Lois is a second six pupil. She completed her first six months of pupillage under the supervision of Ryan Kohli and Estelle Dehon KC, during which she assisted with drafting pleadings, skeleton arguments, and legal opinions across a range of areas including housing, planning, property, and environmental protection. She also has an interest in Court of Protection and licensing work.
Professional Background
Before coming to the Bar, Lois obtained a PhD in medieval history from King’s College London, where her research focused on the role of bishops in the government of England across the Norman Conquest. Alongside her research, she taught on the first-year undergraduate Medieval British History module and gave regular presentations to academic and non-academic audiences.
After completing her PhD, Lois worked as a policy officer at CPRE, the Countryside Charity, from February 2018 until September 2019 and at the National Housing Federation from September 2019 until September 2020. In these roles she helped develop evidence-led policy positions on a range of housing and planning issues, represented CPRE in local and national media including Farming Today and the BBC Radio 4 Today Programme, supported CPRE’s network of 43 local groups to develop their own campaigns, and provided policy advice for housing association staff on issues including health and housing, welfare reform, supported housing, and the impact of Covid-19.
Alongside her policy roles, Lois volunteered as a case support volunteer for St Mungo’s ‘No Second Night Out’ project, carrying out assessments and casework with rough sleepers to establish local connection, eligibility for services and benefits and priority need for housing.
During her time studying for the GDL at City Law School she chaired the 2020/21 committee for PIEL UK, a student-led organisation which hosts an annual conference on public interest environmental law.
Expertise
- Housing
Lois worked in the housing sector before undertaking her Graduate Diploma in Law, as a policy officer for the National Housing Federation. She worked especially closely with housing associations specialising in supported housing and extra care accommodation. She also has experience of working with rough sleepers and liaising with local authorities and other support services as a case support volunteer for St Mungo’s No Second Night Out project.
During pupillage she has assisted with a pro bono housing-related anti-social behaviour matter, including advising the local authority in correspondence on the range of powers available to it under the Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014.
- Planning and Environment
During pupillage Lois assisted with:
- Drafting legal opinions for the newly established Office for Environmental Protection regarding complaints procedures in analogous regulatory regimes, for a local planning authority on the merits of a statutory planning review challenge against the grant of permission for a large-scale residential development within an AONB, and for a county council seeking to support its constituent local planning authorities to mandate energy efficiency standards for new development above the national Building Regulations baseline.
- Drafting summary grounds of resistance in judicial review proceedings relating to the relationship between the Planning Act 2008 and Town and Country Planning Act 1990 regimes when determining applications for large-scale renewable energy projects, and the application of national guidance on costs awards in called-in planning inquiries.
In her previous career Lois has extensive experience of drafting policy briefings for MPs, civil servants and local campaigning organisations on a range of planning policy topics.
- Property
During pupillage, Lois assisted with drafting advice for a local authority in relation to a boundary dispute and its position in respect of any adverse possession claim concerning the disputed land and a skeleton argument in a private landlord and tenant dispute.
- Court of Protection
Lois is interested in gaining experience of Court of Protection work. In her previous roles as a policy officer at the National Housing Federation and a case support volunteer for St Mungo’s No Second Night Out project, she worked with individuals whose mental capacity was disputed and with specialist supported and extra care housing providers in this area.
- Alternative Dispute Resolution
Lois has an interest in the role that Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) can play in planning and public law proceedings. During pupillage, she has assisted with drafting a position statement ahead of mediation proceedings relating to the discharge of a restrictive covenant over land owned by a parish council.