Watch now: paving the way for legal aid – hidden histories in our archives

“I selected this image of Toynbee Hall as part of the bicentenary exhibition because it’s very personal to me,” says our archivist Gary Haines.

“I used to work in Whitechapel Gallery in London.”

“And I remember, my parents didn’t go to Toynbee Hall, but they went to another situation when they were trying to access legal advice.

“Without places like Toynbee Hall, they would have had no access to justice.”

Gary has spent 14 months uncovering historical objects in our archives. In this video series, he shares the most intriguing artefacts in the collection.

He explains why Toynbee Hall represents a cornerstone for the work we do promoting access to justice.

For the first time in over a decade, we will be opening the Law Society Hall at 113 Chancery Lane to the public on Saturday 13 September as part of London’s Open House festival.

It is a unique opportunity to explore a building that is usually only open to our members, and to find out more about our fascinating history.

Go behind the scenes with Gary as we celebrate our bicentenary, and reflect on why it’s crucial to campaign for justice for the benefit of society.