Government Social Research
Two government social researchers at the Legal Services Research Centre (LSRC) at the Legal Services Commission have accepted appointments at the Faculty of Laws, University College London (UCL). LSRC Head Pascoe Pleasence has been named as Visiting Professor, and Senior Researcher Dr. Nigel Balmer as Honorary Senior Research Fellow.
The positions will enable greater collaboration between the LSRC and UCL, staff of each having worked together on a number of projects in recent years. In particular, Pascoe and Nigel have worked closely with Hazel Genn CBE, Professor of Socio-Legal Studies at UCL. The LSRC’s main project, the continuous English and Welsh Civil and Social Justice Survey, was a development of an earlier survey conducted by Professor Genn and funded by the Nuffield Foundation.
The appointments will enable the profile of empirical socio-legal studies to be raised within UCL, and the next generation of researchers to benefit from their experience through the possible development of new courses at UCL - significant at a time when a Nuffield Foundation inquiry into research capacity in the socio-legal field indicates that more new entrants are needed.
An executive non-departmental public body sponsored by the Department for Constitutional Affairs (DCA), the Legal Services Commission looks after legal aid in England and Wales, and is responsible for ensuring that people get the information, advice and legal help they need to deal with a wide range of everyday problems. The Commission funds a network of Quality Marked solicitors, Citizens Advice Bureaux and other advice providers to help people who need advice about relationship breakdown or problems with debt, housing, domestic violence and benefits. Help is also available about asylum and immigration, education, employment, mental health and community care issues.