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Sue Willman

Assistant Director of King's Legal Clinic and Lecturer in Law (Education)

Contact details

Biography

Sue Willman is an Assistant Director and Supervising solicitor in King’s Legal Clinic where she is developing the human rights and environmental law clinic. She is also a senior consultant at public interest legal aid firm Deighton Pierce Glynn, top-ranked in the Chambers and Legal 500 legal directories for both Administrative/Public Law and Civil Liberties/Human Rights. A solicitor since 1996, she specialises in public law, particularly strategic litigation on behalf of migrants, and more recently environmental and international human rights. She is a member of the Climate Law and Governance Centre at King’s

Sue Willman joined King’s Legal Clinic in 2020 as Assistant Director and Supervising solicitor, developing legal interventions on climate justice, linked to the Clinic’s climate justice pledge. She is also a senior consultant at public interest firm Deighton Pierce Glynn specialising in public law, including the intersecting fields of human rights and the environment.

In the UK, Sue has acted in judicial reviews to challenge decisions to build incinerators in the UK, including a successful challenge to a proposed £300m biomass plant which would have burned imported wood for energy. Sue collaborates with the Environmental Law Foundation which aims to provide access to justice for communities and individuals on environmental issues. One such case is on behalf of the London Waterkeeper investigating legal challenges to the pollution of local rivers. Sue has an interest in the Wild Law movement and the development of the rights of nature.

Sue has experience in the impact of multinational extractive companies in Africa and Latin America. In 2015, she issued a civil claim against BP and other oil companies on behalf of a Colombian trade unionist who had been kidnapped and tortured by paramilitaries linked to the Colombian army which had received payments from BP for equipment. Sue has worked to support communities affected by oil exploration in Colombia, establishing the Oiljustice Project with War on Want in the UK and the NGO COS-PACC in Colombia. Sue is a trustee of the London Mining Network, which conducts research and advocacy on the impact of mining on human rights and the environment and sustainable development, working closely with mining-affected communities, especially indigenous people. She has an LLM in International Legal Studies from Georgetown University.

News

King's students launch Rights of Nature Toolkit

The King’s Legal Clinic launched a legal blueprint in January, titled 'Rights of Nature Toolkit: How to protect Rivers in England and Wales’ for protecting...

A flooded river with a bridge.

King's Legal Clinic evaluates impact of successful cross-cultural module in India visit

A year since the King’s Legal Clinic launched the Transitional Remedies in Environmental Harm module, the King's Legal Clinic and their Indian partners met in...

A group pf people looking in front of the camera on the shore bed of a lake.

Law School launches first ever Law Impact Prize

The Law impact prize held on 14 March 2023, is the first ever Faculty event to celebrate projects that shape understanding, build capacity, influence policy,...

A group of people smiling towards a camera on a wooden floor

Law and Geography students involved in Ugandan deforestation case

Law and Geography students, working through King’s Legal Clinic, have contributed original research to a ‘friend of the court’ submission, in a climate case...

Uganda 780x440 AdobeStock_457143799

King's Legal Clinic's positive impact recognised with LawWorks Awards shortlisting

King’s Legal Clinic has been shortlisted in the Best Contribution by a Pro Bono Clinic category at the 2022 Annual LawWorks Pro Bono Awards.

King's Legal Clinic students 368x208

Law students act to protect endangered species in Serbia

Students from King’s Legal Clinic have supported a landmark legal complaint which aims to protect endangered species in Serbia.

Serbia_780x440_milica-spasojevic-5gAUtiI3E-4-unsplash

King's Legal Clinic files submission in Colombia to protect rights of river

Students from King’s Human Rights and Environment Clinic worked with non-governmental organisations and barristers from Doughty Street Chambers to produce the...

water

King's Legal Clinic student research makes the case for environmental rights to be recognised as human rights

A pioneering project, based at King’s Legal Clinic, has produced research which supports amending the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) to create a...

A village located by a river which could potentially be affected by climate change

Partnership will bring together students from India and UK to advance climate justice

The Dickson Poon School of Law has partnered with two Indian universities to launch an LLM module that will help students identify legal remedies for...

Vehicles try to drive through a flooded street in Dhaka, Bangladesh

Legal Clinic students help homeless Roma apply for legal residence

Students from King’s Legal Clinic have taken part in a pilot project, supporting street homeless people from the Roma Community to help them apply for legal...

A group of five women, stood in front of a churchyard, smile for the camera.

Events

23JanLaws of Nature thumbnail

Rights of Nature

The Transnational Law Institute and the King’s Legal Clinic invite you to discuss the Legal Rights of Nature at the movies.

Please note: this event has passed.

15NovDesperately Seeking the Legal Right to a Healthy Climate thumbnail

Desperately Seeking the Legal Right to a Healthy Climate

King’s Legal Clinic invites you to a debate with leading lawyers and law-makers on how to enact a right to a healthy climate in UK law

Please note: this event has passed.

28Jun780x440 Refugee Week 2022

Refugee Week x London Climate Action Week: The climate crisis and refugees

Join this event to hear from experts approaching the topic of climate and refugees from three different angles.

Please note: this event has passed.

Features

COP27 - students from King's Legal Clinic share their thoughts

Students from King's Legal Clinic took the opportunity provided by COP27 to share their thoughts on the climate emergency, including the debate on loss and...

Flooded village 1903 x 558 pexels-pok-rie-6471969

Supporting Climate Justice in the Sundarbans

Climate change is already having a significant impact on some of the poorest communities on the planet, threatening livelihoods and creating new climate...

Sunderbans 780x440 shutterstock_553051519

News

King's students launch Rights of Nature Toolkit

The King’s Legal Clinic launched a legal blueprint in January, titled 'Rights of Nature Toolkit: How to protect Rivers in England and Wales’ for protecting...

A flooded river with a bridge.

King's Legal Clinic evaluates impact of successful cross-cultural module in India visit

A year since the King’s Legal Clinic launched the Transitional Remedies in Environmental Harm module, the King's Legal Clinic and their Indian partners met in...

A group pf people looking in front of the camera on the shore bed of a lake.

Law School launches first ever Law Impact Prize

The Law impact prize held on 14 March 2023, is the first ever Faculty event to celebrate projects that shape understanding, build capacity, influence policy,...

A group of people smiling towards a camera on a wooden floor

Law and Geography students involved in Ugandan deforestation case

Law and Geography students, working through King’s Legal Clinic, have contributed original research to a ‘friend of the court’ submission, in a climate case...

Uganda 780x440 AdobeStock_457143799

King's Legal Clinic's positive impact recognised with LawWorks Awards shortlisting

King’s Legal Clinic has been shortlisted in the Best Contribution by a Pro Bono Clinic category at the 2022 Annual LawWorks Pro Bono Awards.

King's Legal Clinic students 368x208

Law students act to protect endangered species in Serbia

Students from King’s Legal Clinic have supported a landmark legal complaint which aims to protect endangered species in Serbia.

Serbia_780x440_milica-spasojevic-5gAUtiI3E-4-unsplash

King's Legal Clinic files submission in Colombia to protect rights of river

Students from King’s Human Rights and Environment Clinic worked with non-governmental organisations and barristers from Doughty Street Chambers to produce the...

water

King's Legal Clinic student research makes the case for environmental rights to be recognised as human rights

A pioneering project, based at King’s Legal Clinic, has produced research which supports amending the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) to create a...

A village located by a river which could potentially be affected by climate change

Partnership will bring together students from India and UK to advance climate justice

The Dickson Poon School of Law has partnered with two Indian universities to launch an LLM module that will help students identify legal remedies for...

Vehicles try to drive through a flooded street in Dhaka, Bangladesh

Legal Clinic students help homeless Roma apply for legal residence

Students from King’s Legal Clinic have taken part in a pilot project, supporting street homeless people from the Roma Community to help them apply for legal...

A group of five women, stood in front of a churchyard, smile for the camera.

Events

23JanLaws of Nature thumbnail

Rights of Nature

The Transnational Law Institute and the King’s Legal Clinic invite you to discuss the Legal Rights of Nature at the movies.

Please note: this event has passed.

15NovDesperately Seeking the Legal Right to a Healthy Climate thumbnail

Desperately Seeking the Legal Right to a Healthy Climate

King’s Legal Clinic invites you to a debate with leading lawyers and law-makers on how to enact a right to a healthy climate in UK law

Please note: this event has passed.

28Jun780x440 Refugee Week 2022

Refugee Week x London Climate Action Week: The climate crisis and refugees

Join this event to hear from experts approaching the topic of climate and refugees from three different angles.

Please note: this event has passed.

Features

COP27 - students from King's Legal Clinic share their thoughts

Students from King's Legal Clinic took the opportunity provided by COP27 to share their thoughts on the climate emergency, including the debate on loss and...

Flooded village 1903 x 558 pexels-pok-rie-6471969

Supporting Climate Justice in the Sundarbans

Climate change is already having a significant impact on some of the poorest communities on the planet, threatening livelihoods and creating new climate...

Sunderbans 780x440 shutterstock_553051519