Books / Poetry
Lockdown from lawyers’ perspectives
Poetry in a new collection ranges from haiku to multi-page poems and touches upon crime, mental health, the lack of courts and remote working.
Lockdown Lawyers is an anthology focusing on the Covid-19 pandemic from a legal aid perspective. More than 50 barristers, solicitors and advisers have contributed to the collection.
The anthology has been edited by Jon Whitefield and Bristol-based Emma Trevett, who has worked at Old Market-based Bristol Law Centre since 2013.
is needed now More than ever
An initial brief was sent to poets asking how they had been affected by lockdown and the “near collapse” of the legal system.
Adriana Goncalves, Jane Emanuel and Erin Morris of Bristol Law Centre. Photo: Ellie Pipe
Lockdown Lawyers not only looks at personal experiences of working in the legal sector during the pandemic, but how decades of Government cuts have affected legal work.
“We have survived numerous cuts over the decades,” says Emma Trevett, who also works as a paralegal in the public law and human rights team at Irwin Mitchell LLP’s Bristol office near Castle Park.
“The challenges we face alongside our clients during the pandemic are evident throughout this collection. However, we will survive the pandemic and ensure that our clients continue to access justice.”
Emma Trevett co-edited the anthology. Photo: Emma Trevett/LinkedIn
All proceeds raised from the collection will be donated to Law Centres Network so the organisation can continue to defend the legal rights of those who cannot afford a lawyer.
All of the poems have been written anonymously, to allow writers to express themselves fully.
Emma hopes that the collection will not only help to mark an unusual and difficult period of history, but also raise a smile, saying: “Lockdown Lawyers has seen legal aid lawyers from all over the country come together to create something positive and remarkable during these unprecedented times.”
Buy Lockdown Lawyers at www.lag.org.uk/shop/lockdown-lawyers
Main photo: LAG
Read more: Could you be Bristol’s next City Poet?
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