Amalia King wins Public Lawyer of the Year at the LALYs 2026

We are proud to congratulate our solicitor Amalia King on receiving the Public Law Award at the 2026 Legal Aid Lawyer of the Year (LALY) Awards.

Amalia's work is driven by the families she represents—people seeking answers, accountability and justice following the loss of loved ones in state detention. Over the past year, this has included standing alongside eight families affected by deaths at HMP Lowdham Grange, supporting them through complex and often deeply painful proceedings.

We are equally proud that our colleague Megan Smith was nominated in the same category. While only one person could receive the award, there was never any sense of competition between them. Amalia and Meg, like all of our lawyers, are in the same fight: using the law to empower our clients to challenge abuses, failures, and other unlawful conduct by the government and those with power. They secure justice for our clients, their families, and their communities!

This recognition reflects the persistence, compassion and commitment that both Amalia and Meg bring to their work every day. We are grateful to see that work acknowledged and incredibly proud of them both.

Congratulations, Amalia. Congratulations, Meg.

And congratulations to all of this year's nominees and winners. The fight for justice is a shared one, and we are proud to stand alongside so many dedicated colleagues across the legal aid community.

Thank you to the LALYs for recognising the importance of this work.

Image by Frederique Bellec Photography