Lived realities of legal aid: austerity, the pandemic and beyond

This paper examines the intersecting impacts of austerity policies and the Covid-19 pandemic on the legal aid sector in England and Wales, emphasising their combined implications for professional practices and identities. Legal aid lawyers play a crucial role in upholding social justice and supporting marginalised communities, yet decades of cost-saving measures, epitomised by the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders (LASPO) Act 2012, have severely constrained the sector. LASPO's drastic funding cuts removed large areas of law from scope, creating legal aid deserts and deterring young lawyers from pursuing legal aid. The Covid-19 pandemic compounded these challenges, bringing a surge in demand from new and existing client populations. Simultaneously, the sector underwent a rapid technological transformation, enabling hybrid working but also disrupting traditional professional networks, everyday practice, and client relationships. Drawing on 131 semi-structured interviews with legal aid professionals, this article explores two key issues: the post-pandemic escalation in legal aid demand and complexity, and the erosion of professional identity and cohesion among legal aid lawyers. We argue these overlapping crises have amplified longstanding pressures on the sector and undermined its capacity to address a newly diverse range of legal need.