Feisty barrister recommendations

[safeguardingchildren]

Anyone got any recommendations for really clever, feisty barristers for a judicial review in an education case.

[zumbaleena]

john friel

[inappropriatelyemployed]

Have seen mixed posts on here about barristers so not sure I can help.

[hoxtonbabe]

Depends on if you are going via solicitor or direct access

[WetAugust]

This is your first and only post so I presume you're a name-changer?

If so please PM me and I might be able to tell you who won for us.

[safeguardingchildren]

Got a solicitor. Barrister we wanted can't do it.

Wet - you know who I am mate! You have been helping me loads!

[Nigel1]

Clive Rawlings; Fiona Scolding; David Lawson all of Hardwicke. They all accept direct access. Are all very good. Do not get confused or mislead by others saying that they act for LAs. They are barristers. They do but a barrister will act for each side and are under an obligation to do their best for each client. I have nothing but the highest regard for each of them.

[namechanged667]

CR won for us (v expensive residential placement), I can only recommend him.

[safeguardingchildren]

Thanks. I had wondered if it affects attitudes working for LAs.

[nennypops]

David Wolfe, or any of those Nigel1 mentioned. Not J Friel_.

[Nigel1]

John Friel is one of the most experienced barristers in SEN of his generation. Most of the SEN case law that is used today has his fingers on it somewhere. He is a very good man who cares for his clients. He does have some idiosyncratic ways but once you get past that he is very good.

[hoxtonbabe]

Barristers can/Will act for both sides. As safeguarding mentions it's about if it changes their attitudes and this for me is a bit of an issue.

There are some barristers that are just a bit more pro parent. With that said, there is another barrister at hardwicke that is supposed to be excellent and " pro parent" and she cocked everything up for me to the point of submitting a complaint.

When I explain to solicitors about the issue, I don't even need to say her name but they instantly know as apparently that's the type of stupid thing she does and says....charming eh!

[nennypops]

I think Nigel1 and I have to agree to differ. From what I have heard, all that you say may well have been true in the past and no doubt he is still a good person. That doesn't necessarily make him the right barrister now.

[TOWIELA]

From personal experience, I found John Friel to be a very compassionate professional man and firmly committed to getting the correct help for MY son. When I first met him face-to-face in the Spring of this year, nearly 3 months before Tribunal, he had in front of him my DS's considerable case notes (at that stage over 500 pages). He had clearly read every single page before I met him, and my son's notes had a copious amount of colour-coded index-post-it-notes splattered all over it. At this meeting, he struck me as wanting the correct provision for my DS.

The next time I met him face-to-face was when he represented us at Tribunal (only 3 months ago). By this time, my DS's case notes had grown to over 1,000 pages, and again, he had read every single page and had flagged up all the pages he needed. Also, we had some very dirty (and highly stressful) dealings from the LA less than 48 hours before the Tribunal, resulting in JF personally working on a complex and lengthy legal argument which was submitted as late evidence less then 24 hours before the hearing.

On the day of the hearing, I can only liken him to a conductor totally in charge of his orchestra. He conducted the day's proceedings with the precision of an experienced maestro. He backed the LA into so many corners that they ended up discrediting themselves on several occasions. His timings on backing the LA into these corners was absolutely impeccable and while they were still reeling from the first attack, he immediately followed it up with killer blows.

During the hearing, it become obvious that he had done his homework about my DS's case by researching even more than just my DS's notes on file. He knew information that I hadn't told him (only because I hadn't made the connection that it was important info) and used this information to further rattle the LA. This info also meant that if, during the Tribunal, the LA had attacked me for my home ed provision, they would also be discrediting the majority of their flagship secondary school dyslexia provision in Essex (a bold statement to make, but true). He used this information with precision timing meaning that the LA didn't dare attack me. I didn't tell him this crucial info but he must have found it out from somewhere.

Yes, he is eccentric and not everyone's cup of tea. But I highly regard him. I used him for an appeal against parts 2, 3 & 4.

Sorry, this has slightly de-railed OP request about JR. I know nothing of JF's experience or track record for the JR that are the OP's requirements.

Good luck, OP, in finding the right barrister for your child.

[Nigel1]

Choosing a barrister is a highly personal choice. The outcomes of that decision can be long lasting.
JF experience of JR is wide ranging and highly knowledgeable. Judges also treat him with the utmost respect.

[nennypops]

Not these days, I'm afraid.

[safeguardingchildren]

Mmm, not sure about the reliability of barristers acting on both sides now.

Just found out the barrister acting for my LA whose conduct through a potential JR has been thoroughly reprehensible is at Hardwicke. LA has been acting on advice of counsel and the dirty tricks they have been getting up to are appalling - tr hying to unpick a child's absence code to relieve themselves of their duty to offer support, lying about agreements reached with school or me refusing assessments. All of which have proven to be false.

So the LA is prepared to pay counsel (and counsel accept tax payer's money) for a case where there is clearly no arguable legal defence.

Utterly disgraceful.

[nennypops]

To be fair, I doubt whether any barrister is advising the LA to lie - it would be the end of his/her career. They're probably doing that one all by themselves.

[safeguardingchildren]

Yet, what appears in writing with JR proceedings pending is almost certainly a result of 'counsel's advice'. Hence the flurry of new 'tactics'.

[Nanny01]

Debra Hay hardwicke was the lady that prepared our paper work, fortunately didn't have to use her services as the lea agreed to the school we wanted. She represented several families at my sons school.

[NotNewHereAlias]

Bumping, because I think we need one now

Quite a complex case, with an additional technical issue re evidence
Happy to say who I am if you prefer to PM me

[judebin]

Hi, I need help with my child tribunal hearing. I am not sure about many of the things, that need to be presented. Although I think I have all evidences and communications, I am little bit concern about how the LA solicitor could twist the case. Please advise. Thanks.