earliest opportunity and help social housing tenants who are vulnerable and at real risk if homelessness.

The 2020 Fellows

Abi Wood Alexander Sherman Catherine Dodson Cecilia Correale Claire Poppleton David Tully Elisa Jenkins Erin Stanbury Gary Steel Hana Cogingsford Hanna Nicholls-Findlay Hannah Moxsom Kajal Maisuria Krysta Yan Kulthum Dambatta Lauren Francis Nerys Cookson-Williams Rebecca Dooley Samantha Maher Sarah Campbell Shannon Thompson Suzanne Mahoney