Shauneen established and manages the Youth Justice Department at Lawrence & Co. solicitors. She is qualified as a barrister in the UK and as an attorney in Louisiana, USA, where she worked for Clive Stafford Smith at the Louisiana Crisis Assistance Centre. She is a founder member and board member of Reprieve, a UK charity that fights for the rights of people facing the death penalty.
In 2006, Shauneen was selected as one of Management Today's 35 Women Aged under 35, women who are ‘judged to have the potential to reach the top of their chosen careers’. In 2010, Shauneen was chosen to be a World Economic Forum ‘Young Global Leader’. She was honoured to be awarded as a Shackleton Fellow in June 2011 and an Ashoka Fellow in 2012 (See video below)
Aika is a solicitor who specialises in representing young people. Prior to joining the Youth Department at Lawrence & Co Aika was the bail support worker for Westminster Youth Offending Team. She also worked for The Children's Society at Feltham Young Offenders Institute as a child advocate.
In recognition of her work in the legal community, Aika was awarded Young Legal Aid Lawyer of the Year in June 2007. This prestigious award, presented by Cherie Booth QC, gives Aika credit for her exceptional commitment and dedication to helping young people.
Jodi joined the JfK Law team as the Operations Director in April 2010. Previously Jodi had specialised in managing youth engagement and community development projects. More recently Jodi worked for Citizens Advice and established new services and initiatives to increase access to advice across London.
Rachel Knowles - Senior Education & Community Care Solicitor
Rachel is JfK Law's Senior Education and Community Care solicitor - having completed her training at Fisher Meredith LLP, she joined JfK in February 2010. She helps young people in obtaining accommodation and support from social services and acts in a variety of education matters including school exclusions, admissions, and assisting children with special educational needs.
Mital Raithatha - Education and Community Care Solicitor
Mital joined JFK as a paralegal in July 2012 after volunteering for the charity for 6 months and is now one of our Education and Community Care solicitors. Since joining the charity she has assisted young people in various matters including obtaining support from social services, acting in school exclusions cases, and obtaining support for children with special educational need. Mital was admitted to the roll in May 2010.
Lisa joined JfK Law in April 2012 and oversees the running of our Youth Advocacy, Opportunities & Mentoring programmes. She is a trained counsellor and uses her skills to ensure young people are able to make their voices heard and to have a say in decisions made about their lives. Before joining the organisation, Lisa worked for a young people’s charity in the south-west of England, managing outreach and advocacy projects in schools and in the wider community.
Aimee has worked with young people for over 10 years, mainly in the areas of homelessness and anti-social behaviour. As the youth advocate for West London she listens to the wishes young people, supporting them to access housing, financial security and education. She is currently completing her Masters in Youth and Community Work at Goldsmiths and specialises in the criminalisation of young people. Aimee has worked on projects ranging from working with socially excluded young men in Surrey to young refugee women in Egypt
Joel is a JNC qualified Youth Worker and brings his experience of managing youth projects to JfK Law. Since starting as a teaching assistant in a secondary school, he has worked with young people in Pupil Referral Units, drop-in centres, youth clubs and cafes. He has also taught boxing in Brighton and Project Management in Malawi. Joel joined us in December 2011 to develop our Opportunities and Ambassador Projects and has a responisibility for communications including social media.
Ryan is a qualified youth worker who joined the JfK Law team in January 2012. To fulfil his pursuit of helping others in need, he started out as a volunteer gaining experience and knowledge in the charity sector. He gained both his NVQ Level 2 in Youth Work and his VRQ Level 3 in Youth Work, and continues to expand his experience and knowledge by volunteering overseas. He is fully dedicated in supporting and helping young people realise their potential to positively enjoy and achieve.
Jennifer has been a practising barrister since 2006. In addition to her extensive Youth and Magistrates' Court experience, she has defended in Crown Court trials for serious matters including GBH. She is committed to pro bono work and was on the Management Committee of the Free Representation Unit, where she also represented individuals in employment and social security appeals. Jennifer worked with young people prior to coming to the Bar, having been a camp Director with Berlitz Summer Camps.
Jacob joined the Just for Kids Law team in October 2012 as the North London Manager. He is developing our new North London office into a self-sustaining operation. Jacob previously managed a Soup Kitchen for homeless and vulnerable adults, creating a safe and dignified environment through effective use of volunteers and the local community. Jacob was nominated to be a World Economic Forum ‘Global Shaper’ in 2011.
Just for Kids Law is lucky to be steered by a diverse, skilled and experienced board, who oversee the management and running of our organisation. For more information on our members, please click here.
Our Supporters
We are grateful for the ongoing support of of the individuals and groups that enable us to continue supporting children and young people:
A big THANK YOU! from everyone at Just for Kids Law to William To Photography for donating his time and his talents and capturing these fantastic images.
