Our staff

Maria is a paralegal with CCLC’s Education Law Team. Prior to this role, Maria used to work as a Child Law Legal Advisor with the Child Law Advice Service from January 2022.

Maria attained her LLB Law degree from the University of Essex in 2021. She volunteered for three years with the Essex Law Clinic.

Chessie is a solicitor specialising in public and community care law. She joined the CCLC June 2022. Chessie first began working in public law in 2010, gaining experience at the Public Law Project. She then joined Pierce Glynn as a paralegal before training at Deighton Pierce Glynn where she worked in public law, housing law and civil claims for false imprisonment and breach of the Human Rights Act 1998. She qualified in 2015. Subsequently, she moved to Simpson Millar where she developed a practice focused on acting for child and adult victims of trafficking in judicial review challenges and claims against public authorities.

Her caseload typically involves an interplay between public/community care and immigration law. She is particularly interested in trafficking identification challenges, age assessment cases involving mental health and capacity issues, and Children Act challenges concerning support for children in care and former relevant children with insecure immigration status.

Rosalyn Akar Grams joined CCLC’s Legal Practice Unit as the Head of Legal Practice in September 2019. She is an experienced solicitor specialising in asylum, immigration and human rights cases. She is an accredited supervisor under the Law Society’s Immigration and Asylum Accreditation Scheme. She has acted for clients throughout the asylum process from the initial application stage through the appeal stages right up to the Court of Appeal and Supreme Court. Rosalyn also has significant experience bringing judicial review and strategic challenges.

Prior to joining CCLC, Rosalyn was the Interim National Manager of the Medico-Legal Reports Service and permanent Manager of the Legal Advice and Welfare Service at Freedom from Torture. In 2017, she was shortlisted for Human Rights Lawyer of the Year at the Law Society Excellence Awards for her work promoting the rights of survivors of torture going through the asylum system.

Rosalyn is an experienced trainer. She has written articles on access to justice and has been consulted by organisations such as Human Rights Watch and Justice on issues related to the UK asylum system.

Previously, Rosalyn spent many years as a practising solicitor at Wilson Solicitors LLP, specialising in asylum and with a focus on survivors of torture, victims of trafficking and gender based violence and children and young people. She started her work in this field at the Refugee Legal Centre in 2002.

Her notable cases include MJ (Angola) v SSHD [2010] EWCA CIV 557, R (on the application of Elmi) v SSHD [2010] EWHC 2775 (admin) and KV v SSHD [2019] UKSC 10 (with Freedom from Torture as joint interveners).

Smita joined CCLC in September 2022 as a part time Senior Outreach Solicitor. Smita works in conjunction with another charity, We Belong who provide support to young migrants helping them to navigate and challenge immigration processes to secure status in the UK.

Smita is an experienced solicitor in the field of Immigration Asylum and Nationality Law and has represented clients throughout all stages of the immigration and asylum process. She is accredited under the Law Society’s Immigration and Asylum Accreditation Scheme at Senior Caseworker Level 2. She has experience in representing children, young people and families, including vulnerable clients and clients with mental health and learning difficulties. She also has long standing experience of representing those detained by the Home Office and challenging deportation. She has also worked in cases involving deprivation of British citizenship. exclusion and deportation before the Special Immigration Appeals Commission.

Smita began working as a solicitor in Immigration and Asylum law in 1992 following a training contract with a high street legal aid firm in East London and continued to work in legal aid for a range of firms committed to public funding.

In addition, she also worked as supervising solicitor for a charity supporting migrants and then provided clinical training to law students at the University of Law in the Legal Advice Clinic on deportation and bail. Since 2016 Smita has been a sole practitioner of her own private practice ensuring those she represents are given good quality and robust legal advice. She also provides a pro bono service for applications for Exceptional Case Funding.

Smita was a part time legal officer at Rights of Women from 2019. She worked on their telephone advice line to support women and children requiring immigration advice as victims of domestic violence.

She was a previous member on the Law Society Immigration Committee and has provided training for ILPA. In 2011 she was awarded Legal Aid Lawyer of the Year in the Immigration category.

Smita speaks Kutchi and can understand Gujarati fluently. She has basic knowledge of French.

Katie is a Senior Immigration Caseworker specialising in asylum and refugee law. She has over 13 years experience representing clients is a diverse range of asylum and immigration matters. Katie’s practice focuses on representing children and young people in applications for asylum, fresh claims, trafficking claims, appeals to the First-tier and Upper Tribunal, bail applications, applications for judicial review and applications on the basis of family and private life.

Prior to joining CCLC, Katie worked at Kesar & Co Solicitors as Head of the Immigration Department. Katie was responsible for supervising a team of caseworkers and managing her own caseload, including conducting her own advocacy at the First-tier and Upper Tribunals. Prior to that she trained at Refugee & Migrant Justice, representing child refugees in the care of Kent County Council in their applications for asylum in the United Kingdom. Katie is committed to access to justice for vulnerable young people and families to ensure that their human rights are recognised and upheld in UK society.

Katie graduated from Sussex University with a LL.B Hons in 2005. She then went on to complete the Bar Vocational Course at the College of Law in 2007.

Katie joined CCLC’s Immigration and Asylum Team in January 2023.

Simon joined CCLC as a paralegal in the education team in April 2023.

Prior to joining CCLC, Simon worked as a legal caseworker for the trade union United Voices of the World handling Employment Tribunal claims on behalf of a membership predominantly composed of migrant, low-paid, and precarious workers. He has also undertaken pro bono casework for the Free Representation Unit and the School Exclusion Project, and in the latter role succeeded in getting a number of students who had been permanently excluded from school reinstated.

Simon graduated from the University of Cambridge in 2018 with a degree in History and went on to complete a Graduate Diploma in Law at City University in 2019. He completed the Bar Professional Training Course in 2020 and was called to the Bar in 2022. He will be starting pupillage in the autumn of 2024.

Machela is a senior paralegal with CCLC’s Legal Practice Unit. She started working with the Legal Practice Unit in July 2018.

Prior to her role as a senior paralegal she worked as a Legal Advisor with the Child Law Advice Service for two years, from June 2016 – June 2018. She started in October 2015 as a volunteer for the Child Law Advice Service. Her role was to provide advice to young people and parents on family, child and education law.

Machela obtained her LLB Law degree from the University of Essex in 2016. She went on to complete an LLM in International Human Rights at the University of Essex in 2016-2017.

Sofia joined CCLC as a part-time education law paralegal in October 2023.

Prior to joining the team, Sofia obtained a degree in Philosophy from the University of Sussex, before training in law, completing the Graduate Diploma in Law (GDL) at City, University of London in 2022. Sofia moved on to undertake the part-time Bar Vocational Studies (BVS) course, where she is in the process of completing her final year.

During her GDL and the first year of the BVS, Sofia served as a director of the School Exclusion Project a pro bono initiative focuses on advocating for parents appealing the permanent exclusion of their child from school.

Charlotte is a paralegal with CCLC’s Education Law Team. Prior to this role, Charlotte used to work as a Child Law Legal Advisor with the Child Law Advice Service from May 2022.

Charlotte attained her LLB Law degree from the University of Essex in 2022.

Gregg joined Coram Children’s Legal Centre within the Education Team in November 2021. He is an experienced education solicitor who primarily assists clients with Special Educational Needs Tribunal appeals. Gregg also brings Judicial Reviews against Local Authorities as public bodies over their decisions around Education Health and Care Plans (EHCPs). Gregg undertakes his own advocacy in the first tier tribunal.

Gregg also assists with the Queen Mary’s University Legal Advice Centre which provide one off pieces of advice for clients who may have an education issue.

Outside of work Gregg is still attempting to play football and is part of a local 11 a side football team.

Keeley Creedy is a solicitor specialising in public law and community care law. She has a particular interest in public law, civil liberties and human rights.

Keeley has gained considerable experience in representing young people in age disputes. She also has experience in education law and represents children who have been excluded, are out of school and with respect to their special educational needs. She works closely with a number of children’s charities, in particular CCLC’s partner charity Coram Voice.

Keeley trained and qualified as a solicitor at Fisher Meredith LLP. She subsequently worked at Maxwell Gillott before joining Coram Children’s Legal Centre in 2014.

Qualified as a solicitor in 2006 and has specialised in immigration and asylum law since 2003. She is an accredited supervising solicitor experienced in representing children and young people at all stages of the immigration and asylum process and has particular interest in family and private life cases under Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights and citizenship applications. She has a wide experience in judicial review applications and appeals in the First Tier Tribunal, Upper Tribunal and Court of Appeal. She joined CCLC in May 2022 having worked at Dexter Montague and Partners and Legal Rights Partnership.

Madey joined CCLC as a paralegal in the education team in August 2020 and is now a trainee solicitor.

Prior to joining CCLC, Madey worked as a paralegal at John Ford Solicitors assisting fee earners with education, public law and community care matters. Before becoming a paralegal, Madey trained as a youth advocate at Just for Kids Law where she formally advocated for children and young people with education, housing, immigration and community care matters. Madey also volunteered with Bexley Citizens Advice Bureau as an adviser for three years. She has experience working with exceptionally vulnerable children and young people across the third and public sector, and currently serves as a school governor at a local primary school in Bexley.

Madey graduated from the University of Nottingham with a degree in History, and subsequently went on to complete the GDL at City University. She successfully completed the LPC in July 2022 where she was awarded a full-fee scholarship by The Law Society.

Michelle Elcombe joined CCLC in May 2016 as the Supervising Solicitor for the Kids in Need of Defence (KIND) UK pro bono project, previously called the Children’s Pro Bono Legal Service. The service utilises the pro bono commitment of lawyers at DLA Piper and Allen and Overy to provide a free legal to service to children and young people to enable them to apply for and enjoy British citizenship. Michelle is responsible for training and supervising these lawyers and has been instrumental in developing the project and proving that this pro bono model works. The service has been recognised as a unique innovative model of pro bono provision of legal services.

Michelle was previously a Partner and head of Immigration at Leonard Canning’s solicitors in Southampton, formerly Leonard and Co solicitors where Michelle also trained and qualified. Michelle has over 13 years’ experience specialising in immigration, asylum and nationality law. Michelle has experience representing children, young people and families at all stages of the immigration and asylum process including initial applications, appeals and judicial reviews.

Kelly joined the Children’s Legal Centre in 2004 and assisted with the setting up, running and advising of what is now the Child Law Advice Line – a national telephone advice line which provides free legal advice over the phone and online on child, family and education law matters. She subsequently qualified as a solicitor in child law, family law, public law and education law in 2006.

Kelly was previously head of the family team before taking a career break to have two children. Now working part time, Kelly represents children, parents and carers in the area of child and family law where she has a keen interest in judicial review cases. Although Kelly undertakes work across the field of family and child law, her specialism is in representing children and young people in matters involving local authorities. Her particular interest lies in ensuring that homeless young people are accommodated and supported by the relevant authority, whether that be social services or the council housing department, bearing in mind the duties of those authorities and the wishes and feelings of the young person, in addition to ensuring that those young people who have been in care are able to access all their entitlements until the age of 21 or 25.

Kelly undertakes work on all areas involving the Children Act 1989 and Children Act 2004, including obtaining support services for children and their families from local authorities and placement moves for young people in care, leaving care legislation and contact and residence disputes.

She has been involved in a precedent case: Carla Edwards v General Register Office [2010] EWHC 2380 (Fam), involving a declaration of parentage.

Kelly has written for Children & Young People Now and appeared on a number of regional and national television programmes and radio stations.

She works on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays and is based in CCLC’s Colchester office.

Sophie Freeman is an accredited supervising solicitor specialising in immigration, asylum and nationality law. Sophie has experience representing children, young people and families at all stages of the immigration and asylum process, including initial applications, fresh claims, appeals and judicial reviews.

Sophie has particular expertise working with young people with mental health problems. She regularly represents victims of trafficking and young people at risk of persecution as a result of their sexual orientation or gender identity. She also has a particular interest in representing young people facing deportation from the United Kingdom as a result of their criminal convictions.

Sophie also undertakes strategic litigation on behalf of the Legal Practice Unit. She, along with Jane Barrett, had conduct of CCLC’s intervention in the case of R (SM & Others) v Secretary of State for the Home Department [2013] EWHC 1144 (Admin) in which the High Court found the then Home Office policy on Discretionary Leave to be unlawful because it did not allow the proper consideration of children’s best interests when deciding the duration of leave to remain to be granted to them.

As well as her casework within the Legal Practice Unit representing individuals and families, Sophie works closely with the Migrant Children’s Project, contributing to the MCP’s policy work and training programs. She also speaks regularly at the monthly legal advice meetings held by the UK Lesbian and Gay Immigration Group.

In October 2016, Sophie wrote the immigration and asylum section of the Legal Action Group’s special publication entitled, ‘Use it or lose it: children and legal aid’. In July 2018, Sophie was named ‘Legal aid lawyer of the year‘ in the social and welfare category.

Sophie trained and qualified as a solicitor at Fisher Meredith LLP, where she gained valuable experience in children law and community care law, as well as immigration and asylum law. She joined CCLC in June 2012.

Rhona joined CCLC in March 2022 as a Senior Caseworker for our Family Reunion from Europe (FRFE) Project. Rhona works in conjunction with another charity, Refugee Legal Support (“RLS”), and in partnership with eight corporate firms in making entry clearance applications to reunite clients in the UK with their separated family members in Europe, Turkey and Libya.

Rhona is an experienced caseworker in the field of Immigration and Asylum law and has represented clients throughout all stages of the immigration and asylum process. She is accredited under the Law Society’s Immigration and Asylum Accreditation Scheme at Senior Caseworker Level. She has experience in representing children, young people and families, including vulnerable clients and clients with mental health and learning difficulties.

Rhona began working as a caseworker in Immigration and Asylum law following graduating with a BA Chinese and Law degree from SOAS, University of London. She is completing her LLM in Human Rights Law at Birkbeck, University of London. Before joining CCLC, Rhona worked at TRP Solicitors, a specialist asylum and immigration law firm in Birmingham. Outside her work as a caseworker, she has delivered introductory workshops on deportation and human rights law to children, young people and adults and has campaigned for migrant rights with Waging Peace (NGO) and with Quaker Peace and Social Witness.

Rhona speaks German, Mandarin Chinese and basic Polish.

Cheryl joined the Coram legal team in August 2023. She is an experienced housing solicitor having qualified in 2005. She worked for many years at North Kensington Law Centre as a housing supervisor, having trained in private practise. She also worked as a managing solicitor in the legal department at Shelter. She managed the tenancy relations service for Brent council whilst in private practise, specialising in unlawful eviction. She has practised in all areas of housing law, including defending possession proceedings, unlawful eviction, disrepair and homelessness. She has a particular interest in discrimination law as it relates to housing. She has conducted cases on behalf of the Official solicitor in relation to clients which lack capacity. For the last few years, Cheryl worked at Just for Kids Law working exclusively with young people and children and trained in trauma informed practise . She acted on behalf of children under section 20 of the Children’s Act 1989 and retrospective care leaver cases where children have been denied access to housing and services under the children’s act. Cheryl assisted young people who faced homelessness and other housing problems.

Jack is a Trainee Solicitor in CCLC’s Legal Practice Unit. Jack obtained his training contract after his successful application to CCLC for the Justice First Fellowship scheme, which aims to create social justice lawyers of the future. This means that alongside his casework, Jack will set up and run a project aimed at increasing access to justice.

Jack first joined CCLC’s Education Law team in January 2019 following 10 months in a Paralegal role at a London law firm specialising in SEN law. In working towards qualifying as Solicitor, Jack left CCLC in September 2020 in order to study the Legal Practice Course full time at the University of Law. After achieving a distinction in his Legal Practice Course, Jack returned to CCLC in July 2021 and subsequently progressed to being a Senior Paralegal and a Legal Aid Supervisor within the Education Law team. Jack obtained his LLB law degree from the University of Greenwich in 2017.

Jack is experienced in advising clients on Education, Health and Care Plans and has assisted parents and young people with appeals to the Special Educational Needs and Disability Tribunal.

Ban is an accredited Senior Caseworker specialising in Immigration and Asylum law. Her caseload has a particular emphasis on applications for asylum, fresh claims, refugee family reunion and applications on the basis of family and private life.

Prior to joining CCLC, Ban worked at Wesley Gryk Solicitors, a specialist immigration firm. She assisted solicitors with all aspects of their caseload, which had a particular emphasis on applications based on partnership, family and private life, EU law, nationality and asylum on the basis of sexual identity. Before becoming a paralegal, Ban was a Project Officer within CCLC’s Migrant Children’s Project. She also worked as an advocate for asylum seeking women in refugee camps needing to access maternity services, and volunteered both at a clinic which provided support to migrants needing to access NHS services, and a refugee support centre for young people.

Ban graduated from the University of Manchester with a degree in Politics and International Relations. She then went on to complete a postgraduate degree in Middle East Politics at SOAS, and has completed the GDL at BPP University, with a view of qualifying as a solicitor.

Ban joined CCLC’s Immigration and Asylum Team in September 2021.

VyVy is a dual-qualified UK/USA lawyer. VyVy specialises in representing children and parents in public children law/care proceedings.

VyVy has a Juris Doctorate and an LL.M from the University of Washington School of Law in the USA. She has Higher Rights of Audience (Civil). Vyvy is actively involved with children law related organisations which includes her participation in the following:

• Specialist Accredited and an Assessor for the Law Society’s Children Law Accreditation Scheme (a.k.a., the Children Panel);
• Specialist Accredited and an Assessor for Resolution’s Accreditation Scheme (Children Law (Public) and Domestic Abuse);
• Member of the Executive Committee for the Association of Lawyers for Children and the Equality & Diversity sub-committee;
• Member of the London Resolution Committee and the Equality, Diversity & Inclusion sub-committee;
• Co-Author (one of four authors) of the Law Society’s Children Law accreditation course;
• Co-Organiser for the London Children’s Lawyers; and
• Participant in the Family Justice Council Central London Family Court meetings, the Family Justice Council East London Family Court Performance sub-committee meetings, and the court user group meetings for these courts.

VyVy is qualified as a solicitor in England and Wales. She is also a member of the Washington State Bar Association and the District of Columbia (Washington D.C.) Bar. VyVy worked as a trial lawyer in Seattle, Washington (USA) in the fields of Care, Juvenile Justice, Misdemeanours, Children-in-Need, At-Risk Youth, and Education law until she moved to the United Kingdom.

Sarah is a Paralegal in the Community Care team, where she is hoping to develop her legal career in public law and community care law. She attained her LLB Law and German Law degree at the University of Warwick, graduating in 2022. She speaks fluent Dutch and conversational German and hopes to bring a comparative understanding to her work.

Prior to working at Coram Children’s Legal Centre, Sarah provided immigration advice and assistance at Coventry Law Centre and worked on Public Education projects. She is particularly interested in the interrelation between different areas of law in the protection of human rights.

Nobuhle joined the Education Team as a paralegal at CCLC in May 2022. Nobuhle is passionate about children’s rights within family and education.

Prior to her role she worked as a legal advisor with the Child Law Advice service, where her role was to provide advice to young people, parents, and guardians on family, child, and education law matters.

Nobuhle obtained her LLB Law degree from the University of East Anglia.

Teigan joined CCLC in September 2022 as a Paralegal in the Community Care team. She graduated from the University of Kent in 2020 with a first-class degree in Law and Criminology. Following this, she studied the LPC combined with a masters at BPP University, attaining a distinction.

Alongside her studies at BPP, Teigan volunteered for BPP Legal Advice Clinic’s Family team, which provided free legal advice and support services to individuals and families. She has joined CCLC to gain knowledge and experience in Community Care law and to progress in her legal career.

Safiyyah joined the Education Law Team at CCLC in June 2022.

Prior to her role as a Paralegal, she undertook extensive pro bono work covering various areas of Law. She assisted clients with a range of issues, providing legal advice and assistance. Safiyyah is very passionate about helping children to give them the best possible chances in life. She has experience working with young people through her part time role at a tuition centre, tutoring children in Maths, English and Science for over 3 years.

Safiyyah obtained her LLB Law degree from the University of Bradford in 2022.

Mital is a senior solicitor specialising in community care and education law. Mital joined Coram Children’s Legal Centre (CCLC) in August 2023 and at CCLC her primary focus is providing children and young people with advice and representation in relation to community care law. She has a particular interest in ensuring 16 and 17 year olds and care leavers obtain the support they are entitled to. Mital is also the legal lead for CCLC’s pro bono projects relating to school exclusions and housing and homelessness.

Prior to working at CCLC, Mital worked for Just for Kids Law for 12 years, latterly as the Head of Education and Community Care Law. Mital qualified in 2010, she has a wealth of experience in supporting children and young people obtain the support they are entitled to from social services, supporting children and families in relation to special educational needs and disabilities and representing families in school exclusion cases.

Amber joined CCLC in July 2022 as a Paralegal in the Community Care team.

Prior to joining CCLC, Amber worked in childcare. She also volunteered for Public Legal Education and Human Rights Education projects, promoting the rights and legal empowerment of children and vulnerable adults. She has joined CCLC to develop a legal career in Community Care law.

Amber graduated from the University of Warwick with a first-class degree in Law with German Law.

After qualifying as a solicitor, Radhi joined CCLC’s Community Care Team in July 2023.

Her caseload involves a range of challenges under the Children Act 1989 for UASC, age disputed children, children in care, care leavers, including those in detention, as well as challenges with an interplay of community care/ public and housing law.

Radhi also has an interest in the interplay of public / community care and immigration law, and obtaining support and services for young people with insecure immigration status. She has recently acted in a successful judicial review challenge against the local authorities failure to consider support requests by an appeal rights exhausted care leaver, as reported here.

Qaisar joined Coram Children’s Legal Centre in 2010 as a paralegal, for what is now called the Child Law Advice Service. He later joined the Legal Practice Unit (LPU) and subsequently qualified as a solicitor in 2016. Since April 2017, Qaisar has led the Education Law Team, a branch of our LPU. He is responsible for all operations of our education practice, including supervision and business development, both in terms of our legal aid work and private client services. He is part of the Coram Management Group which brings together key service managers across the group organisations, developing joint strategy and cohesive work.

Qaisar is highly experienced in education law, particularly special educational needs, discrimination claims, Upper Tribunal appeals and public law challenges related to schools and local authorities. He has a keen interest in health and social care matters that arise within SEN appeals. Although he primarily undertakes work in these areas, he has gained experience in child and family law matters. For his work in Education Law, Qaisar has been highly ranked in Chambers and Partners 2020, 2021 and 2022 (currently ranked in Band 1 with only two other solicitors).

Chambers and Partners comment:

Qaisar Sheikh is very highly regarded in the field for his broad practice representing parents, children and young people. He frequently assists with appeals to the SEND Tribunal regarding school placement and the contents of Education, Health and Care plans. He is extremely passionate and has a very good technical brain in terms of being able to spot obscure points of law. Qaisar is personable, knowledgeable, and has a huge wealth of experience which shines across in his handling of education law appeals. He is a great tactical lawyer who knows when to push a point and when not to.

In July 2022, Qaisar won the Legal Aid Lawyer of the Year award in the category of public law at the Legal Aid Practitioner Group’s 20th Legal Aid Lawyer of the Year awards. See CCLC’s article here.

Qaisar was also announced as one of the winners of the prestigious Legal Hero Awards 2023 on 7 September. The awards, run by the Law Society, recognise the solicitors who have made the biggest difference to the lives of others, their local communities and society. You can read more about this here.

Outside of work, Qaisar is a proud father of three very energetic children, organises weekly basketball sessions for his local community and enjoys spending time with friends. Qaisar is a committee member and Trustee for the well regarded Education Law Association.

Reported and notable cases:

• East Sussex County Council v KS (SEN): [2017] UKUT 273 (AAC)
• M v Hertfordshire County Council (SEN): [2019] UKUT 37 (AAC)
• F v Responsible Body of School W [2020] UKUT 112 (AAC)
• London Borough of Southwark v WE (alternative person for OA): [2021] UKUT 241 (AAC)
• London Borough of Redbridge v H O (SEN): [2020] UKUT 323 (AAC)
• H (child) v London Borough of Hillingdon [2021]
• London Borough of Croydon v K.A. [2022] UKUT 106 (AAC)

Find out more about the services provided by Qaisar and our Education Law Team here.

Eleanor is an accredited solicitor specialising in immigration and asylum law. Eleanor is experienced in representing children, young people and families at all stages of the immigration and asylum process, including initial applications, appeals in the First-tier and Upper Tribunals, fresh claims, and judicial reviews.

Eleanor has a particular interest and expertise in representing vulnerable clients in their asylum and human rights claims, including victims of human rights abuses, victims of trafficking, unaccompanied children and care leavers, and those with mental health difficulties.

Eleanor started working as an accredited caseworker in immigration and asylum law at Wilson Solicitors LLP in January 2013, and went on to qualify as a solicitor there in October 2016. She joined Coram Children’s Legal Centre in May 2018.

Sabrina Simpson is a solicitor at Coram Children’s Legal Centre. She is passionate about supporting children to fulfil their best educational outcomes and achieving a fair education system for all.

Sabrina supervises and provides training for the School Exclusion Clinic, a pro bono service for families who would like to challenge permanent school exclusions. (Free information and resources for families and professionals challenging a school exclusion can be found on the School Exclusions Hub.

Sabrina has had a dynamic legal career, which has justice and children at the heart. She has worked for corporate law firms, local authorities, private clients and charities in the UK and the USA; represented clients in complex education matters, which has included nuances such as hair discrimination and judicial reviews challenging the Public Sector Equality Duty. One of Sabrina’s notable cases is: TZA, R (On the Application Of) v A Secondary School [2023] EWHC 1722 (Admin) (11 July 2023) (bailii.org).

In her early career, Sabrina worked in the USA for a firm which represented defendants facing capital punishment. Here she first witnessed the extent that race discrimination and poverty can play in determining fate in the criminal justice system. Sabrina later went on to qualify as a New York attorney, where she worked for several years for corporate firms and as an in-house attorney. From her diverse career she is well rounded to see matters from all sides, which has contributed to high client and team satisfaction.

Sabrina’s personal experience of supporting her child with special needs, revealed how unjust and flawed the education system can be for vulnerable children. This started her journey into education law. Sabrina also has an NVQ 3 in childcare and is a trained mediator.

Throughout her career she has mentored young people, as she is keen to encourage those who face disadvantage and open doors to careers which lack diversity. When she can find the time, Sabrina’s hobbies are painting and baking.

Phuong qualified as a solicitor in 2000 and has since specialised in family and child law.  Her main area of practise is public child law care proceedings representing children both directly and through the children’s guardian and parents on applications for care orders and supervision orders. She has broad and extensive family experience which includes representing clients on applications for: discharge of care orders; deprivation of liberty orders; wardship proceedings; special guardianship orders; Section 8 orders such as child arrangements orders, prohibited steps orders and specific issues orders including permission to remove the child from the jurisdiction; and Family Law Act applications for non-molestation and occupation orders.

Phuong’s work at Coram now focusses on representing children, in both public and private law matters.

Phuong is a member of the Law Society’s Children Panel and conducts her own advocacy.  She is a member of the Association of Lawyers for Children.   She is a supervising solicitor and has mentored and trained paralegals and trainee solicitors.

Stefan qualified as a solicitor in 1996 and specialises in immigration and asylum law. He is accredited as an advanced supervising solicitor and has experience in all areas of immigration and asylum law with a particular interest in deportation and detained cases. He has represented clients at all levels of the appeal process from the First-tier Tribunal to the Supreme Court and the European Court of Human Rights. He joined Coram Children’s Legal Centre in January 2023.

Liam is a Solicitor in the Family Law Team at Coram Children’s Legal Centre. He regularly acts in both Private Family Law and Public Family Law cases, as well as obtaining legal injunctions for clients who allege domestic abuse. Liam also has experience in advising for Special Guardianship Applications and is keen to develop this area further.

Whilst a trainee at CCLC Liam completed seats in Education, Discrimination and Immigration/Asylum Law and therefore has a good working knowledge of these areas which is useful when there is crossover with his family work. Liam regularly accepts internal referrals from team members in other departments if family law issues arise on their cases.

Liam is also a capable advocate, regularly appearing on behalf of clients at court.

Liam joined CCLC in October 2019 as a Senior Paralegal in the Education Team, subsequently becoming a Legal Aid Agency approved supervisor. Prior to joining CCLC, Liam has experience as a paralegal in both Public Law and Medical Negligence for two private practice law firms.

The Child Law Advice Service is staffed by fully trained paralegals specialising in family, child and education law. They all hold a legal qualification, having completed law degrees, legal practice courses or specialist paralegal courses. Our staff come from a variety of backgrounds including having worked in Citizen Advice Bureaux or other legal firms. All our advisers are trained in customer service, call handling and digital communication.

For information and advice on issues of Child, Family and Education Law please the Child Law Advice Service’s dedicated website www.childlawadvice.org.uk.

Nikki is an Immigration Adviser accredited under Office of the Immigration Services Commissioner (OISC) at Level 2 Immigration and Asylum. Nikki previously worked in a voluntary sector organisation where she contributed in supporting their registration under OISC, which enabled them to deliver a free legal advice service. Nikki also worked in a partnership model that specialised in representing clients in refugee family reunion applications. She has experience of advising on asylum, fresh claims, immigration, and nationality matters.

Prior to becoming an Immigration Adviser, Nikki worked as an Asylum Caseworker, supporting and advocating in areas of housing, asylum support, and health issues. She also assisted families seeking asylum in isolated dispersal areas with integration needs.

Nikki graduated from the University of Nottingham with a degree in English Studies. She is currently in the process of completing her Post Graduate Diploma in Law with the University of London, specialising in Human Rights and International Development. She is enthusiastic about advocacy and empowering young people, gaining her Level 2 Independent Advocacy qualification in December 2021.

Chloe Evans is currently managing and supervising our outreach legal advice projects across London.

 She is a senior immigration adviser accredited under the IAAS at level 2 and at level 3 of the OISC in asylum and immigration. She specialises in working with children, young people and families at all stages of the immigration and asylum process. She also has experience working with clients held in immigration detention.

 Chloe has been practicing immigration and asylum law since 2014 and previously worked at Wilsons LLP, as well as various grassroots organisations. She joined CCLC in October 2018.

 Chloe is fluent in French.

Rosalind is a solicitor specialising in immigration, asylum and nationality law and issues relating to access to support, housing, health care and education for children, young people and families affected by immigration control. Rosalind is experienced in working with children, young people and families at all stages in immigration, asylum and nationality processes, including in initial applications, appeals and judicial reviews.

Rosalind does outreach work across several London boroughs, offering legal advice to children, young people and families on immigration, asylum and nationality law.

She trained at Fisher Meredith where she worked in immigration, housing and police and prison law, before joining CCLC in October 2013.

Rosalind was seconded to the Greater London Assembly, working on the Citizenship and Integration Initiative, for a year from April 2018 to March 2019.

Anita Hurrell manages CCLC’s Migrant Children’s Project, which promotes the rights of children and young people affected by UK immigration control, and is responsible for providing legal guidance and delivering training to professionals in the statutory and voluntary sectors. She contributes to CCLC’s policy work, particularly on the issue of legal aid.

Anita has worked in the field of immigration since 2008, including as Senior Researcher at the think tank Policy Network and as a Caseworker at the legal charity Refugee and Migrant Justice, where she primarily represented clients in detention and unaccompanied children.

Anita was seconded to the Greater London Assembly, working on the Citizenship and Integration Initiative, from April 2017 until April 2018.

Marianne Lagrue is Policy and Programmes Manager at Coram Children’s Legal Centre. She works in CCLC’s Migrant Children’s Project and contributes to CCLC’s policy work on Brexit, children’s rights and access to justice. She has authored Uncertain futures: the EU settlement scheme and children and young people’s right to remain in the UK (2019) and co-authored Rights without Remedies: legal aid and access to justice for children (2018) and ‘This is my home’: Securing permanent status for long-term resident children and young people in the UK (2017). She is also responsible for CCLC’s digital content, the monitoring and evaluation of the MCP’s programmes, and the operation of the project’s training programme. Marianne manages youth involvement in the work of the MCP, and runs CCLC’s Youth Rights Trainers scheme. She is also an immigration adviser accredited to OISC level one and does outreach legal work on the EU settlement scheme.

Marianne has past experience as a Parliamentary researcher in the House of Lords, as an assistant caseworker for an MP and as a political consultant. She has an MA in Media and International Development. Marianne joined CCLC in September 2015.

Stewart MacLachlan is Legal & Policy Manager for the Migrant Children’s Project, part of Coram Children’s Legal Centre. He manages the legal training programme, as well as specific funded projects. He leads on a number of policy areas at the centre, including asylum, trafficking/modern slavery and access to education.  He is co-author of Seeking Support (fifth edition), a guide to working with separated children and young people. He sits on a number of working groups related to children and asylum, education and care.

Stewart is a practising Scottish solicitor, qualifying in 2010, and was accredited as a level 2 supervisor under the Immigration and Asylum Accreditation Scheme in England. He previously worked at an immigration firm in Nottingham, and worked for over 4 years in law centres in Scotland.

He is current chair of the Board of Trustees at the Scottish Child Law Centre, having been on the board since August 2018. He also became a trustee of We Belong in 2022.

Nisa is an accredited solicitor, specialising in immigration, asylum and nationality law.

She has experience working with children, young people and families at various stages of the immigration and asylum process, including initial applications, fresh claims, appeals and judicial reviews.

Nisa is committed to assisting vulnerable clients and has represented victims of human rights abuses, unaccompanied asylum-seeking children, victims of trafficking and those with mental health difficulties. She trained at Bhatt Murphy Solicitors in immigration detention, police law and inquests. She qualified in 2016 and has since been practising immigration and asylum law. Nisa joined CCLC, originally as part of the Migrant Children’s Project, in July 2019.

Nisa is a native Dari/Farsi speaker and fluent in French.

Sheree Clark is the Project and Finance Manager for both London and Colchester offices. Sheree joined Coram Children’s Legal Centre in November 2008 as an accounts assistant for the charity. Sheree has a number of years’ experience and has spent her career in finance-based roles. In 2011 Sheree took over the role of Legal Cashier for CCLC’s Legal Practice Unit and in January 2014 took on the additional role managing our Colchester office and subsequently from May 2022 taken overall responsibility for our London Office.

Emily joined Coram in November 2023 as our Office Administrator. Prior to joining CCLC, Emily had volunteered to support vulnerable children at a substance misuse charity in Brighton and various community outreach projects in Nottingham. Emily graduated the University of Nottingham in July 2023 with a first-class degree in French and History.

Demi joined Coram Children’s Legal Centre in December 2023 as the finance and billing assistant based in the London office. He obtained his BSC Accounting and Finance degree from the University of East Anglia in 2021. Prior to Coram, his position was at BT as an account manager ensuring that several clients had their needs met through finding solutions to their problems and providing high quality customer service on a regular basis.

Charlie joined Coram in June 2022 as our Operations Officer. She has worked for over 14 years in the not-for-profit sector within a variety of operational and administrative roles, most recently for a children’s literacy charity and previously within a family court team and young people’s domestic violence service.

Her passion for supporting children and young people reach their full potential regardless of background stemmed from teaching sensory yoga and art classes to 6 month-5 year olds and most recently as a play volunteer at the Log Cabin- an after school club for children aged 5-15 with additional needs and disabilities.