Pupils

Vyaj Lovejoy

Vyaj is a second six pupil supervised by Roger Daniells-Smith. During pupillage, Vyaj has assisted members of chambers within the areas of immigration, crime, housing, discrimination and judicial review. Since starting her second six she has been instructed in immigration and crime. She has assisted members of chambers with trials in the Youth Court, the Magistrates Court and the Crown Court.

Prior to coming to the bar Vyaj worked as a senior immigration caseworker at Wilson Solicitors LLP. Many of Vyaj’s clients were asylum seekers, including individuals with mental health problems and vulnerable women. She also worked with detained, fast track and immigration clients. Vyaj is a Level 2 accredited immigration advisor.

Whilst assisting members of chambers immigration team, Vyaj built on her experience of asylum and immigration work. She has assisted and observed all levels of immigration and asylum work up to the Court of Appeal, including judicial review applications. For the last two years she has appeared in bail applications in front of the FTT, and currently provides Pro-Bono immigration and asylum advice for the Lambeth Law Centre.

Vyaj is an accredited representative for the Free Representation Unit and has represented clients in the Social Security and Employment Tribunals. Vyaj has also worked with Citizens Advice Bureau as an advisor and tribunal representative, and was an intern with the Equality and Diversity Forum.

  • Education: LLB Law (First class Honours), BVC
  • Scholarships: Lincoln’s Inn – Lord Denning (BVC), Levitt (Pupillage), Hardwick

Memberships:

  • Young Legal Aid Lawyers
  • Refugee Legal Group

Bernadette Smith

Bernadette is a second six pupil and is supervised by James Murray-Smith. She practises in crime and immigration and is keen to gain experience in public law and family.

Before coming to the Bar Bernadette volunteered for two and a half years at Lambeth Law Centre in immigration and housing. For the final year she worked as a senior immigration caseworker at the Law Centre taking on both immigration and asylum cases, judicial review as well as being involved in providing outreach immigration advice to a domestic violence charity. During pupillage she continues to be involved with the Law Centre providing initial telephone immigration and asylum advice to lay clients.

She also volunteered as a Referral Order Panel Leader over the course of two years in Surrey and during that time chaired restorative justice Panels for young people from varying backgrounds who had committed a range of different offences.

Since starting pupillage Bernadette has continued improve her experience of immigration in the tribunals and higher courts. She is instructed in immigration cases, including judicial review, and frequently represents immigration detainees for bail applications through the College of Law’s pro bono unit. She is able to advise on all areas of immigration and has a particular interest in asylum and deportation appeals.

Bernadette is also developing her criminal practice and regularly appears in the Youth, Magistrates’ and the Crown Courts on a range of matters.

  • Education: Graduate Diploma in Law (Distinction); MSc International Relations (Merit); BA Theatre Studies (First Class).
  • Scholarships: Wilfred Watson Scholar, Gray's Inn

Ariane Adam

Ariane graduated with a degree in Philosophy from University College London in 2007. She then read for the MSc in Human Rights at the London School of Economics and Political Science obtaining a distinction, before converting to law and completing the BPTC at BPP Law School.

In June 2011 Ariane joined Reprieve as an intern in the Death Penalty team assisting in the investigation and litigation of British national cases in South-East Asia. In September 2011 she was taken on as EC Project Assistant and spent the following seven months working with lawyers in the US to identify and assist European nationals and those with claims to European nationality facing the death penalty. Ariane assisted defence teams in raising international legal arguments before the appellate State and Federal courts, as well as the US Supreme Court. She also assisted in complaints to international legal mechanisms, including drafting a petition to the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights.

Since joining Chambers as a pupil in October 2012, Ariane has assisted members of Chambers within the areas of crime, employment, housing, immigration, and judicial review. She is particularly committed and intends to develop her practice in the areas of employment discrimination, homelessness and community care, and judicial review.

Ariane has substantive experience in international law and working in other jurisdictions. In the summer of 2012 she undertook consultancy work with Global Partners, advising UNESCO on the implementation of the Brazilian access to information law. She then spent six weeks in New York at assisting a small firm in personal injury and general civil litigation. During pupillage, Ariane spent time in The Hague working with the Badreddine defence team at the Special Tribunal for Lebanon. Ariane is also assisting Iain Edwards in the defence of Rwandan opposition politician Victoire Ingabire in her appeal before the Rwandan Supreme Court.

Ariane is committed to pro bono work and has a long background of working for NGOs. Between May 2008 and November 2009, Ariane was a volunteer with Amnesty International’s individuals at risk programme helping to run the urgent action network. During her time at BPP Ariane undertook volunteer research and advice work for Liberty Letters Clinic, Scope, and the AIRE Centre, and in 2010-2011 ran the Pro Bono Centre’s Amnesty International programme. She is an accredited representative for the Free Representation Unit and has represented clients in the Employment Tribunal in unlawful deduction of wages and redundancy cases. During pupillage, Ariane has represented individuals pro bono in bail hearings before the Immigration Tribunal through the College of Law Legal Advice Centre. She is also representing individuals in discrimination and unlawful dismissal claims through Chambers’ Employment Pro Bono Project.

Education

  • BPTC, BPP Law School (2010-2011)
  • Graduate Diploma in Law, BPP Law School (2009-2010)
  • MSc Human Rights, London School of Economics and Political Science (Distinction)(2008-2009)
  • BA (Hons) Philosophy, University College London (2004-2007)

Awards

  • BPP Pro Bono Centre Award for Outstanding Leadership in Pro Bono (2011)
  • Middle Temple Benefactors Scholarship (2010)
  • Stan Cohen Prize for best dissertation it the LSE MSc Human Rights programme (2009)