FRU are delighted to announce the appointment of Lorna Reid as our interim chief executive. Lorna has over 20 years’ experience as a social security advocate and was most recently FRU's part-time principle legal officer in social security.
Providing free legal representation for the public
and advocacy experience for junior lawyers
Latest News
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Interim Chief Executive appointedMon, 02/01/2016 - 17:04
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FRU New Year UpdatesWed, 01/27/2016 - 17:27
Thank you for your support and commitment to FRU. Happy 2016. We hope you are well.
Just a few pieces of admin.
Update your contact details
We are often asked by those who fund us, how many of our active volunteers are either pupil barristers, trainee solicitors or who have qualified as a barrister or a solicitor. It will help us enormously if you take a couple of minutes to update your FRU account with your current status and details on FRU Online.
New Year; New Volunteer Guide
The FRU volunteers’ guide for volunteers in the London office has a few updates to reflect changes in legislation and our practice. Please make sure you are working from the revised version available from the FRU office.
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Join our London Marathon TeamTue, 01/26/2016 - 15:05
FRU enters the London Marathon each year to raise much needed funding.
We are down to the last couple of places and it is the last chance to fill them. If your new year’s resolution is to get fit, then this is a great opportunity to do so while training for the Marathon and raising funds for a great cause.
We are asking runners this year to aim for sponsorship of £2000 and it would be useful if we could ask employers to match fund this amount.
If you are keen to run this year or if you know of anyone who would like to take part please let us know by the end of January by email.
The deadline for registration is next week.
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Happy 2016Tue, 01/05/2016 - 10:20
The FRU office is back open for 2016.
Late night opening today will be abbreviated, with the office closing at 7.30pm. From then on operations are back to normal. -
FRU / Outer Temple Chambers PupillageFri, 07/31/2015 - 13:55
In 2013 Outer Temple Chambers (OTC) and the Free Representation Unit (FRU) announced a new 18 month pupillage scheme comprising 6 months’ work at FRU followed by a formal 1st six months pupillage at Chambers, and then a practising 2nd six months pupillage doing OTC and FRU casework. The pupillage commenced September/October 2013. The successful applicant was Daniel Brown. The funding that made this scheme possible came from the generosity of Patrick Reeves, a former pupil of our Head of Pupillage and, since his premature death, is now provided by a charitable Trust set up by his family.
OTC and FRU combined forces to offer a structured, challenging pupillage experience. Pupils undertake employment tribunal cases and social security appeals while with FRU and will be exposed to a range of areas of practice during pupillage with Chambers. Training with pupil supervisors will be backed up by sessions on drafting skills and practical advocacy exercises. Chambers will cover the cost of all compulsory pupillage courses undertaken during pupillage. The pupillage award will be £28,548, paid over the 18 months of the pupillage.
Details of the key requirements and stages of the next application round (for pupillage starting October 2015) can be downloaded here. The application process is not managed through the Gateway but directly by Chambers. If you wish to be notified with details of the next selection round, please send an email to that effect to our Pupillage Coordinator, pupillage@outertemple.com
The scheme opens to applications on 27 July 2015,
and closes on 7th August (5pm).NB: The deadline has been extended to 11th August (midnight).
The following are available to download below:
Application form (Word format)
Application form (.pdf format)
Equality & Diversity Statement