Lucy Coen

Junior C

1 Jan

Written By Nick Calton, Toucan Creative

Call: 2019

Lucy Coen

BPTC, BPP Leeds, 2017–2019 (Very Competent)

GDL, University of Law, 2015–2017 (Distinction)

MA Peace Studies, University of Bradford, 2011 (Distinction)

BA Modern History and Politics, University of Liverpool, 2007–2010 (2:1)

Young Legal Aid Lawyers

Family Law Bar Association

Lucy accepted tenancy at Broadway House Chambers after successfully completing her pupillage in December 2020 under the supervision of Giles Bridge and Paul Smith.

During her pupillage, Lucy assisted in a range of criminal cases both for the Prosecution and Defence and has experience in Immigration and Family proceedings. Since becoming a tenant Lucy has developed a busy practice spanning criminal, immigration and family work.

Lucy was called to the Bar in 2019 after completing the BPTC part-time at BPP Leeds. Prior to the Bar, Lucy worked for a number of years in a variety of roles in the not-for-profit sector, including working as an immigration caseworker, an Independent Sexual Violence Advisor [ISVA] and a support worker at a national children’s charity. As such she has wealth of experience working with a range of people and is particularly adept at communicating with lay clients.

Expertise

Immigration

Lucy regularly appears in the Tribunal in all areas of immigration and asylum law. She also regularly drafts advices and skeleton arguments in respect of all immigration law matters. She has recently appeared in the Upper Tribunal at error of law hearings including on issues of procedural fairness.

Prior to the Bar, Lucy worked at a local charity as an immigration caseworker, where she drafted further submissions for clients who could not obtain legal aid as a result of their cases not meeting the merits test. She also regularly appeared in the First-Tier Tribunal once further submissions had been granted a right of appeal. Whilst in this role she gave legal advice at weekly clinic in Leeds providing much needed pro-bono assistance to migrants.

From 2015 to 2017 Lucy worked as an Independent Child Trafficking Advocate [ICTA] at Barnardo’s across the North of England. Lucy was the first ICTA in the North of England to undertake this role and worked closely with a variety of agencies including the police, social care and immigration practitioners to ensure that young people identified as having been trafficked were properly supported. Lucy’s prior experience working with young people and care-leavers makes her particularly well-suited to representing unaccompanied asylum-seeking children.

Lucy continues her commitment to vulnerable clients by undertaking pro-bono advocacy for the Manuel Bravo Project and Bail for Immigration Detainees.

Lucy is available to advise and represent clients with all immigration and asylum matters and works collaboratively with solicitors to ensure a firm understanding of the issues in a case prior to entering court.

Family

Lucy has busy public and private children law practice. She regularly appears on behalf of parents in directions hearings, finding of fact hearings and final hearings. She also been instructed to represent the children through their rule 16.4 children’s guardian in interim and final hearings.

Lucy has a developing public children law practice and has appeared on behalf of the Local Authority at interim hearings on issues such as interim care order applications, designation, applications for expert evidence, and at final hearings including applications for placement orders. She also regularly represents parents in public law proceedings including those with additional vulnerabilities.

Before coming to the Bar, Lucy worked at Barnardos, as a Children’s Rights Advocate. This involved working with and supporting young people who were subject to Child Protection Plans, those that were in the care of the Local Authority and care leavers. This experience gives her invaluable knowledge in care proceedings and she is keen to accept instructions in all areas of public children law matters.

As a result of her previous experience as an immigration case worker, Lucy has also provided written advice on immigration issues that arise in care proceedings and continues to build her practice in this area.

Crime

Lucy appears for both the Prosecution and Defence in Magistrates’ Courts across the region and in the Crown Court for preliminary, sentence and appeal hearings. She is a CPS Grade 1 Prosecutor. During pupillage Lucy has assisted senior counsel on matters of disclosure in cases involving historical sexual offences, offences of violence and child cruelty. Since becoming a tenant she has been instructed as a disclosure junior in a large-scale sexual abuse case and a noting junior in an ongoing CSE case in South Yorkshire. Lucy has also been instructed as junior counsel in a complex multi-handed conspiracy case which involved large amounts of CCTV and forensic evidence. Prior to the Bar, Lucy trained and qualified as Independent Sexual Violence Advocate [ISVA] and worked at a local rape crisis centre. She supported a variety of women who were navigating the criminal justice system and regularly attended Crown Court trials as a support worker.