Clare was the winner of the 2016 Legal Aid Lawyer of the Year award in the Children’s Right category for her work acting for migrant children in public law challenges. She is a recommended lawyer in the 2017 Legal 500 where she is described as “a fearsome fighter”. She is also recognised as “a very committed and able lawyer” in the 2018 Chambers & Partners.
Clare has a wide breadth of experience in challenging state decisions, and in particular, strategic challenges aimed at bringing about policy changes. Clare has acted in claims against local authorities, central government departments, local authorities, the NHS and the Ombudsman.
Clare has particular expertise in judicial review challenges concerning migrant rights, especially in matters concerning local authority support to migrant children whose parents are excluded from claiming welfare benefits. Clare also specialises in acting for migrant adults, including survivors of domestic violence and those with serious mental health conditions in relation to support from local authorities under the Care Act 2014. She also had experience of challenging NHS service provision and charging decisions, student fees and loans and asylum support decisions.
Clare also specialises in judicial review challenges against the police, in particular, challenges concerning data retention, disclosure and data protection issues. She has considerable experience of advising and representing clients in relation to DBS (formally CRB) disclosure decisions and police retention of personal and biometric information, as well as decisions to arrest and administer police cautions.
Clare is also experienced in a wide range of other public law cases including challenging funding cuts decisions, closure of services and welfare benefits decisions.
Prior to this Clare spent three years in the Public Law and Human Rights team at Bindmans LLP where she qualified as a solicitor and assisted Partners on numerous high profile public law challenges.
Clare also spent just under 3 years at the NSPCC as their Data Protection Officer, advising on all aspects of information law compliance.
Clare completed a MSc. in Political Science (International Relations) with distinction in 2005 and before that studied Law with American Studies as the University of Sussex and UC Berkeley.
Clare is currently a Trustee and founding member of Project 17, a charity that works to end destitution among migrant children by providing advice and assistance on accessing support from social services.
Experience
Clare has significant experience of conducting judicial review and human rights litigation against a wide variety of state-actors. She has particular expertise in the following areas:
Migrant Rights issues
Clare has particular expertise in acting for Claimants in judicial review challenges concerning migrant rights issues. Cases include:
Information and privacy law
Clare’s background as a Data Protect Officer, combined with her public law expertise means that she has acquired experience in privacy and information law cases including;
Criminal justice challenges
Clare also specialises in challenges arising out of criminal justice issues including:
Clare has also experience of advising clients on civil claims against the police for damages
General public law experience
Clare’s other recent cases include
Clare has a particular interest and expertise in cases concerning the rights of migrant children and adults. Clare regularly acts in judicial review and human rights challenges concerning access to community care service, NHS service provision and charging decisions, student fees and loans and asylum support.
Clare has acted for Claimants challenging the regulations excluding Zambrano carers from claiming welfare benefits; judicial reviews of local authorities’ policies on child-in-need assessments and support for families with No Recourse to Public Funds, and NHS charging decisions in relation to Zambrano carers.
Clare also has specialist knowledge of acting for Claimants in judicial reviews arising out of criminal justice and policing issues, and in particular, advising clients on privacy and information rights issues in this context. Clare has acted for Claimants challenging their arrest and retention of their DNA, finger prints and personal information; security vetting and barring scheme decisions; DBS disclosure; protest cases; cautions and IPCC findings. Clare’s data protection experience, combined with her public law expertise, makes her well placed to advocate for Claimants in cases of this nature.
Clare is currently a Trustee and founding member of Project 17, a charity that works to end destitution among migrant children by providing advice and assistance on accessing support from social services.
Clare is the winner of the Children’s Rights awards in the 2016 Legal Aid Lawyers of the Year awards. She is also a recommended lawyer in the Legal 500 2016, where she is described as “extraordinary”.
Prior to this Clare spent three years in the Public Law and Human Rights team at Bindmans LLP where she qualified as a solicitor and assisted Partners on numerous high profile public law challenges.
Clare also spent just under 3 years at the NSPCC as their Data Protection Officer, advising on all aspects of information law compliance.
Clare completed a MSc. in Political Science (International Relations) with distinction in 2005.