The Committee
The current Committee is comprised of the following members:
Co-chairs
Sophie Ewin, St. Edmund Hall
Hello All! My name is Sophie and I am the Co-chair of the Oxford Legal Assistance, alongside Mert. The main reason I submitted an application to join OLA was because of the recent news headlines I had seen regarding cuts to legal aid. Social mobility and equal access to services is something I have always supported and been involved with; the OLA offers an opportunity to do this from a different perspective. Raising awareness of the demand for legal aid within Oxford, and further afield, has been something I have wanted to focus on. Being able to participate in legal clinics has also been my favourite part of the experience, as I feel as though I am making a real difference in people’s lives.
Mert Ayik, Wadham College
Hi everyone! My name is Mert, I’m from Turkey and Switzerland, and I am the Co-chair of Oxford Legal Assistance in 2023/24. Human rights and immigration law are extremely close to my heart, and are the reason why I wanted to study law in the first place. Having an opportunity like OLA where I get to give back to my community whilst learning about important domestic and international legal issues is really fulfilling. Furthermore, it's great to get some practical legal work experience as well as research skills, learning about other countries and looking at the law from an international perspective. Most important, however, is being able to hear about other people’s stories and directly engage with asylum seekers to try and improve their lives. It gives you a great sense of responsibility and makes you appreciate the important work that human rights lawyers do. If you have a genuine interest in pro-bono or client work within the context of Human Rights, I’d really encourage you to get involved.
Turpin & Miller Representative
Alexandra Morgan, St. Catherine’s College
Hi! I’m Alex and I’m a second year Law student at St Catherine’s College. I wanted to get involved in pro bono work as I believe that it is important to do everything I can to help the most disadvantaged members of society. With my mother being an immigrant herself and escaping the dangerous political situation of her home country, helping those seeking asylum in particular is thus very close to my heart. The clinics and research tasks at Oxford Legal Assistance have been incredibly rewarding so far, and I can’t wait to continue with it this term.
Social Media Coordinator
Sanika Pherwani, Brasenose College
My name is Sanika Pherwani, and I am a second year Law student at Brasenose College. I am interested in immigration law and have thoroughly enjoyed my time with OLA so far. Working with refugees not only provides us with client interaction practice, but also with perspective- with each individual story showing a new world view. The clinic and training allow us to put our knowledge to the test and use it in an impactful manner.