Joanne Roberts - 'Outstanding Individual Contribution’ Award Winner

Our annual awards are given to individual students or groups of students that make outstanding contributions to the projects they are involved in. Students are nominated by their tutors or project managers. In this blog written for Pro Bono Week 2025, award winner Joanne Roberts shares her thanks and experiences of working on the Legal Technology Project.

When I received the email from the Open Justice Centre, I had to read it twice. I hadn’t known I’d been nominated, so to be selected as one of four winners of the Iain Service Award for outstanding individual contribution was a deeply moving surprise.  The award honours the memory of Iain Service, a former ‘Justice in Action’ student, volunteer, and Law School alumnus whose legacy continues to shape the ethos of Open Justice. To be recognised in this way, alongside others working to make justice more open and empowering, is something I’ll carry with me for a long time.

My contribution to the project was the creation of the Right2Repair Assistant, a digital tool designed to support people living in social housing across the UK, especially those with assured shorthold tenancies, facing disrepair issues. It is designed to guide users through their rights, support clear communication with landlords, and encourage confident, informed action. At its core, it’s about empowerment, explaining legal processes in a way that offers users clarity, dignity, and direction, especially in situations that often feel overwhelming or unclear. 

The project was shaped by personal experience, both my own and those of people close to me. Living with housing disrepair takes a toll on an individual’s health and wellbeing, something I have experienced firsthand as a private tenant.  Despite raising concerns, the issues were either dismissed or left unresolved.  That sense of being ignored while dealing with unsafe or unhealthy conditions is part of what motivated me to build something that could help others feel heard and equipped.

Being part of the Open Justice Project helped me connect the dots between legal education, digital design, and social impact. It showed me that technology can do more than inform, it can empower. It taught me how vital it is to design legal tools that are clear, accessible, and genuinely user-friendly. 

The experience has reshaped my future. I’d originally set my sights on becoming a solicitor, but working on this project and seeing the difference well-designed tools can make, has opened a new path. I am now exploring how to use my legal knowledge to enter the legal tech field and make a meaningful impact. I want to keep expanding my skills and understanding, so I can help bridge the gap in access to justice. My goal is to create tools that are practical, inclusive, and empowering for the people who need them most.

I am proud to have been part of the Open Justice Project 2024. Most importantly, I’d like to congratulate the other nominees and winners and thank Dr. Francine Ryan and David Byrne for their support throughout the project. It is inspiring to see so many people working to make justice more open, accessible, and empowering.

Joanne wrote a short blog where you can learn about her experiences on the project and access the chatbot she built here.